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Weaving a vibrant tapestry of fact and fiction, Into the Wilderness sweeps us into another time and place . . . and into the heart of a forbidden, incandescent affair between a spinster Englishwoman and an American frontiersman. Here is an epic of romance and history that will captivate readers from the very first page.When Elizabeth Middleton, twenty-nine years old and unmarried, leaves her Aunt Merriweather's comfortable English estate to join her father and brother in the remote mountain show more village of Paradise on the edge of the New York wilderness, she does so with a strong will and an unwavering purpose: to teach school.
It is December of 1792 when she arrives in a cold climate unlike any she has ever experienced. And she meets a man different from any she has ever encountered—a white man dressed like a Native American, tall and lean and unsettling in his blunt honesty. He is Nathaniel Bonner, also known to the Mohawk people as Between-Two-Lives.
Determined to provide schooling for all the children of the village—white, black, and Native American—Elizabeth soon finds herself at odds with local slave owners. Much to her surprise, she clashes with her own father as well. Financially strapped, Judge Middleton has plans for his daughter—betrothal to local doctor Richard Todd. An alliance with Todd could extract her father from ruin but would call into question the ownership of Hidden Wolf, the mountain where Nathaniel, his father, and a small group of Native Americans live and hunt.
As Judge Middleton brings pressure to bear against his daughter, she is faced with a choice between compliance and deception, a flight into the forest, and a desire that will bend her hard will to compromise and transformation. Elizabeth's ultimate destiny, here in the heart of the wilderness, lies in the odyssey to come: trials of faith and flesh, and passion born amid Nathaniel's own secrets and divided soul.
Interweaving the fate of the remnants of the Mohawk Nation with the destiny of two lovers, Sara Donati's compelling novel creates a complex, profound, passionate portrait of an emerging America. show less
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pollywannabook The closest thing to Outlander out there. Diana Gabaldon even lent out the character of Claire for a cameo in this book
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Elizabeth is a committed spinster with passion for books and a thirst for adventure. Guided by these qualities, she decides to leave the genteel home of her aunt in England and make the long journey to the remote town in upstate New York where her father is the local judge. He has promised to set her up there as a school teacher and Elizabeth imagines her new frontier life containing unparallel freedom and self-determination.
She is greatly dismayed to realize that her father has instead lured her to the remote town of Paradise in order to marry her off to cover his considerable debts and the reckless behavior of her wastrel brother. Unwilling to be bartered away to a stranger, Elizabeth quickly hatches a plan to outfox her father and show more elope with her new love interest, Nathaniel Bonner - an accomplished trapper who has been adopted by the local indigenous people.
This little bit of trickery will hopefully secure both Elizabeth's freedom and Nathaniel's native home, as the mountain he lives on is owned by her father and deeded to Elizabeth at the point her marriage. Once the deed is done, the newlywed pair must escape into the dense wilderness in order to evade Elizabeth's jilted admirer, Richard Todd, who is obsessed with taking everything Nathaniel loves.
This book was entertaining but not particularly convincing in its character development. Common romance tropes plagued the narrative from the beginning, the most egregious of which is how Nathaniel and Elizabeth are essentially instantly in love for no apparent reason. I would have like the premise much more if the marriage started off as a business arrangement and then affection blossomed overtime. Instead, we have Elizabeth going from committed spinster to love sick teenager almost overnight.
When she elopes with Nathaniel, she has only known him for a few months and hasn't spent much time with him at all. It's not clear why they love each other and their romance is pretty flat as a result. More than that, it really makes Elizabeth's character pretty shallow. She says she's a spinster, but in actuality, it appears that no man has ever taken an interest in her and she immediately agrees to becoming a man's legal property the instant he says he loves her. Even in the modern day, this is pretty reckless, but Elizabeth is acutely aware that her husband will have complete control over her once she signs the marriage contract. Yet she enters into it without the slightest hesitation.
Beyond this central issue, this book's pacing is pretty up and down with many odd and episodic plots that pop up and resolve too quickly. This had the effect of me being interested in a new development only for it to get wrapped up and for me to be less interested in returning. Lots of dramatic things just seemed to happen out of no where with little justification and people would just kinda be over it a few pages later.
