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Review
‘One of those rare strories that lets you breathe the air of another time and leave your footsteps on the snow of a wild, strange place.’ Diana Gabaldon
‘Each time you open a book, you hope to discover a story that will make your spirit of adventure and romance sing. This book delivers on that promise.’
Amanda Quick
‘Epic in scope, emotionally intense.’ BookPage
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.Product Description
Weaving a tapestry of fact and fiction, Sara Donati’s epic novel sweeps us into another time and place…and into a breathtaking story of love and survival in a land of savage beauty.
It is December of 1792. Elizabeth Middleton leaves her comfortable English estate to join her family in a remote New York mountain village. It is a place unlike any she has ever experienced. And she meets a man unlike any she has ever encountered—a white man dressed like a Native American: Nathaniel Bonner, known to the Mohawk people as Between-Two-Lives. Determined to provide schooling for all the children of the village, Elizabeth soon finds herself locked in conflict with the local slave owners as well as with her own family. Interweaving the fate of the Mohawk Nation with the destiny of two lovers, Sara Donati’s compelling novel creates a complex, profound, passionate portait of an emerging America.
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First Sentence
Elizabeth Middleton, twenty-nine years old and unmarried, overly educated and excessively rational, knowing right from wrong and fancy from fact, woke in a nest of marten and fox pelts to the sight of an eagle circling overhead, and saw at once that it could not be far to Paradise. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Elizabeth Middleton, twenty-nine years old and unmarried, overly educated and excessively rational, knowing right from wrong and fancy from fact, woke in a nest of marten and fox pelts to the sight of an eagle circling overhead, and saw at once that it could not be far to Paradise. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
41 of 42 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This novel is the first in a series of three such novels published to date. It is a riveting, page-turning work of well-written historical fiction. It is a story woven from the gossamer threads of history and infused with the creativity of this author, so as to produce an utterly spellbinding and ambitious, sweeping epic novel. This is a novel that will appeal to those who love rousing historical fiction that carries with it a sense of teeming and timeless adventure.
Those readers who have enjoyed the enormously popular
"Outlander" series of novels by author Diana Gabaldon will especially enjoy this book. It should be noted that Diana Gabaldon herself has warmly endorsed this book. Moreover, that its author is herself a fan of Ms. Gabaldon, there can be little doubt, as the two main characters in Ms. Gabaldon's best selling "Outlander" series make a brief appearance nearly midway through this book. Moreover, the author also incorporates James Fennimore Cooper's character "Hawkeye" from his book, "The Last of the Mohicans", adding to the intriguing pastiche of characters, historical, literary, and imaginative, who pepper this book.
The book is simple in its premise. An independent and outspoken, intelligent Englishwoman in her twenties, Elizabeth Middleton, leaves England with her brother Julian, to join their father, Judge Alfred Middleton, in the mountains of upstate New York, northwest of Albany. There, she meets Hawkeye's son, handsome backwoods man Nathaniel Bonner, a man who straddles two worlds, that of the white man and that of the native American, and finds herself falling head-over-heels in love with him.
Despite her father's attempts to marry her off to a wealthy landowner and the village doctor, Richard Todd, she gravitates towards Nathaniel in defiance of her father, who has his own reasons for wanting to marry her off to Dr. Todd. The good doctor also has his own secret agenda in this matter, a secret that he keeps well hidden until thwarted of his desire. To further complicate matters, Elizabeth sets herself up as a school teacher for all the children of the village in which she lives, black, white, and native American, but finds herself locked in conflict with those who believe that education is only for a select group.
What happens to Elizabeth and Nathaniel, as well as to their respective families, is positively gripping, given the adventures into which they are thrust. The author gives the reader a tantalizing glimpse into what life may have been like in upstate New York during that time period, with all its hardships, deprivations, and political and social turmoil, as well as the constantly shifting conflicts and alliances between the white settlers and the Mohawk nation.
Descriptively rich and densely plotted, filled with historical personages of the time and well-known historical events, this ambitious and compelling novel will have the reader compulsively turning the pages until the very end. It is simply a wonderfully told and enthralling tale that any discerning lover of historical fiction will enjoy. Bravo!
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
The book starts off promising enough, but after about a hundred pages or so, you realize you are dealing with simple, one-dimensional characters. The good people are very, very good, and the bad people are very, very bad, with no gray area or subtlety in between.
