Lake In The Clouds [Paperback]

Sara Donati (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback
• Publisher: Bantam Books (2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1863252770
• ISBN-13: 978-1863252775
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (50 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Sara Donati is the pen name of Rosina Lippi. She lives with her husband, daughter, and various pets in an area between the Cascade Mountains and the Puget Sound.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A Bit of a Let Down, but Still Entertaining, June 1, 2004

By 

Ms Winston (East Coast U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Lake in the Clouds (Mass Market Paperback)

Of the three books so far in the series, this is my least favorite, and I am sure it is because the focus has shifted from Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner to Hannah, Nathaniel's daughter by his first wife, who was an Indian. Hannah is just entirely too noble for this reader to relate to comfortably, and, indeed, I found that the Bonners & many of their neighbors are starting to become a little too politically correct for their time period. In the first book of the series I felt that because Elizabeth was a follower of Mary Wolstonecraft Shelley her feminist point of view was understandable, and her character is still consistent with those principles. The fact that most of the other "good guys" feel the same way is perhaps stretching the truth of the time period a little thin, although Donati does give a more balanced portrait of a conflicted character in bounty-hunter Liam Kirby.

Hannah's determination to become a doctor couldn't have arrived at a worse time, as even female midwives were being forced out of practice in the more populated areas because the use of obstetrical forceps were reserved for men. However, in this book Hannah being part Indian is more of a barrier to becomming being a doctor than being a women, which is just not realistic. The fact that she is half Indian and cannot decide for much of the book which side of her heritage has the bigger claim is the main plot driver. That also brings in one of the more appealing characters in the book, the Indian Strikes the Sky. The most interested parts of the book in my opinion are the ones that take place in New York City, and involve the Almshouse, manumission of slaves, and the Tammany Society. In other words, the closer Donati stayed to history the better the book.

Still and all, this book is a cut above the run of the mill historical romance -- although Bantam has not, rightly in my opinion, classifed it as a romance novel, but rather as a straight historical. It is full of rich detail, and has an earthy quality that is missing in so many books that deal with this period, when it is dealt with at all. For those who are looking for an enjoyable novel set in post-Revolutionary War America this is a good choice.

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Do I love this book? I don't know! I think so!, September 21, 2002

By 

Jill Myles "Jill Myles" (TX) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Lake in the Clouds (Hardcover)

I love Sara Donati's writing. I love the Paradise setting and the cast of characters. I can't say positively that I loved Lake in the Clouds, though. I loved parts of it, and I found myself skipping other parts.

I felt that the book was inaccurately named -- it should have been called "Hannah's Story" rather than "Lake in the Clouds". This book (when not distracted by a storyline about runaway slaves) deals almost entirely with Hannah Bonner's coming of age, and her choices -- is she white, or is she Kahnyenkehaka (that's Mohawk to those not in the know).

I was pleased by LitC after reading Dawn on a Distant Shore. Donati returned to the setting that made her story, and it shines like a jewel in the pages of LitC. We return to all the foibles and passions of a little town named Paradise set in the wilderness, and the supporting cast are the characters that truly shine in this book.

Overall it starts out a bit slower than I anticipated, but by the end I was unable to put it down. Well done, Sara!

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Much Welcome Return!, June 4, 2003

By 

J. Fenk "janice-f" (Cranberry Twp., PA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Lake in the Clouds (Mass Market Paperback)

This book, the 3rd in the Wilderness series, was an extremely welcome return of both the characters and Donati's style and form showcased in the 1st book, but absent in the 2nd. In my opinion, of course. The characters are now back on US soil which makes for a better read. In Dawn on A Distant Shore, most of the story takes place on the high seas and in Scottland which had the characters out of their element. In, Lake in The Clouds, Donati returns readers to Paradise, NY, and many of the original secondary characters reappear. Much of this tale focuses on Hannah Bonner, her medical education, and her journey into womanhood. Hawkeye, Nathiel and Elizabeth Bonner play a major role in the plot surrounding Curiosity Freeman and her family. The pace is fast, filled with danger, villains, and intrigue. Although I was disappointed in the fate of a particular character, Liam Kirby, I was satisfied with the conclusion. This book is a must read for Donati/Wilderness fans.