The most obvious infraction of this is the way the reader seems to be encouraged to forgive the villains of the story. Elizabeth's father, brother, and Richard Todd all reveal themselves to be purely evil: liars, cowards, enslavers, and racists who look upon people as property. By the end, the narrative is telling us to forgive them because the consequences of their own actions have made them sad. I'm sorry, I refuse. The actions of each of these men have led to multiple deaths, some directly others indirectly and we are expected to overlook this because they are now kinda sorry.
The most senseless of this is Richard himself who has chased Elizabeth and Nathaniel across the state and threatened them with open violence. When he's not trying to kill them, he's saying the worst thing he can think of at any moment. He is lying about them and seeking legal action against them. He is enlisting others to perjure themselves. And then at the end of the book, he shows up unannounced at their house and Elizabeth is so terrified at the sight of him that she falls and nearly dies.
Richard pulls her out of the water and tries to help her and this is presented as a nice thing for him to do. Sorry, no it isn't. He was trespassing and he was directly responsible for Elizabeth almost dying. I don't even think you can say he saved her life when it's his fault she fell in the first place. In any case, Many Doves was there too and also dove into the water to save Elizabeth and did most of the nursing so if anything, Richard was just also there but not integral in her rescue or recovery. But the book makes a point of giving him so much credit for doing the literal bare minimum and Elizabeth tells him she is in his debt. No she isn't.
Elizabeth also has a dream about Julian which seems to for no reason present him as somehow redeemed. He died in a fire trying to save Hannah - even though he didn't save Hannah and once again, was just also there when Nathaniel broke through a window and actually saved Hannah. And then he just sorta stands around in the fire for awhile before running out to die.
The whole fire rescue scene was so bizarre and pointless. He only went into the building because he thought Many Doves was inside, and he has creepy obsession with her. He's actively disappointed when he finds Hannah and again, doesn't actually save her. His dying words were reminding his sister that he doesn't care about her or his new wife and only wants to spite her. He literally does nothing good in the whole book and seems to have no motivation beyond greed and predatory lust. But again, the narrative makes a point of Elizabeth telling him "thank you" for again, making a half hearted attempt to save Hannah.
Elizabeth's father also ends the book slightly sad and therefore somehow good. He's sad because for the second time in the book he accidentally shot someone and this time killed them. The innocent person killed by Elizabeth's father is Chingachgook, Nathaniel's adoptive grandfather and chief of the local indigenous tribe.
Literally no one in the book is mad at this doddering old man who keeps hitting people he's not aiming at. They don't even forgive him because no one even bother's to blame him. Look, he may not have intended to do murder, but someone died and it's his fault. I couldn't fathom this choice. To further redeem him, everyone keeps pointing out that also his son died and now he's sad about that too.
Okay, but his son was a literal monster who the judge raised to be a monster and continued to enable even as his gambling drove him farther into debt and his senseless hatred led to death and destruction. No one should be sad that Julian is dead - he canonically lacked a soul.
Finally, there is the not insignificant issue of racial representation in this book. It's not my place as a white woman to say whether or not this is good representation, but I will note a few things I observed.
White people have a tendency to appropriate native culture to add romance or mysticism to their own stories and that does appear to be happening in this novel quite a bit. None of the native characters are main characters and seem to take a fairly passive role while the white characters fight to "save" their land. When the land ends the book in the possession of a white member of the tribe, this seems to be considered a victory.
To my non-expert eyes, most gross tropes about native people seem to have been avoided by the author. She seems to be making an effort to present their culture as valid and seems to want to portray them as whole and developed humans. How successful she is at this is debatable.
The depiction of Black people is also troubling to me. There are few African Americans in Paradise and probably half of them are enslaved. Most do not appear on page or if they do, don't speak. Curiosity, is the only Black character with any significance to the plot and she is Elizabeth's father's housekeeper. Although not perhaps a perfect stereotype, she hits a lot of the common tropes of the Mammy.
