Blue Mist on the Danube (Sagas of a Kindred Heart, Book 1) [Paperback]

Doris Elaine Fell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1998

Doris Elaine Fell has taken her readers on soul-satisfying journeys to the great European capitals in such books as Always in September and Before Winter Comes. Now this gifted author launches a new book written in the warm, beloved style of Scottish novelist Rosamunde Pilcher and set against the backdrop of one of the most romantic locales in the world.

Contemporary Vienna, the city of romance, intrigue, history, and the world famous Vienna Opera House, has become a haven for classical violinist Kerina Rudzinski. Here she can lose herself in the music she loves and try to escape the secrets she has guarded for twenty-six years. Try though she may, Kerina cannot forget her most painful memories: a hospital room far away, a dearly loved infant wrenched from her arms, and a man whose memory haunts her still.

In the twilight of her career, Kerina is unprepared when a face from the past threatens her carefully shielded emotions. During a long-awaited performance, Kerinas eyes fall on the only person who knows her secrets. Readers who enjoy exciting and unforgettable characters will find Blue Mist on the Danube a refreshing and satisfying experience.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Kerina Rudzinski can look back at a satisfying career as a concert violinist that has taken her around the world and given her nearly everything she wants. However, her accomplishments cannot bury the regret she feels over giving up her son for adoption years before. When Kerina discovers a lump in her breast, it becomes vital that she gain some closure over that episode in her life. Through her troubles, Kerina also develops a new understanding of religion and its role in her life. Although Fell (Long Awaited Wedding, Steeple Hill, 1999) occasionally allows the story to descend into melodrama, there is enough heartfelt emotion to please the less demanding reader. Recommended for larger collections.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review

Doris Elaine Fell is a masterful storyteller who emblazons her literary landscapes with unforgettable characters, compelling plot twists, exquisite detail, and exotic locales. Her latest novel, Blue Mist on the Danube, is a delicious reading experience, whetting the appetite for more -- Carole Gift Page, author of Thomas Nelson's 6-novel Heartland Memories Series and several novels in Steeple Hills new "Love Inspired" Series

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 446 pages
• Publisher: Baker Book House (March 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0800756770
• ISBN-13: 978-0800756772
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.6 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,094,216 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Don't forget the dancing shoes!, March 28, 2000

By 

Kim Headlee (Southwestern Virginia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Blue Mist on the Danube (Sagas of a Kindred Heart, Book 1) (Paperback)

Vienna, Bosnia, Los Angeles. The past, the present, the future. Alabama, Prague, London. One-two-three, one-two-three. The author waltzes between the glamorous and the mundane and the uplifting like the cadence of a favorite Strauss piece, and most of the time just as quickly.

Hardly a straightforward "boy meets girl" type of romance, halfway through the book I found myself wondering why the publisher labeled it a romance at all, let alone an inspirational one. The central plot concerns two middle-aged women, one a world-renowned Czeckoslovakian concert violinist and the other the American wife of a successful pastor, united by the gifted young man they both call "son."

Through a quirk of fate, the young man isn't the only thing they share. Both women harbor devastating secrets. In fact, everyone involved with this unlikely threesome hides something. Clandestine affairs, aborted babies, terminal illness, stolen art masterpieces, undisclosed occupations, unrequited love, guilt, shame, despair -- a veritable transcontinental Peyton Place.

The very human tendency to refuse to come to grips with past mistakes serves as the villain of Blue Mist on the Danube. We tend to be our own worst critics, and forgiveness -- of others as well as self -- comprises this unusual novel's orchestrated refrain. The unique way in which each character vanquishes this intangible villain I leave you to discover.

True to the tradition of 20th century romantic fiction, the final stanza features a happy, if bittersweet ending. But don't forget a comfortable pair of dancing shoes. As Fell whirls you from the present to the past, and flashbacks within flashbacks, to spin back out to the present and beyond, it makes for a blistering read without them.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars FELL HAS DONE IT AGAIN!, May 22, 2000

By 

Kristy Dykes (FLORIDA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Mist on the Danube (Sagas of a Kindred Heart, Book 1) (Paperback)

Veteran author Doris Elaine Fell has done it again! Blue Mist on the Danube is another powerful testament to the literary talent we've come to admire in her other books. Her sparkling dialogue gets you so absorbed, you feel like you're sitting there with the characters. Her descriptive settings are so masterfully sculpted, you can see the famous landmarks of Vienna, smell and feel the velvety roses. And the story line? From the opening pages, the main character's reflections of the past are so skillfully woven into the scenes, they make the reader keep turning the pages, asking "What's behind this?"

There's mystery, intrigue, and international conspiracy in Blue Mist, all carefully sewn together with threads of romance. It has a wide cast of characters--all with secrets--and its takeaway is forgiveness, making it a powerful, moving, emotive read.

5.0 out of 5 stars Fell Has Done It Again!, May 22, 2000

By 

Kristy Dykes (FLORIDA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Blue Mist on the Danube (Sagas of a Kindred Heart, Book 1) (Paperback)

Veteran author Doris Elaine Fell has done it again. Blue Mist on the Danube is another powerful testament to the literary talent we've come to admire in her other books. Her dialogue gets you so absorbed, you feel like you're sitting there with the characters. Her descriptive settings are masterfully sculpted--you can see the famous landmarks of Vienna, smell and feel the velvety roses. And the story line? From the opening pages, the main character's reflections of the past are so skillfully woven into the scenes, they make the reader keep turning the pages, asking "What's behind this?"

There's mystery, intrigue, and international conspiracy, all carefully sewn together with threads of romance. Blue Mist has a wide cast of characters--all with secrets--and its takeaway is forgiveness, making it a powerful, moving, emotive read.