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Cathleen Townsend

The Golden Key Kindle Edition

by Cathleen Townsend (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

16 ratings

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By 1918, Europe had spent over four years embroiled in the Great War. This terrible war to end all wars had consumed an endless stream of men—all shot, gassed, or obliterated by artillery in the trenches. Dieter, a German farmer, has no idea how his sons met their fate. He knows only that they are dead, and his wife, Gerda, refuses to accept it.

After he brings home a golden bird, still miraculously alive after being rescued from an iron box, Gerda declares she will go find the truth about their third son, Karl, whose body was never found. In a desperate attempt to keep his wife home, Dieter volunteers to search instead.

The bird guides Dieter safely to the front, but once they reach the battleground, they find only chaos. Exploding shells pepper the muddy ground as far as the eye can see. The fighting is so savage and constant that many bodies are never recovered for burial.

As his chances of finding his son’s grave tumble from slim to none, Dieter becomes trapped on the battlefield. It seems likely he will share his sons’ fate.

But the bird has other plans…

***

The Golden Key, by Cathleen Townsend, is a historical novelette that blends the harsh realities of war with a touch of magic and a heaping dose of heart.
Stacie Eirich

Townsend’s novelette The Golden Key starts off with the feel of a German folktale as Dieter finds a magical golden bird buried in a chest at the base of a tree. The plot’s tension builds at a steady pace…a quick read with plenty of action and a warm message.
Diana Peach

Length: 61 pages	Word Wise: Enabled	Enhanced Typesetting: Enabled
Page Flip: Enabled	Language: English

Product details

ASIN : B07D9YK27H
Language: : English
File size : 8173 KB
Simultaneous device usage : Unlimited
Text-to-Speech : Enabled
Screen Reader : Supported
Enhanced typesetting : Enabled
X-Ray : Not Enabled
Word Wise : Enabled
Print length : 61 pages

Customer Reviews:
16 ratings

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Top review from Australia

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Heartwarming short story

Reviewed in Australia on 7 August 2018

This is a short story that will pull at your heartstrings. The characters are well rounded for such a short story, and the storyline weaves a little bit of 'magic' and hope around you.

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Top reviews from other countries

Layla Pinkett

Heart Wrenching story set during the first world war!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 16 July 2018

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I found this story very heart warming, but at the same time, quite heart wrenching. Set toward the end of the first world war, this story follows a father in his quest to find his remaining son, who was taken by the German army to fight. The main character's journey is full of danger as he is drawn into the action. He is faced with death and tragedy on every turn, but it isn't all doom and gloom. On his way to find his done, he finds a golden key, and then the box it fits. Out of it comes a bird. You could say that the bird was a guiding light.

The story was well paced and well written. I enjoyed it immensely, and would recommend it to anyone.

Atypical for me, but still enjoyable!

Reviewed in Canada on 1 December 2018

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While this genre is atypical for me to read, I nonetheless found this to be a well-written book with good characterization and pacing. It was an enjoyable read, and while I don’t think that I would be a fan of reading more stories of this type, I can definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre.

Justin Malzac

Beautiful, Heart-wrenching, and to the Point.

Reviewed in the United States on 1 March 2019

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If you look at my other reviews, you'll see that I do not give out a five-star often. I've rated several immensely popular books at three stars, and award winning books at four. I do that hoping for a moment like this, for the chance to mark one book above the rest. This is one of those books.

From the first page, Cathleen Townsend had me hooked. And it didn't require blockbuster action, or some quirky magical/SF gimmick. It was a character, a single character who drew me in fully. Dieter is a husband and a father, struggling to care for his family in a time of war. That is it, and that is all that is necessary.

Set at the end of WWI, this very well-researched novelette follows Dieter as he heads out to find his son who went to war but didn't return. During his journey, this worn-down father comes to learn first hand the realities of war and the nationalism and prejudice that keep the violence going. Along the way, a little bit of magic helps him on his quest--the supernatural here is subtle and does not distract our focus from the character, where the real magic is happening.

As mentioned, this book is a novelette, which means it is short. A dedicated reader can get through it in one sitting. That being said, there is very little missing from this story. It is exceptionally efficient and focused on its specific little plot. Most novels, particularly speculative fiction, are stuffed with filler in order to meet a perceived genre-required word count. It is a breath of fresh air to read a book designed with only the needs of its story in mind.

The prose is lovely and tight. The examination of war and its effects is deep and resonant. If I had to complain about anything, and this is really being nit-picky, it would be that the ending arrives a bit too abruptly, to the point where you don't really know it's the ending until the story is almost over. I think I am just used to long-winded books that drag their resolutions out. I really am grasping at straws for criticism here.

I could continue heaping praise on this work, but that would keep you from actually reading it. You should read this. Put it in your reading queue right now. You won't regret it.

Jacqui Murray

Amidst the hopelessness of war are miracles if you know how to look for them

Reviewed in the United States on 27 July 2018

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Cathleen Townsend’s novelette, The Golden Key (2018) is the story of Dieter and Gerda, two old farmers, who lost three sons to the First World War They received letters notifying them of the first two deaths but not the third. Dieter decides for the peace of mind if his wife, he must go to the battlefield and bring home his last son's body. As he makes this decision, he uncovers a golden bird. It is homeless and hungry so despite the couple's poverty, they feed it. When Dieter leaves to find his son, it travels with him. To Dieter's surprise, the bird warns him of danger before he sees it and generally becomes a pleasant traveling companion. Along the way, he rescues and cares for an injured orphan boy who, like the bird, has nowhere else to go so joins Dieter in his travels. These needy companions give Dieter a greater reason--beyond providing peace of mind to his distraught wife--to survive his journey. We join Dieter as he takes on the duties of a stretcher carrier, rescuing the wounded and taking them to the hospital for care, using this access to the battlefield to look for his son.

Townsend’s battle details are believable and riveting, putting me in the midst of war in the early 1900's. The life of a soldier was dirty and hungry with an overwhelming focus on survival rather than winning. Every day was tougher than the previous. Every moment was life-threatening, survived only by those with grit and tenacity. Dieter, with the help of the golden bird and the orphaned boy, finds these.

Though the book is short, it is highly satisfying. I hung on every page, feeling a part of Dieter's struggles and life in this miserable time. This is highly recommended for those who would like to find hope and miracles even in the midst of war and death.

Sharon Brown

Great Read!!!!

Reviewed in the United States on 20 April 2019

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The Golden Key was a compelling read from beginning to end. Set during World War I, the tale has the feel of a magical folktale welded into the horrors of trench warfare. Dieter and his wife Gerda have already lost two sons to the Great War. A third son is missing and they fear has become another casualty of the war. Dieter is afraid he will lose his wife as well from grief. He promises to find their last son and bring him home.
He sets out on his journey, accompanied by a small golden bird—a magical bird that seems to guide, warn and protect the old man on his quest. When he tires to help an injured orphan-boy, Dieter finds himself conscripted into a soldier himself in a war that can't be won.
This is a poignant novelette that's so much more than a fairy tale and much more than a war story. It's a story of compassion, action and heroism that leaves you feeling good in the end. Well done and would be an excellent enrichment read for any WWI history class.

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