She is instantly devoted to Elizabeth and goes out of her way help her achieve her various schemes. Later this is presented as somewhat self-interested because she hopes that Elizabeth will somehow find a way to free the enslaved people in town. No clear reason is provided as to why Curiosity believes this will happen but it does eventually come to pass.
Curiosity is presented as very intelligent and wise and acts as a universal mother figure assisting with births and injuries. However, she lacks a lot of interiority and is only ever on page when she is being of service to someone. Again, it's not my place to say whether this is good or bad representation, but it left me uneasy and dissatisfied.
All that being said, I didn't pick up this book thinking it would be some great piece of literature. I expected an immersive and addictive page turner. Instead, I struggled to get through this book in places. It's quite long and the pacing was herky-jerky. Plot threads seemed to resolve very quickly and in ways that felt anti-climactic. The central romance was pretty shallow and both Nathaniel and Elizabeth's motivations were inscrutable to me. I enjoyed it, but it also frustrated me. I thought I would throw the book across the room when Elizabeth randomly shot Nathaniel by accident. It seemed like a rehash of previous drama but also made her seem totally incompetent. And just like with her father, everyone immediately forgives her. At this point I'm unsure if I will continue the series. show less
She is greatly dismayed to realize that her father has instead lured her to the remote town of Paradise in order to marry her off to cover his considerable debts and the reckless behavior of her wastrel brother. Unwilling to be bartered away to a stranger, Elizabeth quickly hatches a plan to outfox her father and show more elope with her new love interest, Nathaniel Bonner - an accomplished trapper who has been adopted by the local indigenous people.
This little bit of trickery will hopefully secure both Elizabeth's freedom and Nathaniel's native home, as the mountain he lives on is owned by her father and deeded to Elizabeth at the point her marriage. Once the deed is done, the newlywed pair must escape into the dense wilderness in order to evade Elizabeth's jilted admirer, Richard Todd, who is obsessed with taking everything Nathaniel loves.
This book was entertaining but not particularly convincing in its character development. Common romance tropes plagued the narrative from the beginning, the most egregious of which is how Nathaniel and Elizabeth are essentially instantly in love for no apparent reason. I would have like the premise much more if the marriage started off as a business arrangement and then affection blossomed overtime. Instead, we have Elizabeth going from committed spinster to love sick teenager almost overnight.
When she elopes with Nathaniel, she has only known him for a few months and hasn't spent much time with him at all. It's not clear why they love each other and their romance is pretty flat as a result. More than that, it really makes Elizabeth's character pretty shallow. She says she's a spinster, but in actuality, it appears that no man has ever taken an interest in her and she immediately agrees to becoming a man's legal property the instant he says he loves her. Even in the modern day, this is pretty reckless, but Elizabeth is acutely aware that her husband will have complete control over her once she signs the marriage contract. Yet she enters into it without the slightest hesitation.
Beyond this central issue, this book's pacing is pretty up and down with many odd and episodic plots that pop up and resolve too quickly. This had the effect of me being interested in a new development only for it to get wrapped up and for me to be less interested in returning. Lots of dramatic things just seemed to happen out of no where with little justification and people would just kinda be over it a few pages later.
The most obvious infraction of this is the way the reader seems to be encouraged to forgive the villains of the story. Elizabeth's father, brother, and Richard Todd all reveal themselves to be purely evil: liars, cowards, enslavers, and racists who look upon people as property. By the end, the narrative is telling us to forgive them because the consequences of their own actions have made them sad. I'm sorry, I refuse. The actions of each of these men have led to multiple deaths, some directly others indirectly and we are expected to overlook this because they are now kinda sorry.
The most senseless of this is Richard himself who has chased Elizabeth and Nathaniel across the state and threatened them with open violence. When he's not trying to kill them, he's saying the worst thing he can think of at any moment. He is lying about them and seeking legal action against them. He is enlisting others to perjure themselves. And then at the end of the book, he shows up unannounced at their house and Elizabeth is so terrified at the sight of him that she falls and nearly dies.
