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The Drifter (Mass Market Paperback)

~ (Author)
4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)


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Amazon Price New from Used from
  Kindle Edition, November 17, 2008 $4.68 -- --
  Hardcover, Large Print -- -- $2.29
  Paperback, Import -- -- $0.07
  Mass Market Paperback, April 30, 1998 -- $3.50 $0.01
  Mass Market Paperback, March 1, 2003 -- $67.41 $0.83

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

It isn't easy to be a female physician in 1894, but Leah Mundy is fiercely committed to healing her fellow humans. Being awakened in the dark of night to heal the sick is a common occurrence, but never before has she woke to a threatening gun barrel and a dangerous stranger demanding her services. Outlaw Jackson Underhill is grimly determined that the doctor will save his childhood friend, but nothing about his difficult and dark past has prepared him for the changes the beautiful doctor will bring to his life. When Leah manages to disable his sailboat and force him to bring his "wife" to her boarding home to be cared for, Jackson has no option but to comply, setting forces in motion that will change both of their lives forever.

Dr. Leah Mundy is a strong but emotionally vulnerable woman who has struggled her entire life to win the approval of her difficult, indifferent father. Now that he is dead, she is determined to build a life on Puget Sound's beautiful Whidbey Island. Accused of committing a murder he can't deny, outlaw Jackson Underhill is a man on the run, committed to saving his childhood friend while eluding the law. Leah is a woman who cannot leave the island that has become her sanctuary and Jackson Underhill is a man who cannot stay. Reason and logic tell them that they should never have fallen in love, but their hearts ignore all warnings. Inexorably drawn together by circumstance and fate, what possible resolution can bring them happiness and not disaster? Thrown together by chance, they find a love that neither of them had ever dared hope for - but darker forces and old alliances threaten their chance at happiness. With crisp, clean writing, Ms. Wiggs deftly weaves a seamless tale set against the background of the sea and sky of the Pacific Northwest. The beauty of Puget Sound pulses from every page, elevating the land and elements of nature to the level of a living character that is essential to the healing of Jackson and Leah's inner scars. Emotionally intense and well-plotted, The Drifter has all the components of a great summer read and is a jewel of a novel. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.



From Publishers Weekly

Wiggs (Lord of the Night) turns an able and sensual hand to the old story of the capable, straitlaced spinster and the sensual roving rogue. Jackson T. Underhill (tall and blond with the requisite facial scar) is running from the law with his childhood friend Carrie, a prostitute and opium addict who shot the mayor of Rising Star, Texas, and who is posing as Jackson's wife. When Carrie falls ill, Jackson rouses Dr. Leah Mundy from her bed at gunpoint in the picturesque seaside village of Coupeville, on Washington's Puget Sound. Leah, whose whole life has been devoted to hard work, and whose self-esteem as a woman has been undermined by a charlatan father, allows herself to dream of a home and family with Jackson (including the social acceptance she never receives as a female in a typically male profession). And Underhill, the sexy drifter who has never belonged anywhere, dreams of coming home each night to his passionate physician and an extended family of endearing misfits. It's a smart, unorthodox coupling to which Wiggs adds humor, brains and a certain cultivation that will leave readers anticipating her next romance.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

  • Mass Market Paperback: 384 pages
  • Publisher: Mira; Reprint edition (March 1, 2003)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1551666898
  • ISBN-13: 978-1551666891
  • Product Dimensions: 6.6 x 4 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #486,593 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

21 Reviews
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 (4)
3 star:
 (2)
2 star:
 (1)
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Average Customer Review
4.3 out of 5 stars (21 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Susan Wiggs is a natural storyteller, April 20, 1998
By A Customer
This review is from: Drifter (Mass Market Paperback)
In 1894 Rising Star, Texas, the town sheriff requests U.S. Marshal Joel Santana pursue escaped murderer Jackson Underhill and his wife Carrie. Though Joel feels there is more to this case than the local is letting on, he begins his chase to capture the outlaw. Jackson and Carrie manage to sail their dilapidated schooner to Whidbey Island, Washington, where he kidnaps Dr. Leah Mundy to tend to Carrie, who is very ill. It turns out that Carrie is three months pregnant, a fact that irritates Jackson. Though he feels guilty about leaving Leah's other patients without medical care, the desperate Jackson decides to force the doctor to accompany them to Canada so that she can continue to tend to Carrie.

