Release date: July 15, 2025

Bethany House Publishers

I enjoyed this story of German immigrant Hedda who comes to America (North Carolina) many years later looking for her fiancé, whom neither she nor his mother have heard from.. She is a talented pianist and soon finds a place at a newly opened collage with new friends and old ones who came to teach at the collage.. There are many twists in the story I won’t spoil.

I liked that the story takes place in a time period not often explored in historical fiction in connection with Germany,—the time between the wars. I also liked that while not really a mystery, readers are led through the tale in unexpected ways. The romance in the book develops slowly (something else I like because it’s so much more realistic that way).It can be difficult to convey hope in a story during a tragic time in history, but this novel does so well.

Can we talk about that cover? So beautiful! It conveys the theme of the novel so well: historical, longing, beauty.

Historical fiction fans will enjoy this novel.

Reviewed by Cindy Thomson. I received a complimentary audiobook of the novel from NetGalley and the publisher. This review is my honest opinion.