Very good read. I'm embarrassed that I picked up this book because the cover art intrigued me, but it's true. I enjoyed the tenacity of Elizabeth and appreciated the photography angle. I enjoyed the relationship and was only somewhat unhappy that the relationship between Daniel and Rachel wasn't somewhat resolved. I thoroughly liked Josiah and his interation with Elizabeth and got completely choked up when his Belle was returned. ( )

This is more than a novel, a journey into two peoples lives that brings you to the edge of their experiences and beliefs and makes you focus on your own as well. I had a hard time through the first part of the novel, because I was unsure if I really liked the personality of the main character Elizabeth Westbrook. Yet as the story continued, and I was able to really look more on who she was and who she might be becoming I found that I really did like her. The humor through out the entire book is true to life. Included with the hardships of live during and after war, as well as life in the West is a love and growth between individuals. It is something that you can read about, and then feel it within your heart and not just turn a blind eye. Each character within this story has their flaws and they are these bits and pieces that make them so much more realistic and provide a reader the ability to relate. Every page brings something unexpected, and be fully prepared to shed some tears on the last page. Tammy has done it again with this novel, so far every single one is a complete hit to my mind and I cannot finish typing this review fast enough to pick up the second book in this Timber Ridge Series, [b:Beyond This Moment|3568996|Beyond This Moment (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 2)|Tamera Alexander|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1220382528s/3568996.jpg|3611199]. ( )

This is more than a novel, a journey into two peoples lives that brings you to the edge of their experiences and beliefs and makes you focus on your own as well. I had a hard time through the first part of the novel, because I was unsure if I really liked the personality of the main character Elizabeth Westbrook. Yet as the story continued, and I was able to really look more on who she was and who she might be becoming I found that I really did like her. The humor through out the entire book is true to life. Included with the hardships of live during and after war, as well as life in the West is a love and growth between individuals. It is something that you can read about, and then feel it within your heart and not just turn a blind eye. Each character within this story has their flaws and they are these bits and pieces that make them so much more realistic and provide a reader the ability to relate. Every page brings something unexpected, and be fully prepared to shed some tears on the last page. Tammy has done it again with this novel, so far every single one is a complete hit to my mind and I cannot finish typing this review fast enough to pick up the second book in this Timber Ridge Series, [b:Beyond This Moment|3568996|Beyond This Moment (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 2)|Tamera Alexander|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1220382528s/3568996.jpg|3611199]. ( )

It's a beautiful tale in a setting that is make alive in superb words. It's romance is believable and it's make it even more attractive easy read to relax.

Title:From A Distance
Author: Tamara Alexander
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Publisher Address: 11400 Hampshire Avenue South, Bloomington, Minnesota 55438
Url: www.bethanyhouse.com
ISBN: 978-0-7642-0389-3, Price $13.99 Publication Date: 2008
Reviewed by Bethany L. Canfield for Reader Views (8/08)

Yearly Count: 54

From a Distance, is a tale of hope, of dreams and the road to accomplishing them.Elisabeth is a budding journalist.Society may think that she is past her prime, that she should just worry about getting married, but she sees a dream that she is about to capture and cannot rest until she does. Elisabeth dreams big, and she will do whatever it takes to get her to her desired goal. Is it all fair game? Are there things that are not acceptable in our pursuit of what we want, or is it every woman for herself? Decisions made in the past will impact the future, however there is grace to forgive. Will it be enough?

This is a five star read for sure. It is believable, well thought out, well written, and intriguing. I could not put it down because the story line was a dream to read, and as I read the only thing that I didn't like was that the end was coming! From a Distance is filled with interesting topics from that day: female rolls, corsets, male-female relations, propriety, the wild west, slavery, racism, mistrust, civil war, healing from lives lost in the war and much else that I am always interested to read about.

All humans are flawed, and in From a Distance the flaws are not smoothed over, and they are not made pretty. Flaws are evident and they cause guilt to surface. I admire the way Tamera Alexander portrays loss, life, but especially her take on forgiveness. This book contains so many relationships, and they feel completely real mainly because they are deep, deep enough to have times when forgiveness is necessary. Forgiveness is something that is either given or not. I loved the realness of the problems and the distances formed through hurt and pain in From a Distance. It felt so real, so relateble, and through the flaws of the characters I was able to really feel a bond. A great read all around! ( )