Richard pulls her out of the water and tries to help her and this is presented as a nice thing for him to do. Sorry, no it isn't. He was trespassing and he was directly responsible for Elizabeth almost dying. I don't even think you can say he saved her life when it's his fault she fell in the first place. In any case, Many Doves was there too and also dove into the water to save Elizabeth and did most of the nursing so if anything, Richard was just also there but not integral in her rescue or recovery. But the book makes a point of giving him so much credit for doing the literal bare minimum and Elizabeth tells him she is in his debt. No she isn't.
Elizabeth also has a dream about Julian which seems to for no reason present him as somehow redeemed. He died in a fire trying to save Hannah - even though he didn't save Hannah and once again, was just also there when Nathaniel broke through a window and actually saved Hannah. And then he just sorta stands around in the fire for awhile before running out to die.
The whole fire rescue scene was so bizarre and pointless. He only went into the building because he thought Many Doves was inside, and he has creepy obsession with her. He's actively disappointed when he finds Hannah and again, doesn't actually save her. His dying words were reminding his sister that he doesn't care about her or his new wife and only wants to spite her. He literally does nothing good in the whole book and seems to have no motivation beyond greed and predatory lust. But again, the narrative makes a point of Elizabeth telling him "thank you" for again, making a half hearted attempt to save Hannah.
Elizabeth's father also ends the book slightly sad and therefore somehow good. He's sad because for the second time in the book he accidentally shot someone and this time killed them. The innocent person killed by Elizabeth's father is Chingachgook, Nathaniel's adoptive grandfather and chief of the local indigenous tribe.
Literally no one in the book is mad at this doddering old man who keeps hitting people he's not aiming at. They don't even forgive him because no one even bother's to blame him. Look, he may not have intended to do murder, but someone died and it's his fault. I couldn't fathom this choice. To further redeem him, everyone keeps pointing out that also his son died and now he's sad about that too.
Okay, but his son was a literal monster who the judge raised to be a monster and continued to enable even as his gambling drove him farther into debt and his senseless hatred led to death and destruction. No one should be sad that Julian is dead - he canonically lacked a soul.
Finally, there is the not insignificant issue of racial representation in this book. It's not my place as a white woman to say whether or not this is good representation, but I will note a few things I observed.
White people have a tendency to appropriate native culture to add romance or mysticism to their own stories and that does appear to be happening in this novel quite a bit. None of the native characters are main characters and seem to take a fairly passive role while the white characters fight to "save" their land. When the land ends the book in the possession of a white member of the tribe, this seems to be considered a victory.
To my non-expert eyes, most gross tropes about native people seem to have been avoided by the author. She seems to be making an effort to present their culture as valid and seems to want to portray them as whole and developed humans. How successful she is at this is debatable.
The depiction of Black people is also troubling to me. There are few African Americans in Paradise and probably half of them are enslaved. Most do not appear on page or if they do, don't speak. Curiosity, is the only Black character with any significance to the plot and she is Elizabeth's father's housekeeper. Although not perhaps a perfect stereotype, she hits a lot of the common tropes of the Mammy.
She is instantly devoted to Elizabeth and goes out of her way help her achieve her various schemes. Later this is presented as somewhat self-interested because she hopes that Elizabeth will somehow find a way to free the enslaved people in town. No clear reason is provided as to why Curiosity believes this will happen but it does eventually come to pass.
Curiosity is presented as very intelligent and wise and acts as a universal mother figure assisting with births and injuries. However, she lacks a lot of interiority and is only ever on page when she is being of service to someone. Again, it's not my place to say whether this is good or bad representation, but it left me uneasy and dissatisfied.
All that being said, I didn't pick up this book thinking it would be some great piece of literature. I expected an immersive and addictive page turner. Instead, I struggled to get through this book in places. It's quite long and the pacing was herky-jerky. Plot threads seemed to resolve very quickly and in ways that felt anti-climactic. The central romance was pretty shallow and both Nathaniel and Elizabeth's motivations were inscrutable to me. I enjoyed it, but it also frustrated me. I thought I would throw the book across the room when Elizabeth randomly shot Nathaniel by accident. It seemed like a rehash of previous drama but also made her seem totally incompetent. And just like with her father, everyone immediately forgives her. At this point I'm unsure if I will continue the series. show less
An epic of post-revolutionary upstate New York, I found this book absolutely delectable and immediately moved on to its sequel. I'll admit to a bit of initial disbelief at the modern sentiments of the main character -- though these become increasingly believable with time, and it's clear the author put substantial effort into avoiding anachronisms -- and final disbelief at the subtle implication that fraternal twins run on the male line.
