Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters (Westward America!) [Hardcover]

Rosanne Bittner (Author)

Book Description

Series: Westward America! | Publication Date: April 20, 2002

Rosanne Bittner launches a new romantic/historical series, Westward America!, which will look at the settling of the United States, with each book moving progressively west into a new location and era.

Set in 1785, Into The Wilderness depicts the life of those who settled in the Allegheny Mountains of Pennsylvania. The term "long hunters" refers to "Daniel Boone" type men who hunted for settlements and forts, sometimes leaving for months at a time. Florence ("Flo") Matthews is sixteen, and has her world turned upside down when a mysterious long hunter, Clete Barnes, saves her from a bear attack in the middle of the night outside her parents' cabin. Unable to stop thinking about her soft-spoken savior, Flo eventually tells her parents of her wish to marry Clete, but is warned by her mother that long hunters, with their travelling ways, are never truly able to settle down. Flo and Clete persist and are soon married, but true to form, Clete soon feels that he must go on another hunt if he is to keep sane. While he is gone, Flo and their young son are taken captive by Iroquois, and Flo's life is irrevoably changed. Clete eventually finds his wife and son, but whether she will take him back -- and whether the Iroquois man whose son she has borne will let her go -- remains to be seen.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Popular historical romance writer Bittner (Mystic Warriors) is off to a solid start with the first of her Westward America! series, which will examine the settling of America, moving progressively westward with each novel. Her tale begins in Pennsylvania's Allegheny Mountains in the 1750s, against the backdrop of the French and Indian War. The author's extensive research into 18th-century Native American life as well as the dire circumstances faced by the New World's early settlers add zip to the budding romance between 16-year-old frontier pioneer Jess Mathews and heroic hunter Noah Wilde, who saves Jess's life during an Indian attack. Noah is a spy for the English; he's on top of French strategy and also knows which tribes favor the French or English in their territorial conflict. Bittner ably captures early colonial life, portraying among other historical figures a young George Washington, appearing as a scout for the British and guided by the able Noah. The drama peaks when most of the Matthews family is massacred during an Indian raid; Jess is kidnapped by a group of young warriors while other Indians take her toddler brother. The author's clever juxtaposition of fierce warrior behavior with touching acts of tribal kindness result in a three-dimensional picture of Native Americans. The powerful dual portrait of Jess, a remarkable survivor, and Noah, an experienced hunter and canny diplomat, gets this series off to an auspicious start. National advertising.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

It's 1752, and the French and English are engaged in a bloody war for the American Colonies. When Jessica Matthews, daughter of English settlers, is set upon by a band of Iroquois, Noah Wilde, trader and spy, comes to her defense, defeating them single-handedly. While Noah recovers from wounds received during the struggle, he and Jessica fall in love. But when Noah leaves for Virginia to meet with the governor, Jessica's homestead is attacked and only she and her baby brother survive the massacre. Jessica is taken captive by the Iroquois. Noah is betrayed by the governor and imprisoned. With its graphic violence, this launch title of Bittner's "Long Hunters" series is not for the faint of heart, but historical figures, such as a young George Washington, add interest to the story, which is more of an adventure tale than a romance. Fans of The Last of the Mohicans and Donald Clayton Porter's "White Indian" series will find this book satisfying. Bittner lives in Coloma, MI. Shelley Mosley, Glendale P.L., AZ
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Forge Books; First Edition edition (April 20, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0765300664
• ISBN-13: 978-0765300669
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,474,749 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Welcome! I'm glad to be in touch with you, especially if you love American history and America's Old West of the 1800's. I hope you enjoy stories about that time period, as well as Native American stories. It's what I love to write and currently I've had 57 novels published over the past 28 years. I am still writing and won't stop until the Good Lord requires it. Please check out my web site at www.rosannebittner.com for all the information you could ask for about my books. You can also visit me on Facebook.

I grew up on westerns. They dominated television - shows like The Big Valley, Cheyenne, Wagon Train, Roy Rogers, The Lone Ranger, Rawhide, Bonanza, Have Gun/Will Travel, The Rifleman, Wanted - Dead or Alive, and of course the famous Gunsmoke, which I still watch today on TV Land as well as on the Western Channel. I love the big western stars like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood and James Stewart. When I was a teen my idol was James Arness (Matt Dillon of Gunsmoke) instead of Elvis and the like. My all-time favorite western movies are The Guns of Josie Wales, Pale Rider and Hang 'Em High (all starring Clint Eastwood) - The Searchers, Rooster Cogburn and The Shootist (John Wayne). When I was eighteen and watched How The West Was Won, I knew that some day I would write stories about that glorious time period of America's history. Books that deeply impressed me are A Lantern In Her Hand by Bess Streeter Aldrich, and The Proud Breed, by Celeste de Blasis.

No other nation has exploded in exploration and settlement like America, and to this day our Native Americans still suffer culture shock. When I read Dee Brown's Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (a must read for anyone who wants to know the truth about America's natives and how they suffered as we settled the West), I knew I also had to tell stories of America's growth through the eyes of the Native Americans, because so much of what we were (and still are) taught in school is completely slanted and mostly untrue. It certainly was NOT all Indian/bad-guy and Soldier good-guy. Many lies were told, many promises broken, and our government horribly abused the Native Americans. But that is another story, and I try to get some of it across in my books.

