Thanks to Berkley for my copy of The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati. I didn't realize how long this book was when I picked it up earlier in the week but I loved it!

The Sweet Blue Distance is a historical fiction set in 1857 as a young nurse/ midwife sets off from NYC to New Mexico Territory to join a doctor working in Santa Fe. This is an epic journey of her travels and then her settling into her new life.

I loved the story, the characters and the time period. This is my first Sara Donati book but I think I'm going to have to read The Wilderness series since this book is loosely connected (the main character is the granddaughter from the Wilderness) but I realized I have missed reading these giant generational historical fiction series. I fell in love with historical fiction in high school when my mom suggested reading a Eugenia Price series she was reading and I love seeing history through one family's eyes over 50+ years. Sara Donati has such a way with words you don't even realize you're reading an 800 page book!

This was a beautifully written romance that centers around a midwife who journeys west through the wilderness of the Wild West. The first half of the book follows Carrie as she travels to her destination, Santa Fe. The descriptions of the land and the characters she meets along the way are just wonderful and add so much to the story. At the halfway point, Carrie arrives in Santa Fe and begins her life there. The remainder of the book focuses on a mystery that develops and continues to add in characters that Carrie meets in her daily life. It's a thoroughly enjoyable ride (pun intended)!

“The Sweet Blue Distance,” by Sara Donati, Berkley, 800 pages, April 2, 2024.

It is 1857. Carrie Ballentyne accepts a nursing/midwife position with Dr. Samuel Markham in the New Mexico Territory. She knows the journey from New York to Santa Fe will not be easy, but she relishes the adventure.

Her brother Nathan accompanies her on the trip from Manhattan to Santa Fe. They must take trains, stagecoaches, steamboats, and finally a covered wagon. However, nothing could have prepared Carrie for the wilderness she encounters.

They meet Eli Ibarra and his brothers, Jules and Mo, who are taking a flock of sheep to New Mexico. They are of Basque descent. Carrie also becomes friends with Evangeline Zavala and her young son, Roberto. When she arrives in Santa Fe, Carrie will be living with Dr. Markham; his wife, Indira; and their young daughter, Lulu. Mrs. Markham is pregnant. Then there is an emergency and the siblings separate. When Carrie arrives at the Markham’s home, she realizes that something is very wrong.

As Carrie begins to find her way in her new community, she helps women give birth and takes care of new mothers. She also has a new love of her own.

The storyline has been well-researched and there is depth in the character development. The romance moves a little too quickly and the plot meanders some, but the story behind the Markhams unfolds at a good pace.

Sara Donati is the pen name of Rosina Lippi, a former tenured university professor. She is the author of the best-selling Wilderness series. This is a sequel to that series, featuring grandchildren of the original characters. If you haven’t read the Wilderness series, one of my favorites, it starts with “Into the Wilderness.”

In accordance with FTC guidelines, the advance reader's edition of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for a review.

The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati is a wonderfully written historical fiction with some romance and layers to the story and characters. Set in the 1800s, it takes us from New York to the New Mexico Territory. Several stories weave their way through the main arc and are threaded beautifully together—no detail is unimportant.

The Sweet Blue Distance is a lengthy novel broken into several parts. Each of the four parts held my interest, but I especially enjoyed the main story, set in Sante Fe. First being introduced to the many characters was overwhelming, but I could easily sort through them once I was involved in the plot.

Carrie is strong-willed and a midwife set to travel out West with her brother, who will be her chaperone. Seeing the country through their eyes made me feel like I was there, especially since I’ve traveled by car between Connecticut and St. Louis many times.

There is a good flow to the story, with attention paid to the history of this time. The settling of the West is one of my favorite times in history, and the author did not disappoint. There were unexpected twists and turns, which added richness to the story. Watching Carrie and Eli get to know each other was heartwarming, and we got to know them individually and as a couple. There are moments of bravery, lots of midwifery and other medical issues addressed, skirmishes, businesses, different groups of people, leisure moments, and others fraught with tension.

There is closure even without the epilogue, and the epilogue was not what I had expected. It was better and brought us full circle. The Author’s Note and Glossary were welcomed additions. But I wish I had been aware of the glossary and its thorough and thoughtful explanations before starting the book since I would have been better informed of the meaning of words sprinkled throughout.