Overall, Into the Wilderness is perfect historical fiction, laying out the flavor of the place, human characters, and believable and pressing plot arcs rooted in the small tragedies and triumphs of the era. The narrator Kate Reading is phenomenal at making it all breathe.
Overall, Into the Wilderness is perfect historical fiction, laying out the flavor of the place, human characters, and believable and pressing plot arcs rooted in the small tragedies and triumphs of the era. The narrator Kate Reading is phenomenal at making it all breathe.
A brilliantly written masterpiece in every way! If you like historical fiction Into the Wilderness is a hallmark example of how to do it right. As a young man, the stories by James Fenimore Cooper captured my imagination, The Leatherstocking Tales: Deerslayer, Last of the Mohicans, The Pathfinder and more. They are set during the French and Indian War, in and around the New York frontier. The writing style can be a bit hard to get into since it is quite old, but the stories are excellent. Into the Wilderness starts a series of books by Sara Donati that follow the offspring of Hawkeye from the original stories and carries us through the decades following the war, through the War of 1812 up to the Battle of New Orleans. Donati has changed show more the surname of the family but the rest is true to the originals. However, the prose is light years beyond the originals.
This first installment sets the tone and introduces the characters. A well-educated young woman from England, Elizabeth Middleton, has been brought by her father to the small wilderness village on the western edge of the New York frontier, where Hawkeye lives with his extended family of Mohican Indians. His son, Nathanial Bonner is a prominent figure in the region, known for his hunting skill, and his wilderness prowess, which he inherited from his father. To call it a romance story would not be wrong, but it would short shrift the complexity and nuance of this story. It weaves unconventional love with the fate of the Mohawk. This book has everything you could ask for in a story: brilliant prose, colorful characters, exciting setting, intriguing plot, wild adventure, love, sex, betrayal and so much more. It touched me emotionally as I got invested in all the characters. All of them are complex and well-developed and each has their own voice and motives. It is a wonderful example of a character-driven story.
The person behind the pseudonym, Rosina Lippi, is a college professor in her other life and the historical aspects of this book are extraordinarily well-researched. I learned things about slavery and how women and people of color were treated in the era that were never covered in my history lessons.
I’m so glad my wife turned me on to Sara Donati. I’ve read and loved every book in the series and look forward to her next series. There is even a short crossover with Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon for fans of that series.
I listened to this on audiobook and the reading by Kate Reading (Jennifer Mendenhall) is amazing. This story and the ones that follow fell right into her wheelhouse, with many different accents and languages. Kate can do Scots, French and English with equal appeal. With this series, she has risen to be my favorite audiobook reader.
The stories that follow this are all fantastic, but this one is special and will remain one of my favorite novels of all-time. show less
This first installment sets the tone and introduces the characters. A well-educated young woman from England, Elizabeth Middleton, has been brought by her father to the small wilderness village on the western edge of the New York frontier, where Hawkeye lives with his extended family of Mohican Indians. His son, Nathanial Bonner is a prominent figure in the region, known for his hunting skill, and his wilderness prowess, which he inherited from his father. To call it a romance story would not be wrong, but it would short shrift the complexity and nuance of this story. It weaves unconventional love with the fate of the Mohawk. This book has everything you could ask for in a story: brilliant prose, colorful characters, exciting setting, intriguing plot, wild adventure, love, sex, betrayal and so much more. It touched me emotionally as I got invested in all the characters. All of them are complex and well-developed and each has their own voice and motives. It is a wonderful example of a character-driven story.
The person behind the pseudonym, Rosina Lippi, is a college professor in her other life and the historical aspects of this book are extraordinarily well-researched. I learned things about slavery and how women and people of color were treated in the era that were never covered in my history lessons.
