Fire Along the Sky

By Sara Donati

Book Overview

With epic sweep and breathtaking adventure, Sara Donati's bestselling saga of an Early American family's struggle for survival in the Northeast wilderness continues with the story of an indomitable woman and an unforgettable journey of redemption across a young nation threatened by the flames of war.

The year is 1812 and Hannah Bonner has returned to her family's mountain cabin in Paradise. But Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner can see that Hannah is not the same woman as when she left. For their daughter has come home without her husband and without her son...and with a story of loss and tragedy that she can't bear to tell. Yet as Hannah resumes her duties as a gifted healer among the sick and needy, she finds that she is also slowly healing herself. Little does she realize that she is about to be called away to face her greatest challenge ever.

As autumn approaches, news of the latest conflict with Britain finds the young men of Paradise--including eighteen-year-old Daniel Bonner--eager to take up arms. Against their better judgment, Nathaniel and Elizabeth must let him go, just as they must let his twin sister Lily, a stubborn beauty, pursue her independence in Montreal. But on the eve of the War of 1812, an unexpected guest arrives from Scotland: It is the Bonners' distant cousin, the newly widowed Jennet Scott of Carryckcastle. Far from home, Lily and Jennet will each learn the price of pursuing their dreams and the possibility of true love.

But it's Hannah herself who must risk everything once more--this time to save Daniel, who's been taken prisoner by the British. As the distant thunder of war threatens Paradise, Hannah may learn to live--and maybe love--again in one final act of courage, duty, and sacrifice.

A gifted writer, a master storyteller, and a first-rate historian, Sara Donati has written a powerful, poignant, and movingly romantic novel that chronicles the lives and adventures of a family as compelling and unforgettable as any in American fiction.

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0553582771
• ISBN13: 9780553582772
• Release Date: November 2005
• Publisher: Dell
• Length: 688 Pages
• Weight: 0.74 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 4.2" x 6.7"

Customer Reviews

An amazing read.

Sara Donati once again delivered a gripping story that continues to follow the Bonner family. There are many struggles, tragedies, and excitement for the family as they continue to grow and branch out. My husband and I highly recommend this and the whole wilderness series!! Sara Donati is a gifted writer!!!

Read This Series

Do yourself a favor and read this series. It's great fun without the guilt because it's a love and adventure saga rolled inside a history lesson. I actually missed the characters when I finished the last book and I can only hope Sara Donati is hard at work on the next installment. Start at the beginning so you know who everyone is and how they influence the story as it progresses. 1. Into the Wilderness 2. Dawn on a Distant Shore 3. Lake in the Clouds 4. Fire Along the Sky 5. Queen of Swords Enjoy.....

Donati recalls she's writing for the romance genre

Really... a 4.5 review, but I rounded up for the stars. This is a fun 'escapism' read - not too thick on history or romance, and delightfully thin on military action. I don't typically think of myself as a fan of romantic historical fiction - bodice ripping or 'fair maiden meets warrior' sorts of books - but occasionally I find books that have more meat to them than what one thinks of in this genre. As a fan of Diana Gabaldon (particularly the first 3), I was pleased to find Sara Donati's series. Into the Wilderness (her first) caught my attention so much that I simply went out and bought the remaining three published thus far. Dawn on a Distant Shore and Lake in the Clouds were somewhat disappointing, and I began Fire Along the Sky out of a sense of obligation. What I discovered is that Donati gave up attempts to write 'action' and returned to her romance roots. The result was a much more satisfying book. While lean on historical accuracies, this book delivers if you are looking for an entertaining story with some sexual tension and interesting characters. It is simply a very enjoyable read - nothing more. Just fun! The drawbacks are that the story does build upon events from books One through Three, and readers will be far better informed if they've read the series in order than if they attempt to pick up here. Over the years Elizabeth Bonner's character has become slightly annoying, and Curiosity Freeman is practically a cliche. I missed Nathaniel Bonner as well; he's a bit too far in the background in this book. That said, the characters of Lily Bonner and her cousin Jennet Carryck are more interesting. Further, Donati delivers realistic portrayals of how grief and mourning may rob the very life of a person when writing Hannah Bonner and Daniel Bonner, and how their painful silent inward anguish pains and haunts all who love them. The draw in this story is the romance between Lily and Simon. Does it come out of nowhere as other readers mention? Yes. But you won't care after a bit. It simmers, nearly boils, then cools and simmers some more... and repeats that cycle again. The presentation of their growing relationship - particulalry their sexual one - is a bit 20th Century, but that just made it fun to read. Donati skillfully stokes anticipation, and brings back memories of feeling giddy. Enjoy!

