Dawn on a Distant Shore

Rating:
Summary: Love it and surprised to read reviews in which people didn't
Review: I read Into the Wilderness and had to immediately pick up Dawn on a Distant Shore to continue reading the detailed way in which Sara Donati writes to take me back into a different time. I have to say that now that I have finished both books and compared the two,they are written a little differently. I enjoyed both books immensly. Dawn on a Different Shore is packed full of adventure and detail however there isn't the slow pace detail in the story to savor like Into the Wilderness had. I too look forward to another book from Sara Donati that will let us enjoy Hidden Wolf and the wonderful characters and setting she has created for us there.

Rating:
Summary: From the New World to the Old
Review: If you are new to this series, read this review - then go buy INTO THE WILDERNESS and read it first. Some series stories can be read out of sequence, but this is not one of them. DAWN ON A DISTANT SHORE assumes the reader already has some background knowledge about the main characters, and wastes little time bringing newcomers up to speed on their history. Instead, the tale plunges headfirst into the action and intrigue, and you'll miss out on some enjoyment if you have to play guess and catch-up with the events that precede it.

The Bonners of New York State, in early post-revolutionary America, trade the wildness of the New World for the jaded Old, as they are forced into a trans-Atlantic chase to Scotland orchestrated by Nathaniel's distant older cousin, the Earl of Carryck. The Earl, a shadow figure about whom we learn only from others' perceptions for almost two-thirds of the book, is desperate to induce one of the male Bonners to stand as his heir, and thus help him avoid forfeiture of his ancestral lands. Although it is Hawkeye, the eldest in the Bonner line, whom he originally covets (yes, new readers, this is the same LAST OF THE MOHICANS Hawkeye), any male Bonner will do - which, of course, means that Nathaniel and his baby son, Daniel, are also at risk. In WILDERNESS, fresh characters populated a virgin land, with all its beauty, sharp edges, and savage nature. In DAWN, almost a third of the story is spent at sea, and the dangers are more human than natural.

Sara Donati's sequel to INTO THE WILDERNESS is a different sort of book, and it is hard to avoid comparisons. However, DAWN stands on its own as a complex story about family and political relationships. I admire the inventive mind of the author, whom I forgive (just kidding) for making me wait six months longer than I'd hoped, to read this book. What a devious plot! The various characters are unfolding their personalities layer by layer; this time, Nathaniel's and Elizabeth's relationship is somewhat taken for granted and less in the forefront, while Hannah, Curiosity, and Hawkeye receive more attention. Several new characters, including one nice surprise, make their appearances (to be fleshed out later, I hope). Too many times to count, I found myself rereading certain passages in order to make sure I had all the relationships straight. In that respect, the story parallels WILDERNESS, where the reader has to thread a path through the intricacies of kinships that blend English, Mohawk, and American blood.

To me, this book felt like a transitional work - a necessary middle story to elaborate on background, context, and personalities, and to introduce new faces while pruning away others whose time had come. Readers of WILDERNESS will notice that Dr. Todd, a very central character in the foundation story, is absent from this one, as is most of the Mohawk portion of the Bonner family. I missed these characters, and I also missed the excitement, newness, and panorama of the New World and the fledgling nation setting that WILDERNESS gave us. DAWN is still a five-star book, for me, but like many of the other readers, and the Bonners themselves, I now want to go back to Paradise and Lake in the Clouds. Ms. Donati, I hope you'll take us back there next time!

Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING HISTORICAL ADVENTURE EPIC...
Review: This is the second in a series of three published books by this author. Following on the heels of the author's enormously popular debut novel, "Into the Wilderness", this novel attempts to pick up where the other one left off. While eminently entertaining, it does not reach the heights of the author's beautifully written, debut novel.

In this sequel, Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner have their idyllic married life in late eighteenth century Upstate New York shattered shortly after Elizabeth gives birth to a set of fraternal twins. Nathaniel, upon learning that his father, Hawkeye, an intrepid backwoodsman with strong ties to the Mohawk nation, has been arrested in Canada, departs to the rescue. When he sets foot over the border, he, too, find himself arrested as a spy and imprisoned in Montreal with his father, victim of a sinister plot.