The Sweet Blue Distance is historical fiction with many characters and details set mainly in the New Mexico Territory during the 1800s. My interest was held as I traveled with Carrie as she made her new life far from her family in New York.

I rated the book 4.5 stars but rounded to 5 stars here and on other sites.

This epic historical fiction was beautifully written. It reminded me a bit of the show 1883. I love the journey, physical and mental that Carrie goes on. She travels a long and arduous way to New Mexico to become a nurse-midwife. It is quite shocking to think how not to long in the past it was such a dangerous journey to travel cross country but this book nails what it was like. I really loved everything about this one. If historical fiction during this time period is your jam then check this one out.
Huge thank you to #berkleypub and #NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

Don't be intimidated by the page count- Donati sweeps you up into the story of Carrie and Eli and you won't be able to put it down. Carrie, a midwife from a dynamic New York family, meets Eli, a cartographer, while traveling to Santa Fe in the 1950s to take up a position as a midwife and nurse-and quickly falls for him (this isn't insta love, it's insta attracti0n and it's balanced by details about medical things). The first portion of the novel, the journey, is fascinating with all sorts of interesting details about the challenge of the travel and then, then Carrie leaves the wagon train and travels with a group of men because her new employer needs her urgently. All is not well in Santa Fe, either at her employer's home or in the town. This is most illuminating on the prejudices and differences in the area during this era but it all comes back to Carrie and Eli. And then young Lulu. This is a saga, with back stories that trickle out. Know that it's the latest in a series about Carrie's family (which I've adored over time) but that it is just as engaging as a standalone. There are some twists and surprises so no spoilers from me. Carrie is a terrific protagonist and Eli is her match. Great atmospherics and even the smallest characters (Chico!) are well drawn. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It was well worth the wait- I really enjoyed it.

This was a very interesting read. It was a very long book. This book centers around Carrie who is a nurse and midwife living in New York in the mid 1800's. She takes a job with Dr. Markham in Santa Fe, New Mexico to work with him in his clinic. She will be living with him and his family. It takes many weeks to reach Santa Fe. Carrie's brother, Nathan, is traveling with her for protection. They travel by boat, train, stage coach and wagon train. Dr. Markham sends an urgent request for her to come as his wife is soon to deliver her baby. Carrie finishes the last leg of her trip on horseback with 5 other men because it is quicker than staying on the wagon train. One of the men, Eli, becomes a close friend to Carrie and will be an integral part of her life. After arriving in Santa Fe, things are not as they were presented to Carrie when she accepted the job. Dr. Markham is very ill, Dr. Markham's wife has delivered a stillborn baby before Carrie's arrival, but pretends that the baby didn't pass by keeping one of her daughter Lulu's baby dolls strapped to her body. Carrie works hard to help Dr. Markham, his wife and daughter and those in need in Santa Fe between being a nurse and delivering babies. There were many trials and hardships in the trip to Santa Fe. However, Carrie carves out a new life in New Mexico. Read this book to see how things come together. I received a complimentary copy of this book but was not required to leave a review.

Finally bridging the gap between Into The Wilderness novels and the Waverly Place novels!!! This next generation novel did not disappoint. Sweet Blue Distance reintroduced the Bonner family and added some new faces to the family tree. This novel follows Carrie Ballentyne, the newest midwife in the family, to the New Mexico Territory where she’s looking for a fresh start. Carrie meets many new friends on this adventure and she also experiences the challenges of traveling west by many means to get there. Through out her journey and settling in, we’re introduced to a new culture of people and their uniqueness’s in this new territory. In this story I wish there was more interaction with Nathan in Santa Fe before he left and also conformation that he made it home? (Can you tell I’m invested in this family?) This novel definitely gives a few answers to previous questions left unanswered in the other books that I was hoping for. I would have liked to have heard from more family members throughout this book but I was still satisfied by the end. If you are a Into the Wilderness fan then you won’t be disappointed!

