The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati
Bellingham author Rosina Lippi’s latest novel, published under her pen name Sara Donati, is her first since 2019. Faithful fans of her internationally bestselling multi-generational family sagas will recognize familiar names because “The Sweet Blue Distance” is a crossover book, bridging the gap between where the six “Wilderness” novels (“Into the Wilderness,” “Dawn on a Distant Shore,” et cetera) leave off in 1823 and the “Waverly Place” books (“The Gilded Hour,” et cetera) pick up in 1883.
“The Sweet Blue Distance” begins in 1856 with Carrie Ballentyne, daughter of Lily Bonner Ballentyne, heading out from New York on the Santa Fe Trail. A trained nurse and midwife, Carrie has secured a position with a doctor’s family in New Mexico territory and is venturing west via steamship, train, wagon and horseback accompanied by her brother Nathan.
Intelligent, independent and determined, Carrie is well-suited for the long journey, facing off against an imperious fellow traveler, sleeping in the open air after long hours in the saddle, and making the acquaintance of a dashing land surveyor Eli Ibarra.
Carrie is not like most white women of her era — she has a mind of her own and an appreciation for people from other cultures. This attitude serves her well as she dives into her work delivering babies and tending to the health of women across the territory.
Her blossoming romance with the incredibly understanding and supportive Eli sustains her — and awakens her sexuality. When Carrie becomes the temporary guardian of an orphaned girl and a suspicious distant relative shows up to claim her, Carrie must draw upon her steely resolve to make sure the girl remains safe from harm.
At 777 pages, complete with a multi-page cast of characters, several maps, a glossary and a lengthy list of selected readings, this novel is a significant commitment of time and attention. Even so, it will delight readers who appreciate historical accuracy and extensive research along with some mildly steamy romance. Donati’s characters eat chaquegüe (a gruel made of blue cornmeal), stay at fondas (inns) and look forward to dressing up and dancing at the fandango. These details add richness to the narrative and may pique readers’ interest in taking a trip to Santa Fe.
Interestingly, Donati spends less time describing the physical surroundings, with scant reference to the scenery or the natural world — a tree-shaded canal here, a pot of geraniums there — instead lingering on the buttons set close along a shimmery dress of sage green silk. Such is to be expected, as it’s the human relationships that Donati focuses on the most, particularly the one between Carrie and Eli. For those who missed the “Wilderness” books when they first came out, they have a similar scope and appeal.
Reviewed by Christine Perkins, executive director, Whatcom County Library System
(Originally published in Cascadia Daily News, Monday, November 11, 2024.)