Instead, Leah disables his schooner, forcing them to remain on Whidbey Island. Carrie loathes the small island town and flees with the first available wealthy man. This allows Jackson and Leah the time alone needed to fall in love. However, even after learning that Carrie has died, the law remains after him. Even more so, though Leah trusts, believes, and loves her man, he must surmount his traumatic past if they are to enjoy an enchanting future together

THE DRIFTER is former RITA award winner, Susan Wiggs at her absolutely best. The lead characters are a charming couple. Jackson will steal hearts with his melancholy past and Leah is a role model who does not allow gender to interfere with her dreams. The story line is fast, exhilarating, and romantically interesting. Readers who enjoy the blending of historical romance with bits of suspense will take great pleasure in Ms. Wiggs' latest offer, THE DRIFTER.

Harriet Klausner

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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars An ok read to kill some time, March 4, 1999
By Sarah "sssspro" (North East, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: Drifter (Mass Market Paperback)
I am quite surprised to see all the glowing reviews here for this book. Don't get me worng, I enjoyed reading about Leah and Jackson, but I did not think this was 5 star material. The plot was interesting, with a few levels not usually found in romance novels. I liked Ms. Wigg's use of Cassie as a character and her role in the plot. I do not have much of a psychological back ground, but I would have liked to have seen a more in depth view of what made her tick. Ms. Wiggs gave me enough to keep me interested, but I would have liked to become absorbed.

Leah and Jackson obviously have a lot of baggage to sort thru, and eventually they did, but something just seemed to be missing. I wish I could put my finger directly on the problem, but I'm afraid I can't. They skirted each other, letting down their gaurds a little at a time, but it just seemed a little...brief. Again, I would have liked to have seen more. As with many romance novels today, I felt the end extremely rushed. The sherif's story, the Indians, our new female doctor and the marshall all seemed to rush together to end at once, with out a saticfactory explination. Oh, the explination was there, it just rushed by.

On the whole, this is not a bad book. If you want a time filler on the beach or on the ride to work, pick it up. If you're looking for in depth descriptions and an intricate plot, look elsewhere.

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Strong characters make make a great story., April 17, 2003
By Classy Romantic "jstwaller" (Houston, Texas area) - See all my reviews
If this is an example (a weak example if old reviews are to be believed) of Wiggs' writing, I'm buying everything she ever wrote. Jackson and Leah are complicated, interesting, appealing people, and the character of Caroline is finely drawn. Great story, realistic portrayal of morphine addiction, accurate depiction of education and life of a woman doctor in the late 19th century. Picked it up on a whim, but it's a keeper.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful!
I truly enjoyed the story, I was hooked from the first page. I love Ms. Wiggs, she is so talented. My one complaint, and why I didn't give this book 5 stars, the ending was a... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Sophie

5.0 out of 5 stars One Of The Best
The Drifter was a GREAT read!! I enjoyed it very much. Leah And Jackson are unforgettable characters. The plot has a few twists and turns that makes the book extraordinary. Read more
Published on August 21, 2007 by LaRay Strait

5.0 out of 5 stars Super fast seller
Wow...this book came much faster than I expected..and in mint condition. Thanks so much!
Published on June 15, 2007 by J. Albright

3.0 out of 5 stars Good but not great...
Description from back of the book:

Comes a drifter to a windswept island . . .

He wanted to tell her everything. Read more
Published on August 12, 2006 by ThisThatNEverything

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent read.
I am new to this author's work but this book was a real find. It dealt with so many difficult sociol issues as well as human frailty issues. Read more
Published on March 5, 2004

4.0 out of 5 stars good, but not great
The emphasis on Carrie resulted in a weak character sketch of Leah. Of course, without Carrie the book probably wouldn't have held up because she was the basis of this story... Read more
Published on December 7, 2003 by cookie

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!
I loved this book! Made me cry at the end. Leah and Jackson were so wounded by life that one thought they would never let go of the past and find one another.
Published on September 26, 2003

2.0 out of 5 stars Some Good Authors Write Bad Books
This is the first book of Susan Wiggs' that I've read that did not meet her usual standard of excellence. The story and characters were lethargic and undeveloped. Read more
Published on December 27, 2001

5.0 out of 5 stars This is what true love is all about.
What a beautiful story, beautifully told. Two damaged people who make each other whole. Yes, I cried, but I also cheered in the end. Endearing characters.
Published on March 26, 1999

5.0 out of 5 stars An emotionally satisfying read.
The Drifter is a grand illustration of the redeeming power of love. The hopes and dreams, the scars and flaws of the characters ring absolutely true. Read more
Published on March 15, 1999

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