Product Description

Elizabeth Middleton leaves a comfortable life in the upper-class England of 1792 to join her father in his colonial mission in a remote American outpost. It is not long, however, before Elizabeth realises that her father has brought her to America under false pretences. While encouraging her dreams of teaching the local children, he in fact intends to marry off the fiercely independent Elizabeth to Richard Todd, a fellow pioneer, thereby ensuring his own possession of the local land. As a result, Elizabeth is increasingly drawn away from her English colonial heritage and towards that of the Mohawks, and in particular towards the man who will eventually change her life forever, the white Mohawk Nathaniel Bonner. Beautifully written, passionate and compelling, Sara Donati interweaves the destiny of the two lovers torn between the English and Mohawk cultures in a unforgettably vivid portrait of an emerging America.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #265641 in Books
• Published on: 2001-04-02
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 896 pages

Review
One of those rare strories that lets you breathe the air of another time. Diana Gabaldon

Elizabeth Middleton's purpose in coming to England in 1792 to Paradise, a village in upstate New York, is to start a school. but her father, the judge, has another agenda. He needs her as a bargaining counter - her marriage to the local doctor will wipe out his debts. But Elizabeth has a mind of her own and if her property is to belong to her husband she will choose that husband herself. From the moment Nathaniel Bonner appears on the scene the doctor stands no chance and the romantic tale is mingled with a story of adventure, hidden treasure and revenge. The English girl finds herself on the run, living rough, toting the gun and using it too. This is a pacy novel of breathtaking scenery, of adventure, love and passion. Its heroine is a woman of character and determination. She demands equality herself and for all the people she encounters regardless of class or race. Only a man who will allow her to follow her own principles will do for Elizabeth. Will the proud Nathaniel be that man? (Kirkus UK)

A lushly written first novel, set in early America, by the Pacific Northwest - based Donati. Elizabeth Middleton is a 29-year-old spinster who leaves England in 1792 with her brother Julian to join their father, a judge with significant land holdings in upper New York State. She plans to establish a school where she can teach the children in the village of Paradise, but has not counted on the sexy, diverting presence of Nathaniel Bonner, a white man raised as a member of the Mohawk tribe. The attraction is immediate and mutual, and the two quickly become involved in a steamy affair. Elizabeth must take great pains to keep their romance hidden from the narrow-minded villagers and from her father, who wants her to marry the local doctor, Richard Todd (Todd's ample funds could help pay off the judge's many debts). When she defies her father and elopes with Nathaniel, her family and the village are horrified. The lovers disappear into the woods, where Todd tracks them ruthlessly. When Nathaniel's wounded by an accidental gunshot, Elizabeth travels solo for days to seek aid for her now-husband. Along the way, she's captured and nearly killed by the evil Jack Lingo, who is pursuing long-lost Tory gold that he believes Nathaniel has hidden away. When she and Nathaniel finally return to Paradise, it's only to face the hamlet's ingrained bigotry. Even her own brother is dead-set against her marriage and has a hand in setting a fire that ultimately brings about tragedy. Donati, a skillful storyteller, easily weaves historical fact with romantic ambience to create a dense, complex design. Her effort to paint Elizabeth as a woman out of synch with her times-insistent on her own right to education, freedom, and self determination-pays off. Exemplary historical fiction, boasting a heroine with a real and tangible presence. (Kirkus Reviews)

From the Author
sequel? tribute? retelling? the mystery explored...
I will admit that I am fascinated and (usually) entertained by the reviews posted here by Amazon customers -- writing is a solitary undertaking with so little direct feedback, and sometimes when I'm procrastinating over a difficult scene I'll wander over to Amazon (as some wander to the water cooler) to see who's here and what they have had to say about this story of mine.

What I want to do is clear up something that seems to cause many people confusion and some of them even unhappiness. Is this a sequel to Last of the Mohicans? Why do the same characters show up? Why are some of the names changed? What gives?

To situate this story in relationship to other stories set in this time and place, you do have to begin with James Fenimore Cooper, he of the flowery dialogue (I defy thee, wretched Huron!) but interesting conflicts. This is not a sequel to Last of the Mohicans, but it is a very loose retelling of The Pioneers. I begin with some of his characters, and make them my own. Natty Bumppo, Nathaniel Po, Daniel Boone, to these I add my incarnation of Nathaniel Bonner. Just as my Elizabeth Middleton is modeled on Jane Austen's Elizabeth and Mary Bennet. Retellings are very common in fiction -- some claim there are only twenty plots that get used over and over again. Thus West Side Story might be seen as rewarmed Romeo and Juliet.

So take this for what it's meant to be (a good solid adventure/love story with careful attention to historical detail, and characters who keep you intrigued) or take it for warmed over Cooper -- the choice is yours. Another point of some contention -- If you'd like to call it a romance, that's fine with me too -- there's a love story at the heart of it, after all. If you're looking for a traditional romance, you will find that it doesn't quite follow all the rules of the genre -- but you might like it anyway. You never know.

About the Author
Sara Donati lives with her husband and daughter in the North-West of the USA.

Customer Reviews

A SWEEPING SAGA OF LATE 18TH CENTURY UPSTATE NEW YORK...
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!

Powerfully gripping tale of true love in the face of adversi
I was drawn into a foreign yet strangely familiar world where not only was good fighting against the odds of evil, but true love was blossoming in the face of adversity. The inner struggle of a woman bucking the traditions of her era and her strength of conviction pour out, but not without battle.

Everything and everybody seemed to conspire to disrupt the lives of a few people, echoing the past, present and future struggles of all humans and perhaps, very deeply showing a light for us all to follow to find some kind of peace in the world.

I was absorbed into the plights of each and every character, loving, hating and moved many times to tears. A rollercoaster of emotions with every turn of the page.

I am desparate to pick up the story (Dawn on a Distant Shore) so that I can follow the lives of the Bonners in their endless struggle to keep their family and happiness intact.

Lovers of long, intense novels, take heart!
I know different people get different things from the books they read, but I honestly don't understand how any lover of romantic fiction could dislike this book. True, it's formulaic, but I don't mind a formula if the writing is good, and Donati is very good. She could often bring tears to my eyes, and was just as effective in helping me to see the great wilderness that much of the novel was set in.

From the beginning, I found myself comparing it to Gabaldon's series (probably because of her recommendation on the cover), which could have been very unfair as I think her books are among the best historical fiction I've ever read. But I must say _Into the Wilderness_ comes out well by comparison. I ended up caring as much about Elizabeth and her Nathaniel as I did about Claire and her Jamie, and that says a lot. Sometimes I did feel that Elizabeth and Claire were a lot alike - perhaps almost too much - but I do so enjoy a strong woman character. Elizabeth is definitely "writ large," but I'm glad when I run across a heroic female character for a change who takes her destiny in her own hands.

Since I could not put it down from the time I began reading it, I enthusiastically recommend this novel and I eagerly look forward to the sequel!