This is the best book I've read all year, maybe ever. It draws you in and you get lost in the story until suddenly you find yourself closing the back cover. This book is heartbreaking and yet strikingly beautiful. These characters will haunt you, draw you to tears, inspire you and make you laugh and leave you changed. Received this book free for our honest review.

Melanie Dobson captured my attention with Chateau of Secrets. And so I had high expectations for Catching the Wind. My expectations were exceeded. Catching the Wind was completely captivating. I loved how it was a great combination of history and mystery. She did a fantastic job interweaving the past and the present.
Catching the Wind had my attention from the first page to the last. While there were parts that seemed to drag a bit, it was well worth reading through those sections to find out how the story was going to play out . Intially I wasn’t impressed with the main character Quenby . But the author did a great job developing the characters and bringing them to life.
I am a big fan of historical fiction. Melanie Dobson ‘s books are well written and completely entertaining. I would highly recommend not only Catching the Wind but also checking out the rest of her books. I received a complimentary copy in exchange for my honest review from NetGalley.

I loved this book. A rather different slant on a familiar and much written about time in our history. Good building of the characters personalities with a few rather unbelievable parts and inconsistencies but still a great read. One point which did niggle was when the present day pair returned to the old house in the woods and found it a dwelling including clothes still in the cupboards from over 60 years previously. REALLY!? No! these items and even the furniture etc would have rotted away in that time. I would recommend watching these small details in the future.

Two beautiful stories woven together that create a surprising outcome. A girl and boy running to save their lives in Nazi Germany find their way to England only to be separated. Each wonder if the other is safe and have survived the war. A journalist is commissioned seventy five years later for one last chance to find his lost friend. This is a very heart-warming story. Highly recommended.

This story blew me away. Having stumbled upon a book prior that was a bit dry, I feared that maybe it wasn’t the book that was the problem, but me. I was wrong. This story restored my faith in reading. This was a phenomenal book, well written that interweaved between the two time periods, as they came together at the end.

Catching the Wind is about a quest to find Brigitte Berthold. At the age of thirteen, Daniel Knight (Dietmar) rescued his best friend in fleeing for their lives in Nazi Germany. Sadly, they were separated as they came into England, and for years afterward Daniel had been searching for his Brigette.

Daniel had initiated numerous searches over the years, but no one returned with any type of information that was useful. Most of all, information about his beloved best friend. So he turns to Quenby Vaugh, who is an American journalist, to use her tenacity in finding out the story. With the help of Lucas, Daniel Knight’s lawyer, they both go through the clues to find out what happened to Brigette, in turn, Quenby learns what happened to her mom so many years ago.

Again, this story is remarkably wonderful. I loved every minute of it, wanting to dash forward through the pages, but knowing I couldn’t, because I might miss a detail of importance. Would I recommend this book? Most definitely! Two thumbs up and a round of applause for the author (and her editors). This will be a book I will keep for many years to come, and will share with all to read.

This is a very interesting and unique book. It takes place in the present and in the past during World War 2. We have an elderly man named Daniel regretting not doing more to help his friend Brigitte during their escape from the Nazi's and wondering what happened to her. Also we have the American Journalist Quenby who is writing a story expose on a family that was Nazi sympathizers during the war. Daniel enlists her to find his friend and we see how all their stories are intertwined in ways I just can't say without giving away the story. It is a very powerful story that I really enjoyed I look forward to more books by this author.

This book is so good that once you turn the final page there is a whole sense of loss, a dear friend I wanted to spend more time with is now gone.
The story begins in Germany and the world is at war, and we see a normal situation, children playing, but alas a split second later they are on the run for their lives, and then we span decades before the story is concluded.
Right from the beginning I found myself wishing for a romance between journalist Quenby and Lucas, and there is a bit, but then that is not the main theme of this story. In fact we do have a big of everything, including espionage, and when we circle part of the world looking for clues, we soon find the world is not that large.
Come and root for Dietmar and Brigitte and the journey of their lives and survival.
I received this book through Net Galley and Tyndale House Publishers and was not required to give a positive review.

What a wonderful historical fiction tale based on the realities of WW2 and those who weren't all that they may seem. The way the stories were woven together made for an enjoyable read. Even though the story went back and forth between the past and present, it wasn't hard to keep the stories straight. The suspense was built up gradually, just enough to keep the pages turning. This is a great showcase of God's answering or not answering prayers in His timeline. The research that went into this novel is beyond comprehension, Ms. Dobson proved once again she can deliver a great story with a message!

Thanks to Tyndall and Netgalley for the book in exchange for a honest review. This is on my to buy list for sure though!

