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Summary: I LOVE THE WAY THIS BOOK IS WRITTEN
Review: This book is so easy to read. It is poetic, describes nature beautifully, reads like a perfectly written adventure/romance novel but with such class and great characters. I just got Dawn on a Distant Shore which is the sequel and look forward to reading that one too. I will be keeping this book in my permanent collection to be read again. Thank you for such great quality writing.
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Summary: Cannot pick up another book!
Review: My mother recommended this book to me about a year ago. Being only 18 at the time, I was reluctant to pick it up, due to it's length! I've now read it three times! Books like these are hard to come by, and I'm yet to find another that matches this. Can't wait for the next wonderful adventure!!
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Summary: Where has Ms. Donati been hiding herself?
Review: I am deeply captivated by our Heroine Elizabeth and her adventures with Nathaniel. I have never taken the time to write a review, I rather like reading other peoples. Pick up this book, this one is a keeper. I am looking forward to reading the sequel, Dawn On A Distant Shore. Did you pick up on the reference to Claire Fraser and Ian Murray from the Outlander series? Definitely a five star work of fiction.
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Summary: Into the Wilderness
Review: This was one of the most enjoyable reads I've had in a long while. I also read the next book Dawn on a Distant Shore and was not disappointed. Sara Donati writes so realistically that you feel you are part of the story. This is a must read for anyone who is also a fan of Diana Gabaldon.
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Summary: For Gabaldon Fans Considering This Book
Review: As a Gabaldon reader, I read this novel with heightened expectations and was very disappointed when all was said and done. 'Into the Wilderness' is a fair enough book, but as much as I tried, I simply could *not* get into the characters. I found them predictable and boring. They felt very two-dimensional to me for the entire 800+ pages. Elizabeth Middleton-Bonner's politically-correct milky-white righteousness was annoying, and Nathaniel Bonner's incessant "aint's" really grated. What bothered me most, however, were the obvious attempts to echo Gabaldon, right down to loads of dualities in the story. There's the heroine with no intention to marry, hot mineral springs (in a cave, no less), strong sisters-in-law, ghosts, the ever-present threat of battle, a gnarly Scot, the ubiquitous surprise pregnancy after one of the main characters was thought to be sterile, and a plethora of near-fatal injuries to the main characters. The brief reference to Claire and Jamie is gratuitous, adds nothing to the plot, and feels like name-dropping. If you simply want a hefty book that will stand alone as a diverting adventure, 'Into The Wilderness' is a fair read. If you're a Gabaldon devotee seeking a fix, definitely look elsewhere, as the similarities are blatant at times but the writing and characters fall far short.
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Summary: Not a sequel!
Review: Sorry, I am just too skeptical, but this book is *not* a sequel to James Fenimore Cooper's novel. It's more a sequel to the movie of the same name which starred Daniel Day-Lewis and which depicted a completely different story from the novel. Donati invents a marriage between Hawkeye (whose name in the novel is Nathaniel "Natty" Bummpo--a.k.a. "La Longue Carabine" and "Hawkeye"--not Daniel Bonner...) and Cora Munro (who DIES in the novel...therefore could not be a mother to anyone!), and invents them a son as the hero for her tale. I suppose the book is OK in and of itself, but it shouldn't be billed as a sequel to Cooper. I'm not sure why she made use of Cooper at all--which is the same thing I always wondered about the Day-Lewis film. If you're going to depart substantially from an earlier author's work, why not depart completely?
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Summary: Intimidated
Review: This was by far the greatest book I've ever read. At first, looking at the size of the book with it's hundreds and hundreds of pages, I was intimidated. Never before had I read such a good sized book, but into the first page i was hooked. Nathaniel and Elizabeth's trials and triumphs throughout the book pulls you, the reader, into the excitement. The tender romance and breath taking suspense is like nothing you've experienced before, or ever will again. I could not put the book down, and just read page after page, well past midnight and during any free seconds i had throughout the day. If you don't like superbly written books, or don't like books with a good story between the covers, or dislike being captured by the characters telling the story, then this book is not for you.
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Summary: What a page-turner!
Review: It kept me up to 4 a.m. one night because I HAD TO find out the conclusion of this facinating story. It dragged slightly in spots, a tad racy in sections too, (not for the prudish) but all in the context of life in 1792, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I truly hope there will be a sequel to this novel. The character development was excellent, which makes me curious about the "lives" of the townsfolk and main characters.
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Summary: A time-travel, but not a fantasy
Review: I am so excited that I 'discovered' this book. I was checking over Diana Gabaldon's information to see if there was anything new about her next book and noticed the section about.....if you liked this author, then you might like....Since I work at a library, I immediately checked our catalog to see what we had by Sara Donati and promptly requested. As soon as I read what Diana Gabaldon had written about the book, I knew I would begin reading it immediately. I am not a good history student, so I would not challenge the authenticity of any facts presented in this historical fiction, but the information flowed so easily, that I certainly didn't notice any glaring errors. As other reviewers have noted, this was a wonderful sequel to the LAST OF THE MOHICANS. I have already begun reading DAWN ON A DISTANT SHORE and sincerely hope that Donati has a third book with Elizabeth and Nathaniel and their families.
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Summary: Breathtaking scenery and romance!
Review: Since The Last of the Mohicans is my favorite movie, I admit that at first I was skeptical that someone could pull-off a "sequel" to the movie. But Sara Donati did not disappoint me. In fact, Into the Wilderness is one of the best books I have read in a while. I stayed up late every night just so I can finish it and I have now picked up the sequel, Dawn on a Distant Shore. What struck me the most about Into the Wilderness is the characters. Whether "good" or "bad," Ms. Donati draws the reader into each character until you feel like they are a real-life person that you know. In addition, the author describes the wildness of the landscape with such vivid depictions that you can easily imagine it in your minds' eye. Whether formulaic or not, this novel is a wonderfully romantic adventure story. The heroine is a strong and intelligent woman who also shows her ability to grow and change her worldview. A must read for anyone who loves historical fiction!
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