Mountains of Love is the latest novel from the prolific pen of Great Lakes Romances author Donna Winters. It also represents a new starting point for Winters, who has previously set her novels on the Great Lakes, where she has lived for many years. A few years ago, Winters moved to the Southwest and that has influenced her latest novel. Twenty-three-year-old Cedena Rossier, the book’s heroine, is from Fayette, Michigan, where Winters previously set a trilogy, but Cedena travels to the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair and then to Kansas City and Las Vegas, New Mexico.
And the Cedena trip is quite a journey. Like the Ferris wheel that Cedena rides at the World’s Fair, this novel is filled with wonderful views of the United States in the late 19th century, as well as some gasps of emotion running through its pages.
The story begins when Cedena accompanies her mother, aunt and uncle to the Chicago World’s Fair. Cedena and her mother have been through difficult times. Her father and her brother were involved in the iron industry in Fayette, Michigan, until the Jackson Iron Company withdrew from town. They then turned to fishing to support the family, but two years ago they were lost in a storm on Lake Michigan. Since then, Cedena and her mother have struggled to make ends meet and Cedena’s Uncle James has had to send them money so they can survive. Now, Cedena’s aunt and uncle have invited her to attend the World’s Fair in Chicago with them, where Uncle James has a booth for Paxton’s Pharmaceuticals, her own Kansas City-based company. Manning the booth for him is a young man named Matthew who immediately takes a liking to Cedena.
Cedena, however, is more interested in seeing the sights of the fair than getting involved with Matthew. She finds him somewhat overbearing, and when she meets the handsome Orin Young and his sister Alice, who she seems to like Matthew, Cedena hopes that Matthew will fall in love with Alice while she spends time with Orin.
One of the splendors of this novel is the Chicago World’s Fair. It was the show of the decade, and Winters takes us on a tour, showing us everything from the camel races to the hot air balloon ride, the 4th of July fireworks, and the Chinese Village. We are drawn in, seeing it all through Cedena’s eyes, and only wish we could go back in time to see for ourselves.
But eventually, Cedena’s visit to the fair comes to an end and she must make some tough decisions. She realizes that there is nothing in Fayette that she can go back to, and she too is tired of her mother’s controlling ways. She has also met some people at the fair that make her want to stay in Chicago. When she accepts her uncle’s offer to stay and help him, she immediately comes into conflict with her mother, causing her mother to disown her. Worse yet, the Depression of 1893 is just beginning, and when the fair ends and Cedena returns to Kansas City with her aunt and uncle, her aunt’s business is in such decline that Cedena must learn to fend for herself. . She then gets the bright idea to have the adventure of a lifetime by becoming a Harvey Girl.
To say more would be to spoil all the fun, but Cedena’s experiences in the Southwest are anything but boring as she meets unpleasant new characters, tries to be self-reliant and wrestles with the feelings in her heart and makes the best decisions for her future.
Donna Winters has written many other novels and I have read many of them, from Mackinac to her Fayette Trilogy to her most recent Saving Mossy Point. After writing so many historical and Christian romances, one would think that the books would become formulaic, but that is not the case at all. Winters writes about real people facing real-life struggles in historical settings that make you feel like you’re right there with the characters. I could feel Cedena’s excitement at the fair, her exhaustion after working long shifts as Harvey Girl, her frustrations dealing with difficult people from family to co-workers, and ultimately her courage to make the best decisions for herself. same. She and her companions will stay with you for a long time.
Anyone who loves historical fiction and romance will find Mountains of Love a wonderful saga to get lost in and wish there were more mountains.