Elizabeth, never one to sit by idly, packs up the twins, and she, too, goes to the rescue. The Bonner men, however, are released through the intervention of others before Elizabeth and her entourage arrive. The hand of fate deals them yet another blow, however, when they all are spirited away by ship to Scotland, where the Catholic Earl of Carryck awaits their arrival. It seems that the Earl has determined that Hawkeye is his long lost first cousin and, consequently, his heir. The Earl means for Hawkeye or Nathaniel to inherit the Earldom, in order to thwart his Protestant adversaries. Unfortunately for the Earl, the entire Bonner family proves to be uncooperative, leading to many adventures, both on land and on the high seas.

Part of the charm of the author's debut novel lay in its telling of life in Upstate New York in the late eighteenth century, with all of its historical underpinnings. That is entirely is lost here, as this novel takes a decidedly international turn. Some of the adventures are a little too far-fetched, making the novel seem a bit incongruous at times, though still eminently readable on its own terms. Those who enjoyed the author's debut novel will, undoubtedly, enjoy this sequel, though with an underlying layer of disappointment that the debut novel proved to be just too hard an act to follow. Still, notwithstanding this, I am looking forward to reading the third novel in this series, "Lake in the Clouds", as will all fans of this author.

Rating:
Summary: Dawn on a Distant Shore
Review: Sara has done it again. I waited over a year for her second book and she did not let me down. The book had a lot of different turns and surprises and I truly enjoyed it. Elizabeth and Nathaniel prove, once again that their love can survive anything. Sara writes so beautifully, her words are so realistic that if you stop and close your eyes you are living the life of Elizabeth and her adventures. This book was well worth waiting for but now leaves me anxiously awaiting her third book "Hidden Wolf". For all of you who have read Into the Wilderness and Dawn on a Distant Shore know hours and hours of pure entertainment. I look forward to seeing if anyone out there in Hollywood has the brains to make a movie out of these wonderful books. PLUS I do not understand why she is not on the best seller list for both books. If you haven't read Into the Wilderness first I would highly advise you to before you read Dawn on a Distant Shore. Believe me you will thank me for introducing you to a very gifted and wonderful writer. Oh to have this kind of talent! Sara is truly blessed!

Rating:
Summary: Into the Wilderness It's NOT
Review: I picked up Into the Wilderness by accident and thought it was one of the best books I'd read. I counted the days til Dawn on a Distant Shore was released but found it to be, at best, disappointing. Truth be told, I found the story farfetched, the characters(who seemed so alive in Into the Wilderness) flat and, in some instances, just plain unlikeable, and the sea voyage boring. Absolutely nothing in this book caught my interest . . . strange, because I found the first book captivating both in terms of the developing storyline between Elizabeth and Nathanial and the book's historical context. I still look forward to the next installment, primarily because it's set back in Hidden Wolf where this story belongs, but I won't be counting the days until its release and I won't invest in a hardback edition.

Rating:
Summary: another must read...
Review: I am thinking that I already did a review for this book...regardless...It being the book to follow "Into The Wilderness"...makes it worth a double 5 point review! After falling upon "Into The Wilderness" , by chance and loving it, I was very excited to see this book come out. I read both of them when they were first out and have shared them with everyone I know that enjoys historical fiction. Sara did her homework. The story follows the descendants of the character "Hawkeye" from James Fenimore Cooper's great novel "The Last of the Mohican's". A surprise in the first book, "Into the Wilderness" was the cameo appearance of a character from Diana Gabaldon's Outlander series,Ian Murray. That was a treat. This book has so much detail that some point I found myself saying..."well, can we move on now?" but I soon regretted my impatience because what I hurried through was as it turned out a vital part to something that came up at a later date. So..as my final comment re the book and the author...Sara Donati, I think you are a fantastic writer and I anxiously await your next book!!

Rating:
Summary: A Cut Above the Ordinary
Review: Sequels often are big let-downs, but fortunately that is not the case with "Dawn on a Distant Shore," the second book in a projected five part series that started with "Into the Wilderness."

Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner are still the focus of the story, which moves along at a fairly brisk clip, although it does falter toward the end when the action moves from Canada to Scotland. Elizabeth still exhibits the same moral and physical courage as she did in the first book of the series. When her husband Nathaniel follows his father Daniel to Montreal, the younger man is also arrested and is likely to be hanged as a spy. Elizabeth, having given birth to twins, takes her babies to Canada in the dead of winter to try to save him. As in the previous book, no one is ever quite who or what they seem, and the Bonners encounter many shady characters in trying to determine Daniel Bonner's heritage....the secret of which lies in Scotland.