Naturally, the Indians and black people are all kind, noble, intelligent and brave. The bad white people are vicious, venal, murderous and stupid. Like most dull novels, there is also a contrivance which makes our heroes almost invulnerable.
I was initially attracted to this novel because it takes place in 1792 upstate New York, but other than there being a lot of trees and lakes, one never gets the sense of colonial America. At least, one never gets the sense of colonial America beyond what one has already learned from grade school texts. This could have taken place in 1892 or 1692, or, in the way Nathaniel is cupping his hand around Elizabeth's breast every thirty pages or so, 1992.
I gave up
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I guess I missed something. I couln't find many vibrant passages, or engaging writing here. The characters in this romantic novel are highly predictable, and shallow. I don't get the 'fully-rounded' and 'highly intelligent' phrases which were used to describe them. The protagonist, Elizabeth, giggles, blushes, and can't seem to concentrate on anything but kisses, much like a thirteen year old school girl. Come on! I wanted her actions to convey her intelligence...to be focused and more mature in her arguements with her overbearing father, and languid lout of a brother. Instead, there are shallow attempts at out-witting her papa, and the law regarding a deed of land...and all for the sake of Nathaniel's approval and strong, manly chest...It's high school, all over again. Elizabeth is an unbelievable mix of aloof spinster, schoolmarm...vixen...psychic and empty-headed moppet. When the house servant, Curiosity, sets up ruse after ruse, to fool her old man, Elizabeth still needs to be walked through all the major tricks. Yet, she has the uncanny ability, just before bedding down, to gaze out the window, on the moonlit winter snow, and spy her lover, who just happens to be out walking...in the wilderness. She, of course, rushes out, into the winter night, with a candle?!, and brings it, into the barn, where the two arrange their future, with a bit of breathless groping. Over 900 pages of 'wolfish' looks...gasping groans...and well, some good, yet highly questionable love-making, in the swamps, caves, and backwoods of upper New York. Romping around and on top of martin and fisher pelts, swimming with turtles...whispering wild words in each other's ears...but, darnit, we never get to hear those 'highly historical' passages! Let's call this stuff what it is! Romantic fiction, rather than a historical novel. No big deal..but, then, no disappointment for those of us who will continue to search out a worthwhile read!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
into the Wilderness
I have read all the Diana Gabaldon "Jamie and Clare" books and I am hooked. read them over and over again - this book will be just like that - am just finishing it (and got the... Read more
Published 16 months ago by dawn1007
Into the Wilderness
I am a great fan of Diana Gabaldon and the review from her tempted me to try this book. Sara Donati has captured the characters and the thrill of living in the remote countryside... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Mrs. Pjm Knighton
Excellent late 18th century historical fiction
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, especially as I had been suffering from withdrawal symptoms since reading the last of Diana Gabaldon's Outlander books (Echo in the Bone). Read more
Published 21 months ago by Lorna Doone
A Great Read..
I am a great fan of DG and was sucked in by her reviews for the wilderness saga. What a great treat it is. Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2010 by Carly Peck
Absolutely brilliant
Amazon recommended this book to me as I am a big fan of Diana Gabaldon and I am just so happy I bought it. Read more
Published on 28 Aug 2009 by Anne Davis
Feel lucky to have discovered this wonderful series.
I happened upon this series whilst holidaying in New Zealand and was so impressed by it I had to buy every other book in the Bonner family saga. Read more
Published on 5 Jun 2007 by J. Brockhurst
Wish I could give it more stars
Into the Wilderness is one of my all time favourite books along with Cross Stitch by Diana Gabaldon. Read more
Published on 7 May 2007 by M. Lugg
Fantastic read
What a super book - I could not put it down. You can really get lost in the story. I have now read all the current books in this series and thoroughly enjoyed them and can... Read more
Published on 12 Feb 2006
Quite Fun but loses plot towards the end
Initially fun passionate romance with a certain amount of edge, I felt Donati started to lose it at the end, particularly when she made the hero a direct heir to an earldom etc and... Read more
Published on 27 Jan 2002
Enthralled me from start to finish!
I bought this book in the supermarket in Lancashire, England. Never heard of Sara Donati before but once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. Read more
Published on 24 Jan 2002
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