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy World War 2 fiction. I loved the characters and the back and forth time line. I wouldn't call it light hearted, but it isn't as heavy as a lot of of the books in this genre. The mystery really kept me guessing until the end. I've read several books by Melanie Dobson, and this is my favorite so far.

I received this book for free for the purpose of review.

Effortlessly blending past and present, Melanie Dobson's latest novel "Catching the Wind" is a beautifully written story that has long lingered on my mind since I read the final word. I was fully immersed into the story of Brigitte and Daniel as children, especially the heart-breaking events that Brigitte experienced being used by the Nazi sympathizers. And I was equally captivated by the experiences of modern-day Quenby and Lucas, who are seeking to discover the truth about the past but in the process discover new things about themselves and each other as well. The characters are richly rendered and memorable, and I didn't want the story to end - even though I was longing to see how things would resolve - because I felt like I couldn't spend enough time in their presence. The ending is bittersweet because it is all too real, but at the same time I was left with a smile on my face for how things turned out. It was a reminder to me of how in the middle of our own life stories, things can get so hard that maybe we can't see the light waiting just beyond the bend in the tunnel. But God has good in store for us, just as he did in this story, and that is a promise worth thinking on.

"Catching the Wind" has all my favourite elements in a good story - intriguing characters, suspenseful scenes, and secrets buried in the past, just waiting to be unearthed. I greatly enjoyed this novel and award it a full 5 out of 5 stars.

An egalley has been provided courtesy of the publisher, Tyndale, for the purposes of this unbiased review.

“Catching the Wind” by Melanie Dobson is a very fascinating novel. Dietmar Roth and Brigitte Berthold were childhood friends back in Germany in 1940. Dietmar was three years older than Brigitte at the age of 13. Of course Germany was under Nazi rule at this time and everyone was tense and scared. One afternoon, the children were together playing when they heard screams and ran home. Just in time they hid as they saw the Gestapo taking away their parents. Dietmar ran to the window in his home and saw his mother mouth the words “RUN!”. He grabbed Brigitte and they ran for all they were worth, finally making their way to Belgium. Although Belgium was also under German rule, they were able to escape to England where they were parted and sent to various locations. They were thought to be British children and were being evacuated to escape the Blitz. They were never reunited.

Seventy years later, Quenby Vaughn is doing an article on English aristocratic families who collaborated with the Germans during the war. Some provided safe houses for German soldiers who were infiltrating the public and sending messages over wireless to Germany apprising them of troop locations and air fields. Sabotage was part of their plan. They thought Germany would win the war and they wanted to be ready to accept German rule as a friend to the invaders.

Lucas Hough, a lawyer representing Daniel Knight, seeks Quenby and requests that she meet his employer for a job. Quenby is not interested until Daniel, alias Dietmar Roth, tells her of his past life. He is searching for Brigitte, not knowing if she is dead or alive, but to reassure himself that he finds out about her before he passes away.

Little did Quenby know that along with searching for Brigitte, she will uncover information that her investigation into treason among the higher set also includes Brigitte’s past life. I was SO interested in the chapters dealing with the involvement of so many of British aristocratic members and their savagery. The years gone by have made searching for Brigitte a definitely difficult task, but I was pulled into the story by the intriguing manipulation of the story line by Ms. Dobson. What a great read! My only criticism is that the ending was not as satisfying as I’d hoped. In fact, I was a little disappointed because I did not think it altogether fit the story…a little too contrived, I think. However, I would highly recommend this book because my observations may be very different from another reader.

Tyndale House Publishers has provided me with a complimentary copy of this book.

Thank you Melanie Dobson, Tyndale House Publishers and Netgalley for a copy in exhange for an honest review.
I loved this book so much that I read it in a day. I have read a lot of fiction written of this time in our worlds history but not one written with such heart.
To quote Melanie "Catching the Wind was written with a grateful heart to all those who've helped abandoned, orphaned, and refugee children begin a new story" Bravo, you certainly did that with this sweet story.
I highly recommend this read.

Catching the Wind is the best book I've read so far this year. When the Gestapo come to Dietmar's and Brigitte's homes and arrests their parents, Dietmar and Brigitte (ages 13 and 10) run away from Germany. Dietmar and Brigitte are best friends and stay together through all kinds of trials and obstacles. Dietmar is also Brigitte's knight, and he carved a little princess for Brigitte. Fast forward seventy years later, and Dietmar is now known as Daniel and he wants to find Brigitte. He hires Quenby Vaughn to investigate and find her.

Melanie Dobson has written the book with a look at World War II as it was lived in England and a look at the present day investigative journalism. Even though World War II ended over seventy years ago, there are still people who still stand with Germany's Fascism of the era. Melanie has also included parts of the war most people were unaware of or refused to acknowledge--microphotography, Fascist sympathetic neighbors who were working as double agents, and refugees who were picked up to be used as slaves.