This was my first Sara Donati, and I wasn't sure what to expect. This review is going to focus on the structure of the book. If you already like Sara Donati's books, I think you'll probably like this one, based on what I've gathered. From first timer to first timer, here's what I wish I'd known before jumping in:

1. This book is LONG. It's got 71 chapters spread over 800+ pages, and begins with a list of characters that includes over 90 names, some of them repeats.

2. Although this is a romance in the sense that there is a central romantic relationship that ends in an HEA, the conflict of the book is not a romance conflict. We know pretty early on who Carrie is going to pursue, and there's never any real doubt that they will end up together.

3. Adding on to that, there's not really a central plot. Carrie is a midwife and nurse from New York who has decided to emigrate to New Mexico. The book just follows along as she travels from Baltimore to Santa Fe, using all of the means of transportation available: train, riverboat, wagon train, horse... the narrative momentum stops when she does, in Santa Fe ... with 50% (and 400 pages) of the book remaining.

4. There is a lot of historical research in the book. Maybe too much? I got the feeling that Donati did so much research that she wanted to include everything (see above, with just about every possible means of transportation included in the book). This means, though, that we get new plot threads and characters appearing up until very late in the text.

I liked reading this, don't get me wrong. I just prefer a tighter structure and a little more plot in my favorite books. If you are into long, well-researched books with tons of historical details and are fine with some slice of life events rather than a story arc, this is one for you.

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

My thanks for the ARC goes to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing GroupBerkley Publishing Group. I'm voluntarily leaving a review.

Genre: Historical Fiction, Western
Spice Level: Sex on page, not overly graphic
Language: Some swearing, not prolific

I requested this book as an ARC because I'm expanding my reading genres—this is my second historical western. Please note, I didn't realize it was 800 pages! That's why it felt a bit long to me.

THE SWEET BLUE DISTANCE takes place prior to the Civil War, and racial tensions are rising. I wanted Carrie to arrive in Santa Fe by about 25% of the book instead of 50% of the way through. However, the book length of getting there portrays how slow transportation really was and the inherent dangers of moving west.

Things I loved:

- Descriptions of the western landscape
- Carrie is a complex character
- Eli is multilayered
- Stepping back in time to a different world

Social issues this book addresses:

- Displacement of indigenous people
- Racism: surrounding black people, Mexican and Spanish descent, and indigenous people
- Sexism: Carrie and other women are misinterpreted by some men

Carrie's modern ideals:

- She is very aware of the social injustices surrounding people who are not white. Her background in the book makes this plausible.
- She is also unbothered by the thought of sex before marriage—the try it out and make sure we fit together attitude. I didn't feel like this was backed up by her experiences or the time period.

There were moments when I felt like this book wandered a bit instead of having a forward moving plot. The child, Lulu is virtually lost in the narrative for a bit. Though, in an 800 page book, maybe that's expected because if it was more focused on the main plot, it would be shorter. Yes, the length is probably my biggest drawback on this one. I enjoyed how the relationship between Carrie and Eli developed—it felt like it was based on respect of one another.

I do recommend this book —I think the right audience will love the long narrative.

Happy reading!

4.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I read Sara Donati’s most recent series that came out a few years back, and I was excited that she had a new book coming out. I was a bit concerned that The Sweet Blue Distance appeared to be a “bridge book” between her prior series, and that more recent one, involving some of the characters from that prior series, even more so than the Waverly Place series does. However, Donati provides a lot of contextual information for what came before, so this book works well as a standalone.
While I don’t read a ton of books set in this period, due to concerns that authors often don’t know how to handle issues about the treatment of the indigenous people with sensitivity, not to mention the slavery and abolition, I was mostly satisfied with how Donati handled it. I can’t speak for any Black or especially indigenous readers, but I respect that she did her research, and consulted people from the region who shared the lived experiences that most closely mirrored that of these characters.
In typical Donati fashion, the story is long, but truly epic and page-turning, and she truly focuses closely on her characters’ and their journeys. This time, she follows Carrie, who I believe was a supporting character from her prior Wilderness series, first as she makes her journey west from Manhattan to Santa Fe to take a job as a nurse, and then, following her experiences in Santa Fe working as a nurse. Carrie is an intriguing character to follow; she’s rather serious, but she loosens up over the course of the book, and she has a solid rapport with everyone she meets.
And while not primarily a romance, there is a strong romantic arc, one that will appeal to those who miss the days of the lengthy, epic romances that are 500+ pages. Eli is a solid romantic interest, and I liked how they bonded over the course of the journey to Santa Fe, and then spending time there once they arrived.
This book was amazing, and I’d recommend it to readers interested in long, epic romantic historical fiction.

