When Mountains Sing

Monson (Shattered Image) weaves together a story of identity and ambition in this moving inspirational. Journalist Mikayla Gordon is 30 years old when she faints at work and learns she has a hole in her heart, a genetic condition that no one in her immediate family shares. Mikayla doesn’t want to let her medical issue interfere with her career, but is unable to ignore a problem that could prove fatal. Through a DNA test, she learns that the man she thought was her father isn’t. To find answers, she speaks with her mother and learns her father could be in Colorado. After accepting a job working with a youth camp in the Rocky Mountains, she meets Dawson, a wilderness camp leader, who helps Mikayla come to terms with what she has learned about her family and herself. Mikayla also discovers Dawson might be the perfect person to help her track down her elusive father. Though some of the conflict driving Mikayla’s development feels overwrought, and her religious concerns over her parents’ mutual infidelity feels heavy-handed, Mikayla’s faith and dedication to her career make her a believable, lovable heroine. Lovers of the outdoors will particularly enjoy this contemporary faith-based romance. (Self-published)