I’m so glad my wife turned me on to Sara Donati. I’ve read and loved every book in the series and look forward to her next series. There is even a short crossover with Outlander, by Diana Gabaldon for fans of that series.
I listened to this on audiobook and the reading by Kate Reading (Jennifer Mendenhall) is amazing. This story and the ones that follow fell right into her wheelhouse, with many different accents and languages. Kate can do Scots, French and English with equal appeal. With this series, she has risen to be my favorite audiobook reader.
The stories that follow this are all fantastic, but this one is special and will remain one of my favorite novels of all-time. show less
Into the Wilderness – Sara Donati
4 stars
I really enjoyed this historical saga of early America. Elizabeth Middleton is a strong-headed female character who defies the conventions of her century in a way that appeals to my 21st century feminist sensibilities. The instantaneous sexual attraction and undying loyalty expressed by the central protagonists requires some suspension of disbelief, but it makes for a very satisfying love story. I liked the way Donati portrayed the cultural tensions between the First Nation tribes and the new Americans. The book was full of interesting, likable characters in challenging situations within a colorful setting. It was perfect, relaxing summer reading. I’m sure I will be continuing with the series.
4 stars
I really enjoyed this historical saga of early America. Elizabeth Middleton is a strong-headed female character who defies the conventions of her century in a way that appeals to my 21st century feminist sensibilities. The instantaneous sexual attraction and undying loyalty expressed by the central protagonists requires some suspension of disbelief, but it makes for a very satisfying love story. I liked the way Donati portrayed the cultural tensions between the First Nation tribes and the new Americans. The book was full of interesting, likable characters in challenging situations within a colorful setting. It was perfect, relaxing summer reading. I’m sure I will be continuing with the series.
It came as no surprise to me that Diana Gabaldon was a mentor of sorts to Sara Donati in the writing of this book. While their writing styles are very different both women have the magical ability to take you to another time and place...and make you fall in love with a man there.
And believe me, you will fall in love with Nathaniel Bonner. Living as one of the Indian Mohawks in America’s “Brave New World” Nathaniel is a widower trying desperately to protect his family and home from the intangible threat of prejudice. Enter Elizabeth Middleton, the ambitious spinster daughter of the town judge and probable heiress to Nathaniel’s land. She arrives from London with the intention of setting up a school however her father has other show more unspoken problems. Clever subplots, hidden agendas, devious antagonists and well-rounded secondary characters all conspire with the complex intricacy of real life to plant Elizabeth firmly in Nathaniel’s arms. Donati writes sex scenes so romantic they will make you cry and romantic scenes so sexy they will make you randy.
But don’t let the love story fool you – there’s a reason this book is so fat. It’s full of history and plenty of plot. From about page 200 the plot does not let up, keeping you frantically turning pages to reach the climactic ending. And what a satisfying climax it is. At 876 pages, you may need a little time to recover however if you’re in the mood for a little more loving from Nathaniel, there are another four books.
Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! If you’re not one to shy away from big books then go for it – you won’t be disappointed. And for Cross Stitch fans, keep an eye out for Jamie and Claire’s cameo.
Favourite line: And Nathaniel saw something he had forgotten about women: that words can do the same work as hands and mouths and a man’s body, that she was as undone by his admission of desire as she had been by his kiss. show less
And believe me, you will fall in love with Nathaniel Bonner. Living as one of the Indian Mohawks in America’s “Brave New World” Nathaniel is a widower trying desperately to protect his family and home from the intangible threat of prejudice. Enter Elizabeth Middleton, the ambitious spinster daughter of the town judge and probable heiress to Nathaniel’s land. She arrives from London with the intention of setting up a school however her father has other show more unspoken problems. Clever subplots, hidden agendas, devious antagonists and well-rounded secondary characters all conspire with the complex intricacy of real life to plant Elizabeth firmly in Nathaniel’s arms. Donati writes sex scenes so romantic they will make you cry and romantic scenes so sexy they will make you randy.
