Angels Round About is a sweet, nicely-told story of a young convert, Hildegarde (Hilde) Edler, who grew up in Austria during Hitler's rise to power. It follows her as she blossoms into a beautiful young woman who eventually emigrates to the United States and begins a new life in freedom and abundant opportunity. Her mission had been clear, having met Apostle John A. Widtsoe and being told by this Elder of Zion that she would go to America and perform a valuable service for the Lord.

The author indicates that the book, while fiction, is based on true stories. What impressed me so much was the utter believability of the story. So many times you finish a story and are convinced that the whole thing was just too pat, too neat. Angels Round About, however, fleshes out the characters in their many dimensions, avoids stereotypes, and builds a believable, and very readable, account.

Hilde's family life is horrible. Her father is a cheating liar, and is ultimately divorced by Hilde's ever-patient mother. Mother, as she moves from the security of marriage to the uncertainties of life as a divorcee, becomes self-absorbed and vain, marginalizing Hilde's place in her life. When the missionaries appear at their door, Hilde's mother, Rosa, takes an interest in this strange new religion. Hilde takes to it with enthusiasm.

Circumstances cause Hilde to separate from the Church for a while, but her heart leads her back eventually. But the distance between her and her mother is becoming greater and greater.

One of the more difficult themes is the relationship between Hilde and her mother. It is something of a love/hate relationship that is complex and puzzling to the reader. Rosa's self-absorption, and (in my mind) her neglect of her daughter, provide a framework within which Hilde must grow up, and do it quickly.

Nicholes does not spend a lot of time discussing Hitler and the Nazi takeover of Austria. It would have been easier to blame Hitler for the problems, but the author chooses a different road, seeing Nazism as part of the problem, but not all of it. I admired her restraint; "blame the Nazis" would have been an easier path to take.

While reading the book, two diverse images came to mind. The first was the mention of Apostle Widtsoe and the European contact. I was brought back to a pleasant afternoon I spent some years ago in the home of W. Cleon Skousen, in Salt Lake City, where he shared some of his own thoughts about his mission to Europe so many years ago. His mission president was John A. Widtsoe. Hearing first-hand some of the wise and witty things this elder statesman had to say, brought the man to life in a way that mere reading could not accomplish. Now, encountering him once again as a real, flesh-and-blood person with a passion for people and an abundance of wisdom, I was nearly able to transport myself into the story and become a part of it.

The second memory was of reading a book many years ago titled "The Greatest Quest." If memory serves me correctly, it was about a group of non-Mormons who set out independently from each other to find the one true church. They all became Mormons, met up with each other later in life, and shared their experiences. We accompany them on the journey, and find each person asking the same questions (using very Mormon vocabulary and word patterns). It was just not believable -- a person who has never heard of Mormons, thinking and talking like a Mormon! It was a totally unsatisfactory reading experience.

The present volume, on the other hand, presents people as they are. Mormons talk like Mormons; non-Mormons talk like non-Mormons. The characters are flawed and fragile, but some manage to triumph over their challenges and emerge victorious.

Frankly, I was surprised that I liked this book so much. I generally don't enjoy such stories, and try to read them only occasionally. I'm glad to be surprised from time to time.

Throughout the book, the author mentions certain foods with which the reader may not be familiar. She supplies recipes for these dishes in an appendix. Also, she mentions that this book is but the "middle" of the story. I'm guessing the "beginning" and "end" have not yet been published, although her wording seems to indicate that these two other books are a reality.

Thank you, Lorie H. Nicholes, for a pleasant reading experience, for attention to detail, and for an evident love of storytelling. I for one hope that Angels Round About is a reality in all our lives, not just the title for a book.