"Land of Hidden Fires" - A Review

Land of Hidden Fires by Kirk Kjeldsen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


When 15 year-old Kari Dahlstrom sees an allied war plane go down over the mountains not far from her home, visions of sugar plums go dancing through her head. Kari lives with her widower father, Erling, on their failing farm, where they mete out a meager existence. The year is 1943, and their home country of Norway is under Nazi control. Thus begins Kirk Kjeldsen's second published novel...and the mystery of the hidden fires.

Against her father's wishes, Kari sets out to locate the downed plane. Strong-willed and idealistic, she dreams of a life in America. She likens the American pilot to Hollywood movie stars about which she has read and heard. The pilot's name is Lance Mahurin. Kari tells him she is a member of the resistance, and offers to take him to Sweden. Her hope, of course, is that Lance will fall in love with her along the way. They set off on a dangerous, grueling journey through the Norwegian back country, braving frozen rivers and cold nights.

Back on the farm, Kari's father, Erling, soon discovers his daughter's absence. Realizing Kari has run off in search of the plane, Erling sets out on an aging mule to find her. He soon comes upon the wreckage, where he finds two sets of tracks heading away from the farm, toward Sweden. A recalcitrant, straitlaced man who remains tormented by his wife's death, Erling pursues Kari and the American pilot. Erling knows he must track down his daughter before she reaches the border, or before the Nazis reach her first.

Nazi Oberleutnant Conrad Moltke would much rather be proving himself on the front lines of battle than babysitting in Norway. When Moltke is given the order to retrieve the downed American pilot--and the girl said to be helping him--he takes to the hills to ruthlessly hunt them down. A chain-smoking egotist, Moltke will stop at nothing to achieve his goal, and plans to use the pilot's capture to secure his transfer to the front lines.

Thus sets the stage for an exciting showdown in the Norwegian highlands. Not all of the characters' agendas are plainly visible on the outside, but on the inside their hidden fires burn hot, urging them forward like self-propelled engines. The greatest battle takes place inside Kari, perhaps, where naivete confronts reality, forcing her to make a decision she never sees coming.

"Land of Hidden Fires" is a story not to be missed. I highly recommend it.



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