There were times I laughed (but not many) and even more times I cried. The troubles that Dietmar and Brigitte experienced are beyond my reckoning, but Melanie's skill with a pen brought them to life in a way that makes the reader feel as if he or she is in the middle of the plot.

I wish I could give this more than five stars, but that's all I am allowed, but I'll add my usual two thumbs up, and a carved princess to see you through the trials.

My thanks to Tyndale House Publishers for allowing me to read and review this book.

Catching the Wind

by Melanie Dobson

Tyndale House Publishers

Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.
Christian , General Fiction (Adult)

Pub Date 09 May 2017

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy of Catching the Wind through Tyndall House Publishers and Netgalley:

In 1940 Germany Daniel Knight was thirteen and his friend Brigitte Berthold ten when the Nazi's came, yet they managed to escape:

Dietmar does his best to protect Brigitte.

Daniel Knight is now a wealthy old man whose hope for finding Brigitte Berthold lays with Queenby Vaughn an American Journalist who works in London.

By October of 1940 Brigitte finds herself in the care of a woman who hates her, Dietmar had promised to come back for her, but hasn't yet.

Will Queenby be able to help Daniel Knight a.k.a Dietmar find Brigitte?

Does she want to be found?

I give Catching the Wind five out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

An investigative journalist is hired by a reclusive millionaire to find a dear friend he was separated from during World War Two. While digging deeply for clues, she may just solve a personal mystery of her own.

Wow, what a fabulous read, one that kept me up late just to see how it ended! A perfect illustration of how we are not abandoned by God, how the Good Shepherd searches for His lost sheep, and even in the darkest places, His hope shines through.
It was a tragic story in many ways, yet filled with hope. I like how the author parallels Quenby's personal struggles with the mystery she is trying to solve, adding a lot of spiritual and emotional insight to her own story. An expertly woven tale with interesting little known true history of intrigue in England during WW2.

Highly recommend for readers who enjoy WW2 stories with faith elements. (Some mature subject matter included.)

As much as I didn't love the ending of All the Light We Cannot See, I appreciated that ending more than the one Melanie Dobson provides in Catching the Wind. The historical details, particularly those about how (and who) supported the Nazis during WWII aren't as strong as other WWII novels that have been written from similar angles. While Dobson does include several characters' faith journeys, it doesn't enhance the story as much as it possibly could. Researcher/Reporter Quenby Vaughn has had a difficult childhood and agrees to help elderly, isolated Mr. Knight find his childhood best friend Brigitte, whom the war took away from him seventy years prior. Along the way, she learns about herself, finds love, and does her best to fulfill Mr. Knight's difficult expectations. While it's slightly watered down from novels that don't have an underlying Christian message, readers who love everything Tyndale publishes will surely enjoy it.

This book is a must read! It's a powerful read. No fluff included. Quenby is a strong, determined and deeply hurt character. Lucas is Mr. Knights attorney who helps get Quenby onboard to search for Brigitte, to fulfill a promise he made a long time ago and because she was his friend. The book is a dual timeline and is written very well. It will stir your emotions so have a tissue handy.

I have no hesitation in giving this book 5 stars. No hesitation at all!!
I applaud the author for being brave enough to link an atrocity that happened years ago with an equally wrenching reality in the present that we need to open our eyes to. I enjoyed how the author took upon a new approach to the events surrounding WWII that I was not aware of.
I thoroughly enjoyed both the present story of Quenby and Brigitte and Dietmar's story during WWII and I think the author brilliantly linked both time sets.

This book is about the cruelties that happen as consequence to a human being's selfishness. It is about, loss, betrayal and disappointments. But it is also about hope. About how you can believe in a new beginning without thinking you need to reinvent yourself in the process. Throughout the journey that both Quenby and Brigitte are put through, they learn that when an awful event is linked to your story you do not have to let it define you and you can be an overcomer. It is okay to feel hurt and to cry for all the brokenness and cruelty caused, but you can move on and chose to be a part of a different story related to forgiveness, redemption and love.
Each person has a personal history and it is powerful. But we can decide how we will dictate this power. Will we let it harden our hearts and make us isolate ourselves? Or will we use it to sow compassion and reconciliation and restoration?
This book was refreshing, poignant, thought provoking and heartwarming.
Definitely a book to keep an eye on!

Such a great book. It is the story of separation during WWII of two young children and the promise of one to find the other. Still searching seventy years later. Will he find her? Book is very well written.

This book held me enthralled until the very last word. I neglected my life for the day it took me to read it because I could not bear to be parted from it. Well written with characters that embedded themselves in my heart and a thrilling story with a total surprise near the end!!