SPOILER ALERT: Do not read unless you have finished Into the Wilderness.
I am finished. And I don't know where to begin. This may sting a little...but I think you can handle it.
This was a good book. A good, solid book. What bugs me is that it had the potential to be a phenomenal book...but too many details were left out...so it's just a good book.
Example: Elizabeth is near death and Nathaniel climbs into bed, naked, with her...so she will smell him and truly know he's near. He's hoping this will jar her out of her near-coma. Soooo tremendous that he did that; truly raw and emotional. If you've ever witnessed a loved one in a coma, you know you will do absolutely anything to get them to wake up. So this hit home. But I wanted more!
Why only a page?! This could have gone on for a chapter. He could have talked to her. No - he could have murmured to her. He could have told her his fears while she was sleeping. He could have told her that he thought he'd be alone the rest of his life and that her coming to Paradise was a miracle...and that he couldn't lose her now. We could have seen Too Many Doves and Falling Trees all worrit about him for days on end. He could have gotten up only to use the privy and sported red, swollen eyes...which would have made the ladies even more worrit...and would have made us swoon. But no. Instead, we got one page of him losing water from his eyes...being calmed by her smells and falling asleep. That's it. Hell-O??? It's big PICTURE time! McFly?!?
I realize this is my opinion and you may have your own - which rocks. Maybe you only wanted a few sentences about Nathaniel's suffering and are content with the way it was written. I, however, am not. I wanted MORE and I got LESS. Much less.
This is NOT an insult to Sarah Donati's writing. If anything, it's a compliment. I liked her style...I just wanted more.
And OK - maybe less - in spots. I could have dealt with less bush...(forest, I mean. ;)...less waxing on about Richard Todd...less treks up the mountain and less drinking in the pub/general store/gaol. Less, that is, if we would have gotten more Nathaniel and Elizabeth...more Julian and the Judge...more Curiosity and more Ronnie Mac-whatever his Scottish name was. I loved all of them and wanted more. Well, maybe not the judge. He's a douche. But I could have dealt with more details about his life. If this were Diana Gabaldon, there would already be a prequel about the judge in England...AND one about his parents. And their gay butler. Lorddddd there'd be a ton about their gay butler. But I digress...
OK so last night I was wondering whether to go on to Book 2 because Book 1 was slow moving at times and wasn't grabbing me tightly enough. So I asked Cari about Scotland. When we left off in Book 1, they realized Hawkeye is an Earl and is rich beyond belief. This news, when told to any other red-blooded American, would elicit all kinds of whoops and hollers and general merriment. Not Nathanial. Ohhhhh nooooo. Boyfriend's got to sulk and get pissy and stomp his feet and say "I'm not going to Scotland! Waaaaah!" And that, right there, made me put up my hand and say "
When". I was like "
Are you KIDDING ME?!?' But Cari set me straight and told me that's what the "Distant Shore" is in Book 2. (Duh...party of Carol?) So now I'm intrigued about a possible trip to Scotland and downloaded Book 2 last night.
Crossing my fingers, y'all. I'm told Book 2 is slowwww...and Book 3 has barely any McLovin'...but Book 4 has crazy amounts of McLovin'...so I may have to persevere.
I am definitely into the characters and the world of the Bonners now...so hopefully I'm in for the long haul.
More to come...