But don’t let the love story fool you – there’s a reason this book is so fat. It’s full of history and plenty of plot. From about page 200 the plot does not let up, keeping you frantically turning pages to reach the climactic ending. And what a satisfying climax it is. At 876 pages, you may need a little time to recover however if you’re in the mood for a little more loving from Nathaniel, there are another four books.
Would I recommend this book? Hell yes! If you’re not one to shy away from big books then go for it – you won’t be disappointed. And for Cross Stitch fans, keep an eye out for Jamie and Claire’s cameo.
Favourite line: And Nathaniel saw something he had forgotten about women: that words can do the same work as hands and mouths and a man’s body, that she was as undone by his admission of desire as she had been by his kiss. show less
It could almost be described as fanfic. This is a story of what happens to Hawkeye of Last of the Mohicans' family a few years later. This story centres around his son Nathaniel. Nathaniel has grown up straddling Native and New cultures and finding that he has more in common with native culture.
Elizabeth Middleton arrives in the small town of Paradise, her father has induced her to come with a promise of her fulfilling her life-long dream of being a teacher. However her father has other plans for her, a plan to marry her off in order to pay off some debts. Dr Todd is willing to do anything to get this land. But she isn't attracted to Dr Todd, she's attracted to Nathaniel.
It's an interesting story and a fun (if heavy, physically) read. show more The main characters really showed that they cared for each other but still had moments where both sides misunderstood the other. It could have been divided down or edited a bit but it was an interesting read. There were a few jarring moments where I didn't really get a sense of place, or distances. I found myself wanting to read more despite my reservations and I had to force myself to put it down occasionally (while cursing that the busses were running quickly with 80 pages to go!) show less
Elizabeth Middleton arrives in the small town of Paradise, her father has induced her to come with a promise of her fulfilling her life-long dream of being a teacher. However her father has other plans for her, a plan to marry her off in order to pay off some debts. Dr Todd is willing to do anything to get this land. But she isn't attracted to Dr Todd, she's attracted to Nathaniel.
It's an interesting story and a fun (if heavy, physically) read. show more The main characters really showed that they cared for each other but still had moments where both sides misunderstood the other. It could have been divided down or edited a bit but it was an interesting read. There were a few jarring moments where I didn't really get a sense of place, or distances. I found myself wanting to read more despite my reservations and I had to force myself to put it down occasionally (while cursing that the busses were running quickly with 80 pages to go!) show less
This epic tale tells the story of a twenty-nine-year-old Englishwoman, Elizabeth Middleton, who travels to a remote area of New York State in 1792 to live with her father and brother. Elizabeth was raised by her aunt in England and is very serious about her independence. She wants to set up a school in New York for children of all races and has no intention of ever marrying. She soon meets and falls in love with Nathaniel Bonner, a white man who was raised among Native Americans. He and his family act as protectors for the last of the Mohawk tribes still living in the area. The novel follows the adventures of Elizabeth and Nathaniel, who are forced to flee into the Mohawk lands, and try to stay one step ahead of Richard Todd, a man show more determined to marry Elizabeth for the land she owns.
The book I read had 898 pages so the plot is too long and interwoven to describe. Additionally, there are five other volumes in the continuing series. Several characters narrate the story but Elizabeth and Nathaniel are the primary storytellers. The book includes a list of characters and a map at the beginning which might prove helpful. I never felt the need to refer to it because I felt like the individual characters were written so well I could always remember who they were. There were several times when I was rapidly turning the pages to see what would happen next.
I thought the details of early American culture along with the details about the Mohawk way of life were fascinating. This is also a love story and the combination of history and romance was just right. I don't know when I'll get to them, but I'm definitely planning to continue the series. I recommend it and hope the others are just as compelling. show less
The book I read had 898 pages so the plot is too long and interwoven to describe. Additionally, there are five other volumes in the continuing series. Several characters narrate the story but Elizabeth and Nathaniel are the primary storytellers. The book includes a list of characters and a map at the beginning which might prove helpful. I never felt the need to refer to it because I felt like the individual characters were written so well I could always remember who they were. There were several times when I was rapidly turning the pages to see what would happen next.