"Fire Along the Sky" will Not Disappoint You

In 1998 Sara Donati published "Into the Wilderness," the first in this family saga set in post-Revoluntary War upstate New York. "Into the Wilderness" received excellent reviews from Booklist and Kirkus Reviews, and was embraced by readers of historical romances and historical novels. Books two and three of the series were somewhat disappointing, but in the fourth book of the series Donati has returned to her "Wilderness" roots. This is one of the few novels that I know that is set during the War of 1812, and while the author admits to having taken some liberties with the military aspects of the war, Donati has done her research. Lily, the daughter of Nathaniel and Elizabeth Bonner, is the focus of "Fire," although cousin Jennet from Scotland, and Hannah (Nathaniel's daughter from his first marriage to an Indian woman) are not shortchanged. Lily has been hiding a secret, or so she believes: she thinks she is in love with a man married to a childhood friend, yet she finds herself attracted to Simon Ballentyne, the business partner of her half-brother Luke. Jennet has arrived unannounced from Scotland, hoping to marry Luke, who is reluctant to commit due to the war. And Hannah returns from the west without her husband or her child, a dispassionate shadow of her former self. The fates of some familiar characters from past books are resolved (including those of Richard Todd and Liam Kirby), while I have the feeling that evil Jemima Southern Kuick will turn up once again like a bad penny in a future installment. Donati has a knack of being able to handle a laundry-list of characters without ever confusing the reader as to their identity. Each character is an individual and some are little gems of individuality, such as Cornelius Bump. However, I do not feel that her books (with the exception of "Into the Wilderness") could ever be read as stand-alone books, as they build on each other, both in terms of plot and character development. Donati has an ability to faithfully recreate a time and place without going into great detail, as her books are primarily character-driven. Although not as evident in this book as in the previous ones, she has a knack for making the reader feel that he or she is really in the wilderness -- feeling the isolation of the characters, the smells and sounds of the world before the age of the train and the airplane, the telegraph and the cellphone. I am hoping that the fifth installment of this series is not far behind!

The best installment since "Into the Wilderness..."

I have to admit I was not that excited about this book--I loved Into the Wilderness, and liked #2 and #3 (although the third volume was better than Dawn on a Distant Shore), but this just blew me away! I couldn't put it down--I had the same feeling when I first read Into the Wilderness, a book I have read and re-read dozens of times. I think Donati has revitalized this series, and I must say that I find the newer characters (especially Lily and Simon) very believable and just as engaging as Elizabeth and Nathaniel. I have always been a Diana Gabaldon (Outlander series) fan, and I still love her stories, but I think she tends to overdramatize her hero and make him into an unbelievable superman (Jamie Fraser's been on the verge of death 500 times). Donati's Nathaniel, however, has aged, he doesn't run around taking on the world like he used to (he didn't run off to Montreal), and is a much more believable character than Gabaldon's Jamie Fraser. I think I have become even more enthusiastic for this series than the Outlander series and cannot wait for the next installment. Yes, I agree with the other reviews--you definitely need to read the first three to truly appreciate it--but that is the same of almost every series.

Another engrossing entry...

This series keeps getting better for me. I'll stay away from the plot to spare anyone spoilers. This book covers the growth of the Bonner children during the War of 1812; less so that of their collective parents. Caution: you will be completely lost if you start the series here - in my opinion this book is NOT a stand alone. My only criticism is that the cover art isn't relative to the story this book tells. Why do publishers do this???