“A friend is someone who knows the song in your heart and can sing it back to you when you have forgotten the words.” —Unknown. Amanda Dykes’ Born of Gilded Mountains is a sweeping historical novel that beautifully blends history, faith, and romance, set against the rugged backdrop of Colorado’s mountains during the Gilded Age. Dykes is known for her lyrical writing, and this novel is no exception—it reads like poetry, with rich, atmospheric descriptions that draw you into the setting and the lives of the characters. In 1948, Mercy Windsor, once Hollywood’s beloved leading lady, seeks refuge in the remote Colorado town of Mercy Peak after a scandal topples her career. […]