The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara DonatiBook Review

I've been meaning to read Sara Donati's Wilderness series for ages, but when confronted by those six, large books on the library shelf, I always moved on; one day, I'll tackle them. I had more success with Donati's two book series (soon to be three) known as the Waverly Place novels, The Gilded Hour and Where the Light Enters. These, I enjoyed immensely and immediately became a Sara Donati fan, which was why I jumped at the chance to read her latest release.

The Sweet Blue Distance follows midwife, Elizabeth Caroline (Carrie) Ballentyne, who in 1857, accompanied by her brother, Nathan, journeys west from New York to Santa Fe, New Mexico, to work with Doctor Samuel Markham.

She leaves her close knit family behind to escape events of her past. These are hinted at but not fully revealed until much later when

Carrie finds someone she trusts enough, other than family, to know her secret. There are references throughout to Carrie's large family, some names I recognized from the books I have read. A list of characters and maps provided by the author were appreciated, as was the link to a family tree on Donati's website.

The first part of the novel was the most interesting and covers Carrie's journey to Santa Fe via the different modes of transport. Her fellow travellers and those she meets along the way add colour and drama, as does the changing landscape. Carrie feels more at home in the wide open spaces than she did in New York, eagerly learning about the wildlife, the land and its people.

Part way through the journey, an emergency separates Carrie from Nathan and the relative safety of her other travelling companions, necessitating a gruelling horseback ride for Carrie and her escort through Indian territory to reach Santa Fe quickly. On arrival, Carrie is confronted by a challenging and distressing situation. It is not the welcome she expected.

The story continues as Carrie establishes herself as a midwife and nurse, and awaits Nathan's arrival. Caught between the different cultures, she strives to overcome prejudice and distrust, and scandalises some by her manner of dress on occasion and her own mixed heritage. Other tensions in the town arise from politics, the military presence, religion and talk of war. A romance weaves gently through the novel, presented in the way Sara Donati does so well. I loved how it unfolded.

I wasn't prepared for how the novel ended. So many threads were left hanging that I'm hopeful there will be another novel to further bridge the gap between the Wilderness and Waverly Place series.

The scope of this novel is impressive, a comment I've made before about Sara Donati's novels, as is her research. I learned a great deal about the New Mexico Territory and its history. Although the pace is slow, it is engaging and, what's more, can be enjoyed without having read any of Donati's previous novels.