Customer Reviews

Lake in the Clouds

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(15)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

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.

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!

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.

I must say that I was not sure how good this book was going to be, because I was a bit disappointed with Dawn on a Distant Shore. But Donati is back on sure footing here, and is writing about what she knows. I found the 8 year or so time lapse from the end of Dawn on a Distant Shore disconcerting at first, but it ended up being effective, allowing us to see the maturing of LIly and Daniel & especially Hannah (although Lily spoke a bit too maturely for a girl of her young years). It was nice to see all of the old characters and to meet some new ones. Hannah is very likable (and for Diana Gabaldon fans who are also Sara Donati fans perhaps you might appreciate that Hannah is a character entirely unto herself, rather than an extension of her father, as Brianna Fraser seems to be). Some bits were confusing, but will clear up after a second read--however, the last 200 pages or so are tremendously exciting, as the reader is back in Paradise with a terrific plot. All in all, I would say it was a very good book--I enjoyed it and will definitely read it again and again. I have to say that I feared the series would tire itself out, but it has not--in fact, it leaves me with anticipation of another book. Fantastic job, Ms. Donati!

I like Sarah Donati's willingness to address epic landscapes and plots. I really liked Into the Wilderness a great deal, and I am glad to see her continuing with her interesting characters from that novel in Dawnon a Distant Shore and in this novel.

I think my basic concern here is that she tries to do too much in this novel--we have abolitionists, smallpox, Hannah's search to decide which path to follow in her life, and Elizabeth's mid-life struggle to balance the safety of her family with outside commitments and needs, all rolled up in one book. Some of the most interesting sub-plots here get the least focus--I feel like Elizabeth got lost in this novel, when she clearly has needs and concerns.

I continue to have trouble with the denizens of Paradise (oddly ironic name for a place that appears to be quite devoid of blessings). They are so unappealing that they clash with the beauty of the natural surroundings and the Bonner family's values and sense of personal history and space that I really love.

I ended up liking this book and admiring Hannah, Elizabeth and Nathaniel all over again, but not loving it.

Third in the Bonner family series, following INTO THE WILDERNESS AND DAWN ON A DISTANT SHORE, this latest installment in Ms. Donati's historical saga lives up to reader's high expectations following the first two novels. Set in the early 1800's in Northwestern New York State, Lake in the Clouds is the Bonner's family settlement. Near the fictitious village of Paradise, west of Albany, Nathaniel Bonner, his second wife Elizabeth, and their eight-year-old twins Lily and Daniel, struggle to maintain their principles of equality amidst a world of hatred and prejudice. Nathaniel's daughter Hannah, from his first marriage, is half Mohawk and half white and has apprenticed under the local physician, Dr. Richard Todd. As Hannah journeys to New York City to learn the practice of administering the small pox vaccination, Nathaniel and Elizabeth must deal with a complication of their own.

A fugitive slave woman is discovered on Lake in the Clouds, and freed slaves and friends of the Bonners, Curiosity and Galileo Freeman , ask for the Bonners' help. Though their family may be at peril, the Bonners along with Hannah's aunt and uncle, Many- Doves and Runs-from-Bears, must decide what action to take next when a bounty hunter and childhood friend of Hannah's appears in Paradise.

Rich historical detail enhances this novel, thereby creating realism that adds power to a story line involving the almost insurmountable obstacles faced by early American settlers. Though romance is found in the ever-changing relationship between Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner, Ms. Donati's latest unveiling of the early nineteenth century world dispels notions of romanticism of the times. With a multitude of life-threatening illness and lack of medical care, life on the frontier and in the cities was filled with peril. But the enduring quality of this captivating tale lies in the strength of its characters, as they must face each new challenge with a reliance on friends and self that is not often found in today's world.

This third book in a series takes a large step in time, but Donati holds true to her grasp of the wilderness and the characters, who fortify her stories with warmth and poignancy.
"Lake in the Clouds" allowed me to see the fruits of Elizabeth and Nathaniel's love. They have been tested, but their courage, strength and playfulness return through their children. The storyline portrays a trying time in U.S. History. Run-away slaves, bounty hunters, fevers, and un-timely death all jockey to reek havoc on the Bonners. The extended family members and towns people are clear characters which drew me deeper into the story. The pace is quick, the love is tender, and the adventrue is un-predictable.
This is Hannah's story, and she is forced to make some life-altering decisions. Nathaniel and Elizabeth gain the grace, through these adventures, to have the faith in their daughter that they posess in each other. Donati pulls well researched history into these challanges, and she weaves them into this un-easy phase for any family. The Bonners story has gracefully been delegated to their children. I can only imagine the grasp this family will have on me when Donati has finished.

Though I know this was the third in her series, it was the first one I've read, and I LOVED it. For me, it was accurate enough historically, regarding people's views of other people. I'm afraid I just could not become attatched to characters who looked down on others because of their ethnicity, etc. And if I don't care about the characters, the story won't interest me. It seemed to me that the "heroes" of this story tend to demonstrate many qualities to which we should all aspire; treating people fairly, whether we agree with their morals or not.

I found the story itself to be extrememly interesting and diverting. It was so wonderfully complex I don't even have the words to describe it, although I have been known to compare it to the novels of Pat Conroy, another favorite author of mine.

Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner are back in their beloved mountain home in New York state.The village is still suffering from the after effects of a typhoid epidemic and Hannah, Nathaniels daughter from his first marriage, is studying to be a doctor under the tutelage of Dr. Richard Todd. He semds her to the city to learn the process of vaccination so that she might return to innoculate all of the villagers and also the local Indians. Elizabeth and Nathaniel smuggle a runaway slave to Canada which results in "blackbirders"-slave bounty hunters, arriving in Paradise, the village near their home to try to implicate the Bonners and their friends in the escape.It's a great third book in the series and I can't wait for book 4.

BE READY FOR ANYTHING!--- that should be the motto of the Bonners and readers alike when dealing with the storytelling of Sara Donati. LAKE IN THE CLOUDS will surely please all Wilderness fans for the simple reason that Sara Donati once again thrills us with a gorgeously written (and obviously well-researched) story of the Bonners, this time in early 1800's New York and all it brings. Faced with the prospects of love, the wrath of slavery, and the hard reality of disease, LAKE IN THE CLOUDS centers most on Hannah's story as a young woman; her strength of character and purpose place her in situations that challenge her very existence. I, for one, never would have guessed how the book ended.

ITW fans will be so pleased to be reunited with characters from Paradise - to see how some have changed, some for the better, and sadly, some for the worse.

Poignant, thrilling, and challenging at times, LAKE IN THE CLOUDS was well worth the wait, and by far my favorite one yet.