I thought the details of early American culture along with the details about the Mohawk way of life were fascinating. This is also a love story and the combination of history and romance was just right. I don't know when I'll get to them, but I'm definitely planning to continue the series. I recommend it and hope the others are just as compelling. show less
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Rosina Lippi was born in Chicago, Illinois on January 14, 1956. She received a PhD in linguistics from Princeton University. Before becoming a full-time writer, she worked as a professor. She writes the Wilderness series under the pen name Sara Donati. Her title The Gilded Hour is a New York Times bestseller. (Bowker Author Biography)
Sara Donati is a LibraryThing Author, an author who lists their personal library on LibraryThing.
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Whitcoulls Top 100 Books (24 – 2008)
Whitcoulls Top 100 Books (33 – 2010)
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Is a (non-series) sequel to
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- Into the Wilderness
- Original publication date
- 1998
- People/Characters
- Elizabeth Middleton Bonner; Nathaniel Bonner; Judge Alfred Middleton; Julian Middleton; Hannah Bonner; Runs-from-Bears (show all 98); Daniel Bonner (Hawkeye); Many-Doves; Curiosity Freeman; Chingachgook; Galileo Freeman; Katherine "Kitty" Witherspoon; Robbie MacLachlan; Josiah Witherspoon; Richard Todd; Otter; Billy Kirby; Liam Kirby; Dutch Ton; Samuel Todd (Throws-Far); Augusta Merriweather; Amanda Spencer; Falling-Day; Almanzo "Manny" Freeman; Daisy Freeman; Polly Freeman; Anna Hauptmann; Henry Smythe; Isaac Cameron; Jed McGarrity; Charlie LeBlanc; Moses Southern; Henrietta Hauptmann; Ephraim Hauptmann; Axel Metzler; Molly Kaes; Becca Kaes; Jack MacGregor; Martha Southern; Ian McGarrity; Rudy McGarrity; Benjamin Cameron; Obadiah Cameron; Elijah Cameron; Mrs. Bennett; John Bennett; Sky-Wound-Round; Bitter-Words; Half-Crow; Peter Dubonnet; Jemima Southern; Dolly Smythe; Claude Dubonnet; Anton Meerschaum; Mathilde; Catherine Schuyler; Philip Schuyler; Reverend Lyddeker; Cornelia Schuyler Morton; Sally Gerlach; Rensselaer Schuyler; Philip Jeremiah Schuyler; Jack Lingo; Treenie; Jeremiah Southern; Stone-Splitter; He-Who-Dreams; Made-of-Bones; Sturdy-Heart; Splitting-Moon; Spotted-Fox; Two-Suns; She-Remembers; Stands-Crooked; Crow-Flying; Little-Kettle; Nancy McGarrity; Archie Cunningham; Ruth Glove; Hepzibah Glove; John Glove; Mrs. Vanderhyden; Judge van der Poole; Leendert Beekman; Mr. MacIntyre; Simon Desjardins; Pierre Pharoux; Samuel Hench; Tall-Man; Adam Southern; Joshua Hench; Baldwin O'Brien; Ethan Middleton; Gordon (trapper); William Spencer; Marie Dubonnet; Angus Moncrieff; Katherine "Kitty" Middleton
- Important places
- New York, USA (Upstate); Paradise, New York, USA; Saratoga, New York, USA; Barktown; Albany, New York, USA; Hidden Wolf Mountain, New York, USA (show all 9); Johnstown, New York, USA; Kahen'tiyo, Canada; Lake in the Clouds, Hidden Wolf Mountain, New York, USA
- Dedication
- For Emmy,
and (as always)
for Bill and Elisabeth - First words
- 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 overhe... (show all)ad, and saw at once that it could not be far to Paradise.
Part 1 Discovering Paradise- December 1792; 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 p... (show all)elts to the sight of an eagle circling overhead, and saw at once that it could not be far to Paradise - Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)"But for right now, Paradise is enough."
Classifications
Statistics
- Members
- 2,258
- Popularity
- 8,839
- Reviews
- 66
- Rating
- (4.09)
- Languages
- 5 — English, German, Norwegian (Bokmål), Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 24
- ASINs
- 10