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| 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 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 know to the Mohawk people as Between-Two-Lives. |
Into the WildernessIn this Article |
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A lushly written novel…Donati, a skillful storyteller, easily weaves historical fact with romantic ambience to create a dense, complex design…Exemplary historical fiction, boasting a heroine with a real and tangible presence.
Kirkus Reviews |
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Dawn on a Distant Shore |
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.a powerful adventure story, animating everyone–German villagers, slaves and Scottish trappers alike–in a gorgeous, vividly described American landscape.
People Magazine |
Lake in the Clouds |
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Epic in scope, emotionally intense, Into the Wilderness…is an enrapturing, grand adventure.
Bookpage |
Fire Along the Sky |
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Fans of earlier titles will not be disappointed, as [Fire Along the Sky] contains the same combination of romance and adventure, not to mention the most intriguing mystery in the series yet.
Publishers Weekly |
Queen of Swords |
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Queen of Swords] is both a smoothly written, engrossing adventure about an early American family and a vivid depiction of the little-explored War of 1812, […] delves into much deeper realities, such as race and prejudice in one of America’s famously multicultural cities, the complex patterns of revenge, the price of loyalty during wartime, and the transformative power of love.
Sarah Johnson | Booklist |
The Endless Forest |
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Say good-bye to Elizabeth Bonner and her brood with this graceful, sweeping conclusion to Donati’s frontier-era Wilderness series …Donati will satisfy and, in some cases, delight her longtime readers by wrapping up nearly every story line, confidently tracking a huge cast and their individual conflicts. Those new to Donati’s work would be better served starting at the beginning of the series with Into theWilderness…—but any reader will be won over, sooner or later, by Donati’s affection for her tough, complex characters.
Publishers Weekly |
Into the next generations: |
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The Gilded HourBarnes & Noble Find in a Library Unabridged Audio |
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read more… |
Where the Light Enters |
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I have a question, is Ethan Middleton the person Uncle Quinlan was in love with.
Joanne
Well observed, Joanne.
Thank you it’s taken many rereads 😊
I’ve read the wilderness series many times but still feel there should have been another book between Dawn on a Distant Shore and Lake in the Clouds. Too many years have passed and events. I love them so much, I reread the series every three years. Thank you, Susan
Thanks for the kind words about the books, Susan. I do see your point about the long break between DDS and LinC. Just too much to do, I’m afraid. Thank you again for taking the time to share your thoughts.
I agree with this wholeheartedly. I love the story and the characters so much, that I would do a lot for an extra book going back in time to those days! I puzzle over why HBO or the likes hasn’t attempted to make a series out of this. The Outlander girlies (like myself) would eat this up!
Oh heck yet me too, would love a series.
Into the Wilderness first caught my attention because of the location. I live on the Great Sacandaga Lake, NY, just off a road named Paradise Point. I’m familiar with all the locations mentioned in your book and imagine Elizabeth, Nathanial and everyone else living and traveling to Johnstown, Saratoga, etc. Friends of mine recently purchased the Fish House Lodge on the lake. Once into the book, I found it was one I couldn’t put down. I look forward to continuing my journey with your writing.
Hi Teresa — Thanks so much for taking the time to write. I love to hear from readers who live in the area I’m writing about, and for years I was trying to arrange to see the Fish House lodge. Maybe someday. I appreciate your support very much.
r/s
This is my “feel good, take care of me” series. I reread them every two years or so. I also LOVE the audiobooks and the narrator.
Amelia — I am so glad you like the series, and the audiobooks. Means the world to me to hear from happy readers. Thank you.
Here I am again listening to all of the books again to soothe my soul – thank you for sharing your gift of the word.
You are so welcome. Thank you for your support.
I am so very much enjoying my second round of these books. In my twenties, these stories kept me distracted from hardships and health issues. The audio books are my safe place presently, and push me past my home interior to fresh air and exercise. My reward after long workdays. I would adore a series on HBO or Starz, preferably produced by the same team who crafted Outlander for quality.
It occurs to me many would not recognize the strong connections between Atlantic Canada and New York. The Revolution saw so many move north into the Maritimes, and our history here is interwoven with New York. I think that is why I feel so drawn to the stories in addition to the rich crafting and character development
You are a substantial gem in the mine of historical fiction. I eagerly await your next novel.
Gratitude
I think you are right, most people in the U.S. know almost nothing of Canadian history or the relationship between New York and Atlantic Canada. If my stories make them think about those things at least a little, my work is (almost) done. Thanks for the kind words of encouragement.
I have read all of your books have beenrereading’ in the clearblue distanceas i just love it. Ihope you will continue with Nathan’s story and Lily’sstory and of coursethe young lovers of this last book.
Thank you, Jane. I’ll do my best to carry on.
Hola Sara o Rosa, soy de España y estoy disfrutando tanto de tú imaginación e ingenio al escribrir esta saga. Te agradezco de todo corazón que nos dejes compartir tú ingenio con la pluma. La historia de Elizabeth me ha cautivado, comentar que en español solo se ha traducido “En tierras lejanas”, “A la luz del amanecer ” y “Lago de las nubes”, y eso me hizo pensar en trilogía.
He comenzado a leer “La edad dorada” y su segunda parte. Me he obsesionado tanto con los personajes que ya estaba trazando su arbol genealogico para ver que relación había con Sophie ,Curiosity y Hannah Bonner. Buscando, buscando he dado con tú blog, y ha sido una joya descubrirlo.
Mi escrito es para preguntarte si sabes si alguna editorial tiene pensado traducir los otros tres libros que faltan en español de la saga del Desierto.
Pues los que te estamos leyendo ,no entendemos mucho la relacion de la saga Edad dorada y Lago de las nubes. Tenemos que buscar información y meditar bien la relación intrínseca de los personajes.
Perdona mi extensión al escribir. Gracias y un abrazo .
I just finished listening to The Sweet Blue Distance and, again, your storytelling brought me to a place in history that ignited my imagination so clearly I truly felt I was there, experiencing Carrie’s experiences throughout her journey through your story. Thank you for another wonderfully written book! I really love and enjoy your books. The people and places you write about become so real, so tangible and so relatable that when I’m finished listening I want more! I’ve listened to all of them through Audible and the Kate Reading has done every character justice and made them even more real.
To echo what someone wrote to you previously…. Wilderness would be outstanding as a series for television, far better than others that have gone on to film.
Mary, you are too kind, but your support means the world to me. Thank you.
I’ve read the Wilderness books so many times I’ve lost count and I love them. I’ve read the Gilded Hour and Sequel, too. I just started The Sweet Blue Distance and I love it as much as the others. The one thing that’s confused me is the book keeps saying that Nathaniel Bonner’s second wife (Sarah) was Mohawk. But Elizabeth was his second wife and Sarah was the first. Have a completely missed another wife before Sarah? I haven’t finished this book so maybe there’s an explanation.