Sara Donati is a gifted storyteller. She has a good ear for natural sounding dialogue, her plotting is refreshingly original, and her characters are appealing -- even the "bad guys" have shades of gray in their character. My main criticism of this book had to do with the slowing of the action once the story moved to Scotland, and the fact that Nathaniel's daughter (Hannah or Squirrel) from his first marriage has started to take center stage. For some reason authors seem to feel compelled to make children in historical novels into little adults, and Hannah is no exception to that "rule." Her emotions are simply too adult-like to be appealing to this reader. However, I still highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking for something a little different in an historical family saga. The fourth book in the series will be out in hardcover this fall.

Rating:
Summary: ENTERTAINING HISTORICAL ADVENTURE EPIC...
Review: This is the second in a series of three published books by this author. Following on the heels of the author's enormously popular debut novel, "Into the Wilderness", this novel attempts to pick up where the other one left off. While eminently entertaining, it does not reach the heights of the author's beautifully written, debut novel.

In this sequel, Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner have their idyllic married life in late eighteenth century Upstate New York shattered shortly after Elizabeth gives birth to a set of fraternal twins. Nathaniel, upon learning that his father, Hawkeye, an intrepid backwoodsman with strong ties to the Mohawk nation, has been arrested in Canada, departs to the rescue. When he sets foot over the border, he, too, find himself arrested as a spy and imprisoned in Montreal with his father, victim of a sinister plot.

Elizabeth, never one to sit by idly, packs up the twins, and she, too, goes to the rescue. The Bonner men, however, are released through the intervention of others before Elizabeth and her entourage arrive. The hand of fate deals them yet another blow, however, when they all are spirited away by ship to Scotland, where the Catholic Earl of Carryck awaits their arrival. It seems that the Earl has determined that Hawkeye is his long lost first cousin and, consequently, his heir. The Earl means for Hawkeye or Nathaniel to inherit the Earldom, in order to thwart his Protestant adversaries. Unfortunately for the Earl, the entire Bonner family proves to be uncooperative, leading to many adventures, both on land and on the high seas.

Part of the charm of the author's debut novel lay in its telling of life in Upstate New York in the late eighteenth century, with all of its historical underpinnings. That is entirely is lost here, as this novel takes a decidedly international turn. Some of the adventures are a little too far-fetched, making the novel seem a bit incongruous at times, though still eminently readable on its own terms. Those who enjoyed the author's debut novel will, undoubtedly, enjoy this sequel, though with an underlying layer of disappointment that the debut novel proved to be just too hard an act to follow. Still, notwithstanding this, I am looking forward to reading the third novel in this series, "Lake in the Clouds", as will all fans of this author.

Rating:
Summary: Dawn on a Distant Shore
Review: This story took me across the pond and into a world of adventure. The love that Nathaniel and Elizabeth have and the family devotion is magic. Thank you Sara for allowing me to live this story.

Rating:
Summary: Bring them back please!
Review: Into the Wilderness was one of the best books I have ever read and I have been reading since a very young person. Naturally I couldn't wait to get into Dawn on a Distant Shore and continue the saga of Elizabeth and Nathaniel. It starts with Elizabeth giving birth to twins while only Hannah is with her and a raging snowstorm outside has kept Nathaniel and Curiosity down in Paradise unable to get to her. Hawkeye is in Montreal in prison and Nathaniel finally is persuaded to go up and see if he can get him out. This is due to the business of the Earl of Carryck in Scotland, who is trying to get Hawkeye (or Nathaniel) back there to carry on the line so the property won't be turned over to the English upon his death.

Elizabeth gets word that Nathaniel is now in prison up in Montreal and is determined to go up and do what she can to get them out. She takes Hannah and the twins with her and sets off. Many twists and turns later, unbeknownst to Elizabeth, the men are broken out of prison and put on a ship to get out of Canada. They all do meet up but find themselves in a mess and on their way to Scotland. Curiosity and Robbie are there also along with Moncrief who has been sent by the Earl to get Hawkeye or Nathaniel back to Scotland. An old lover of Nathaniel's from his teenage years in Montreal plays an interesting part also. Much intrigue when finally the whole situation straightens out with Nathaniel finding out about a son he didn't know he had by this old lover. The boy agrees to take the family name and live in Scotland to carry on the family line.

Not as riveting as Into the Wilderness but anyone who liked the first book would like this one as well. All the main characters stay true to themselves from the first book so it isn't dull. Just not as good as the first one but that would be a very hard act to follow. Just glad they are coming home!