I also strive to tell an abiding love story between two people whose love holds them together through the trials and tribulations of settling America's frontiers. It took grit and bravery to head into rugged, unknown territory, knowing you will leave family behind whom you will probably never see again. Free land, gold and a better life were strong temptations for men, as well as for many brave-hearted women. I think the best books you can read for a truthful depiction of this country's growth and its affect on Native Americans is Dee Brown's book mentioned above, and the book Disinherited, by Dale Van Every. Also, the true and powerful history of this country as faced by red man and white alike is cuttingly depicted in any book you can get your hands on written by Allan Eckert.

I have lived in Michigan my whole life, but I truly believe that somehow I have a past spirit who lives or lived in the Old West, especially perhaps Colorado, which I love more than any other place in America. I yearn to be there, and I feel I "belong" in the Rocky Mountains. When I go there I feel so "at home." However, the family business as well as our two sons and our grandsons all live close by here in Michigan. I wouldn't leave them. But my husband and I have traveled the West for years and I have visited just about every place mentioned in my books. I am also very active here with fund-raising community projects and am Treasurer for our Mid-Michigan Romance Writers of America. Be sure to look them up on the internet, especially in late winter, for news about our group's annual Retreat from Harsh Reality. It's a wonderful experience for any writer.

As I mentioned above, watch my web site and Facebook for news about any new books coming, and about many of my past titles that will soon be printed in trade paperback and as e-books!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Great Story, Not so Great Narration, May 19, 2004

By 

Joanna L. Knudsen (Alberton, MT USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters (Mass Market Paperback)

I found this book in the book store, and , being a huge fan of historical fiction, I snatched it right up. This book is very well researched, and the character development is really good. The problem is that the authors narration just wasn't up to par with such a big story. The diolog was all right, but overall, the whole story felt rushed, and a little stilted. The thing is that the actual premise of this book is very good, so good that I will most likely read the other two books in this series just to see what happens. So, if you want a read with a great background, than this is for you, just know that sometimes the storytelling isn't that great.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars romance during the (pre-) French and Indian War, September 3, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters (Westward America!) (Hardcover)

This book is okay as romance, but not so good at depicting colonial life in the 13 colonies around the time of the French and Indian War. I rate it only "okay" as a romance because I find it a little hard to believe that the 2 main characters could fall in love so quickly and so easily without really knowing eachother. In the case of Jess, I think that hero worship or puppy love or even a crush would better describe her feelings for Noah. The only hint we readers get about Noah's feelings for the teenage Jess (there is a 13 year age gap between them) are based on her appearance--she resembles his (murdered) wife to a certain degree. I also find it a little hard to believe that Noah's bloodlust and quest for revenge for the death of his wife could so easily be sated by Jess. As I was reading this novel, I could not help but think that it resembles the 1992 movie "The last of the Mohicans" in many ways. (I thought that the movie was better.)
Although the author tried to make the romance feel more historical by including actual people from the era such as George Washington, Governor Dinwiddie, Chief Pontiac, DuQuesne, et al., it still lacks enough background to understand why the French and their Indian allies and the English and their Indian allies were so intent upon killing eachother, destroying the settlements, taking captives, etc. I also found it a little hard to believe that any character would be thinking about independence from Great Britain at this time. People in the English colonies still thought of themselves as English, subjects of King George III, and the incidents that led some of the colonists to rebel 20 years after the French and Indian War had not yet occurred (namely, the colonists were taxed on sugar, tea, and stamps in order to pay for the high cost of the French and Indian War, which began in 1755. The British sent troops, advisors, supplies, weapons, etc., all of which cost a great deal of money and which the government in London expected the colonists to contribute to covering the cost of defending them against the French. Many of the captives were ransomed, that is, the governments (usually the colonial governments) paid the French in Canada to release the captive English. The French also paid the English for the release of their own captives. Sometimes captives were exchanged--English for French. Given that her timeline is a bit off, I find it a little hard to believe the story here. I am not suggesting an academic treatise on the subject. There are many excellent books on the French and Indian War. But without a little more information, all I am left with are descriptions of massacres. I also think that more character development would help the story and would help the reader care a little more about the characters. I realize that the author cannot do too much with 16-year-old Jess because she is just a teenager, but she could have more fully developed Noah's character. I suppose to make it more interesting she could have made the female protagonist older--maybe in her mid twenties, too. Her idea was a good one, and she selected an interesting period in colonial history. It is too bad that the story fell short.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed, November 29, 2002

By 

Cindy (Florida) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Into the Wilderness: The Long Hunters (Westward America!) (Hardcover)

I purchased this book with anticipation, ready to sacrifice sleep to devour it in one reading as I have with many other books by this author. I was sorely disappointed. The effort was great, the historical detail thoroughly researched as far as I could tell. What bothered me most is the lack of character in both Noah and Jess. Normally Bittner will bring you so in touch with her characters, it feels as though you are breathing for them at times. Neither Noah or Jess did that for me. I feel their "love" was rushed and even the fact that they spent a good part of the story apart from one another wouldn't have been so bad IF they had developed a true relationship at the beginning. And speaking of rushed, I feel the story itself was entirely too short. I understand that there are two other books following this one but another hundred pages or so could have filled the lacking characterization of hero and heroine.

I am giving a rating of 3 stars as I feel the book isn't completely horrible just lacking the usual depth of emotion and character that Bittner normally delivers.