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Summary: New York Adventure
Review: What a great book! I enjoyed the historical perspectives offered on both the settlers and the Indians. The characters are true "characters" who are fun to follow through the story. Give it a try and be prepared to buy the sequel (now in paperback, too).
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Summary: Diane Meholick, Author of A Switch in Time Praises Donati!
Review: Into the Wilderness by Sara Donati is a must read. This book is phenomenal. I fell instantly in love with the heroine, Elizabeth Middleton, and cheered her on throughout the book. Donati's characterizations and plot are wonderful. She is a master storyteller. She brings the New York State frontier alive and pulls her reader in. I could not put this book down. If you have not read it, do so. It's a joyous journey.
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Summary: The most beautiful book I have ever read
Review: I'm Spanish and have never had much interest about America, for me it's too far away a land. However, after reading Into the wilderness I've become in love with the history and landscape of America and would love to make a journey there. I hardly slept during the days I was reading the book, I couln't stop reading and am looking forward to the second part. Sara Donati has done a good job
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Summary: A novel of epic proportion.
Review: Historical fiction with a heart, this book is the first of two books that Donati has written chronicling the life of Elizabeth Middleton and Nathaniel Bonner. Elizabeth, a spinster with spunk and a determined air, is about to hit the "New World" by storm. What she finds in the back woods of upstate New York in the late 1700's is literally Paradise, the small town her father, the judge, has honed from a rustic environment along with a group of frontiersmen and Indians.Elizabeth arrives from England with her brother Julian, amid her staunch crinolines and straight lace ways only to find that life is about to change drastically. Brought up as a part of the Mohawk nation, Nathaniel is about to take her life by storm. Land is a top priority in the new world and there is much to be had by all but our adventure takes a twist when two rivals meet over the ownership of Hidden Wolf Mountain. With a cast of characters that you will never forget, conveniently set in writing at the beginning of the book, along with a map of the region, you are swept along by a novel that rivals the likes of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series. I was completely surprised when Donati included a short excerpt of Jamie and Claire Fraser in the book. We are also given an inside look at the Native American's way of life, their pride in the land and their people and their acceptance of a changing world. Their strength of character and respect for nature's ways is clearly evident in her writing. Reading this book was like a total immersion into another time and place to which I can hardly wait to return. I have already purchased the second book titled DAWN ON A DISTANT SHORE. Kelsana 8/8/01
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Summary: Romance, adventure and a great story
Review: To all those reviewers who wanted this book to be a Gabaldon clone or a serious eipc, get over yourselves and enjoy this book for what it is--a romantic adventure. My congratulations to Donati for a book that offers wonderful characters, beautiful descriptive language and a non-stop adventure story that blends humor, romance, death, birth, racism, sex and all the things that make life worth living and sometimes difficult. I enjoyed every page and can't wait to start the sequel. When the story ended, I missed Elizabeth and Nathaniel. I wish I had a wise woman like Curiosity to give me advice and I recognize my own daughter in Hannah. I highly and enthusiastically recommend this book.
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Summary: Could not put this one down!
Review: I got this book after I finisted reading the Gabaldon series. I did not think I would find another great story to read, you always hate to finish a good book! All the charachters are great, the story moves fast and like I said it just captured my attention, I just could not put it down, I have already ordered the next book in her series and I must say I keep checking the mail box! Do buy this book I am sure you will enjoy it!
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Summary: Disappointing, disjointed waste of time
Review: I loved the Gabaldon books so I was so interested to read Sara Donati who is recommended by fans of Gabaldon. Donati is no Gabaldon. The story is jumps around, there's no flow, it's NO pageturner, and it took me forever just to force myself to finish it. I couldn't get a feel for what Nathaniel really looked like, though I'm sure he would have been sexy if I'd been able to visualize a character from the author's writing, but I could not. And the worst part was that it didn't end. No real ending. Just a ploy to get you to read the next book to see what happens next. Bad. Sorry, I don't have that much time to waste. The author had a great creative idea, but lacked the skill to bring it to life with her writing.
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Summary: 2 thumbs way, Way, WAY up!
Review: I picked this large book up at the library(I now own it) feeling like since it was so long I would get bored with it about mid-way BUT what I found was that I could not & did not want to put it down. Do not let the size of the book scare you off. I was hooked from page 1.(I dont understand those who say it had a slow start-I rather enjoyed it.)And though this book(in paperback) is nearly 900 pages I didn't want it to end. (I did not know there was a sequel to this book until I read the very last page. I was so excited that the story would continue...it was a little sad at how excited I was.) I was very, very impressed with this book. I am not a writer but to me, as a reader, this book was well written & thorough. I was totally impressed with the fact that Sara Donati included Kahnyen'kehaka/Mohawk language. That really made it, well, perfect. This book transported me into another place & time. I was totally caught up in Nathaniel's & Elizabeth's lives. (And yes I fell a little in love with Nathaniel myself.) The ONLY complaint I have is I am still confused about Sarah(Sings-from-Books.)Even after reading the 2nd novel I am not satisfied , I want Sarah's whole story! Oh & a few complaints(well sort of) about Dawn on a Distant Shore- I did not like what come to pass with Giselle & Nathaniel. Also the scots language was hard for me to follow. And while away "on a distant shore" I, myself, missed Lake in the Clouds. I have now read & purchased both books. I have read Into the Wilderness twice & Dawn on a Distant Shore once(getting ready to read it for a 2nd time.) Out of the 2 books I enjoyed the 1st one the most. I cannot wait for the 3rd book Hidden Wolf(yes there will be a 3rd!!!!!!!!!). I do believe the 3rd book is set in 1802. And the Bonner's will only be travling to New York in this one. Sounds very promising. Sara Donati has a web site where you can find all this info & more. Again, this is a great historical novel(puts alot of other histoical books to shame.) It has a wonderful love story & is full of adventure. I do not label this a "romance" because it is so much more than just a romance. Also someone mentioned Nathaniel's use of the word "ain't." I live in the south & that word is a part of our everyday vocabulary. So when apart of your language it cannot be "over used."
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Summary: Into the Wilderness
Review: A great book!!Couldn't put it down and I can't wait for the next one. I felt as though I was right there!
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Summary: A bit long and boring
Review: I had the highest hopes for this book, but alas, it let me down. In the acknowledgements, the author thanks JF Cooper and S Clemens. That's just pretentious to thank two famous American authors (James Fenimore Cooper and Mark Twain). She also borrows characters from Cooper. Although this is an ambitious attempt to write a sequal to Cooper's "Last of the Mohicans," it isn't a very good attempt. While the historical facts, Mohican language etc, is correct, I just don't care to read about a "uncomfortable tightening in Hawkeye's breaches." If you're interested in a sequal to Cooper's books, try the rest of the Leatherstocking series, if you're looking for a epic romance novel involving Native Americans, try "She Who Hears the Sun" by Pamala Jekel.
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