I loved Beneath the Golden Veil, but this book totally blew me away! What a work of art. The beautiful, poetic, melodic, soulful writing sucked me right in at page one. The intricate plot that spans multiple generations and countries/cultures gave depth and layers to create a story that all clicks in the end. Intrigue, suspense, and a bit of romance were so well combined and thoroughly stirred that I couldn't put the book down. History was also stitched into the fabric of the book by having half of the story take place during WWII, while modern day pursuit ensues to find the girl who was lost during wartime. If you're a fan of historical fiction and contemporary romantic suspense, this book is a must read.

Faith is a prominent factor throughout the novel. It was really interesting to see parallel faiths blossom even in the midst of a great tragedy like WWII in the past and through a tough life and circumstances in the present. Through it all, Deitmar/Daniel and Lucas are great sources of wisdom and faith.

And the characters.....
Quenby is hurt, angry, afraid of people and letting them into her life. Yet she so hungers for love and wants a family to call her own. Lucas is.....a quintessential hero. A knight in shining armor. I would have liked a bit more on his past though - like details on his rebellious years, how he met and ended up working for Daniel, what shaped him into such a loyal, compassionate, loving man.
Daniel and Bridget play a huge part in the book since the premise of the entire story is Daniel wanting to find Bridget after seventy-something years. Their friendship, commitment to each other, and love that remained pure and true through all those years is heart-warming. The resilience of the human spirit, taken in God's hands and molded by Him (as seen in Daniel and Bridget), is amazingly incomprehensible.

I was given ARC by Tyndale via NetGalley. I was not required to give a review or a favorable review. All comments and opinions are solely my own.

Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson artfully combines modern events with historical flashbacks. The potency of the emotions and experiences is so powerful that readers will be drawn into the characters' world without hesitation. The flashbacks begin in early World War II and continue forward a couple of decades.

Dobson has an almost lyrical quality to her writing. The story has such a great impact that readers will be sucked into the book as though it was reality. So many challenging situations and heart-wrenching things happen.

Somehow, the author manages to pull it all together in an ending that makes it seem as though things might really be okay in the end. The time spent engulfed in the stories of the characters has one yearning and crying and rejoicing right alongside the author's fictional protagonists. Every person ought to have a friend as dedicated as Dietmar was to Brigitte.

The only way to truly appreciate the writing and its emotional impact is to get a hold of a copy and try to figure out exactly where this journey will lead. Poignant, beautiful and hauntingly sad. Yet, somehow hopeful and faith-filled and an amazing adventure.

Two timelines meet in an intriguing tale of love and searching.

This was such a sweet story! I've seen this author's name around, but this is the first book I've read by her. I'm impresed with how she connected the two storylines and brought to life each character. Quenby's name made me smile. I love unique names! And then there's Lucas and Daniel Knight. *sigh* This was such a wonderful journey!

I felt the last fourth of the book had a lot more telling than showing, and it took me a few minutes to figure out the connections of everyone. So many names and double names :) But the ending was satisfying and everything came together well.

Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson is written in the widely popular time-slip model, which basically means the novel is told from two time periods in order for the reader to understand the story. Even though the story takes place in two different time periods, Dobson labeled every single chapter with the time period, so I was never once lost in what time period I was in. Dobson does a great job at keeping the setting in my mind by drawing me in with her descriptive language. Mixing World War II and London together in a novel is a huge plus for me. Filled with an interesting cast of characters and a plot that doesn't stop, I had a hard time putting Catching the Wind down. I really enjoyed watching Quenby as she searches for meaning and the ability to forgive and let go of the past. Following Brigitte and Dietmar's story kept me riveted to the pages. I couldn't wait to see if Mr. Knight would find Brigitte. Fans of Dobson's other writings, Secrets She Kept by Cathy Gohkle, or Kristy Cambron should pick this pick up.

I received a complimentary copy of Catching the Wind by Melanie Dobson from Tyndale Publishing, and the opinions stated are all my own.

Catching the Wind is the best book I have read from Melanie Dobson so far! It is a brilliantly written story that engages the reader immediately through intrigue. Dobson weaves the story spanning seventy years bringing present and past together in unexpected ways. I could not put the book down!