These Blue Mountains

By: Sarah Loudin Thomas

Narrated by: Pilar Witherspoon

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda is stunned to see Fritz's name in a photograph of an American memorial for German seamen who died near Asheville, North Carolina. Determined to reclaim his body and bring closure to his ailing mother, Hedda travels to the US. Her quest takes a shocking turn when, rather than Fritz's body, his casket contains the remains of a woman who died under mysterious circumstances.

Local deputy Garland Jones thought he'd left that dark chapter behind when he helped bury Fritz Meyer's coffin. The unexpected arrival of Hedda, a long-suffering yet captivating woman, forces him to confront how much of the truth he really knows. As they work together to uncover the identity of the woman in the casket and to unravel Fritz's fate, Hedda and Garland grow closer. But with Hedda in the US on borrowed time while Hitler rises to power in Germany, she fears she'll be forced to return home before she can put the ghosts of her past to rest.

"These Blue Mountains is a masterful tale that weaves together two continents, two wars, and two lives defined by longing and resilience."—PATTI CALLAHAN HENRY, New York Times bestselling author

©2025 Sarah Loudin Thomas (P)2025 Recorded Books

What a touching dear book!

This book was beautiful! I loved it from the beginning to the end! What a story of loving kindness! The narrator also never disappoints, either!

Brilliant narration of this heartfelt story!

Throughly enjoyed These Blue Mountains set in the 1930’s leading up to WWII. I was completely hooked by Sarah Loudin Thomas’ beautiful prose as she captures the tumultuous times in Germany & America. My heart when out to Hedda who travels from Germany to North Carolina to learn the status of her missing fiancé. As she navigates a new country & seeks the truth, she finds resilience, hope, & unexpected second chances.

After 15 long years, when Hedda sees a photograph of a monument in North Carolina erected with her supposedly dead fiancé’s name on it, she visits America, with Fritz’s ailing mother’s blessing, to finally find closure & bring his body home to Germany. But, when she arrives, she discovers Fritz’s grave contains the body of a missing young woman who was murdered. Questions abound as she tries to process this discovery. Where is Fritz & was he involved in the murder? After finding a new place to belong & new friends, Hedda also worries about her immigration status & the growing tensions back home.

Deputy Garland Jones was there the night Fritz’s coffin was buried & has questions of his own. He’s completely sympathetic to the beautiful Hedda & wants to find answers for her, but is also worried about what he was unwittingly involved in. As they work together to discover the truth, his feelings for her grow. But, will finding the truth set them free or only create more complications.

This story had so many twists & turns! I don’t want to say too much because there are some definite surprises. I loved Hedda’s strength, kind heart, & resilience after experiencing so many losses. She’s a talented pianist & I loved the way she was able to find a home & new life in the Hot Springs community.

Garland’s such a genuinely great guy! He befriends Hedda from the beginning & I loved how he’s always willing to help her regardless of how she feels about him. Their slow burn romance was achingly lovely & I appreciated the choices made at the end.

I also listened to the audiobook & highly recommend! The narrator did a beautiful job capturing the emotion behind the words & bringing these characters to life. Her German accents were well done & illustrated the straightforwardness of the culture while simultaneously voicing characters with Southern accents.

The mystery & romance had me eagerly turning the pages. The rich historical details really brought this story & time period to life. It was so interesting learning about the German internment camps during WWI here on American soil. She also brought new understanding to the plight of German immigrants during this tension filled time period.

Highly recommend this heartfelt story! I received an advanced copy from the publisher but also purchased the audiobook version. All opinions are completely my own & provided voluntarily.