I loved, loved, loved the Into the Wilderness series by Sara Donati so I was so excited to get this ARC. This book is a continuation but you do not have to have read the original series to read this book. This book takes place in the 1850s and it is the granddaughter of Elizabeth and Nathaniel from the original series. So Carrie Ballentyne takes a job as a midwife in the Santa Fe territory. It will be a long journey on the Santa Fe trail from New York. So the first part of the book is her journey with her brother and the rest of the book is her in Santa Fe. Santa Fe was a hotbed back then with Mexicans that lived there from when it was part of Mexico, the Indians that lived there, and of course all of the white people moving in. There is a romance with Eli who traveled with Carrie to Santa Fe and he lives in Santa Fe so that works out. I enjoyed Carrie's story and a lot happens with it being such a rough time and place. It is a very long book as that is what Sara Donati does but it was worth it.

-What he needed to figure out was what he would regret more: letting her go, or digging his heels in.

-"It was my choice to stay behind with you. There's nowhere else I'd want to be."

-She had learned, early in her training, that being calm and resolute was the only way to respond to the relentlessly negative.

I was initially intimidated by just the size of this 800 page giant. It started a little slow with a long train journey and the introduction of a bazillion characters. But when midwife Carrie and a small group of cowboys get off the wagon train to ride to Santa Fe on horseback, adventures and romance all go wild.

This is the story of Carrie, a midwife who leaves her family in response to a job announcement for a wealthy family in Santa Fe. Her adventures and experiences both traveling and in Santa Fe and page turning and addicting. I could not stop reading every time I picked it up and flew through it once the story was set. The time period and the setting all added to the pieces of this story that I needed to see come together.

A strong 3.5. This is my first book by Donati, and I don't think it will be my last.

I have always had an affinity or, one might say, obsession with the west and the oregon trail and little house on the praire. There is something fascinating to me about how people managed to live under such harsh conditions. That was a large part of the appeal of this book.

The story itself waxes and wanes from interesting to, at times, tedious. I'm not sure if that is Donati's style or if that is just this book. There were many plot lines, some that seemingly got left behind only to show up chapters later. That's an interesting way to plot, but it could feel jarring. I felt, too, that there were too many plots happening and not enough time or attention could be paid to any one set of characters or plots at one time.

But Carrie is a strong character to center this book on. She makes the low points of the novel worth reading through. She's an interesting character and I wish even more time and attention was given to her.

Donati treats the time period with care. There are many political and personal views scattered throughout this book, many of which are uncomfortable to look at head on, but Donati is up to the task. The ideas of belonging and culture are handled with great care and respect and I appreciate the time and research that so obviously went into creating this story and these characters.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for the opportunity to read The Sweet Blue Distance. I have read all of Sara Donati's Wilderness series books, and really enjoy her work. She always has strong female characters and provides the historical context of the time they are living in. I also like that you don't need to have read all of the previous books to understand the current book--they are stand alone, but continue the story line of the strong women from revolutionary times, up through this one which is set in pre-Civil War years. I especially enjoyed learning about New Mexico's and indigenous people at this point of time, and paralleled with the anti-Slavery movement. If you love history, romance, and strong female characters, this is the book for you!

Sara Donati brings history to life again. Her books cover parts of American history that is not covered heavily in most classes. As usual she uses a strong female as her protagonist. Can't wait for the next installment.

"A young midwife travels west to the New Mexico Territory to care for women in need and faces dangers more harrowing than the ones she's fleeing in this epic tale of survival, redemption, and love from Sara Donati, the international bestselling author of the Wilderness series.

1857: In a bid to outrun her past, Carrie Ballentyne accepts a nursing position with a doctor in the New Mexico Territory. She knows the journey from New York to Santa Fe will not be easy, but she relishes the adventure. However, nothing could have prepared her for the wilderness she encounters. Its vastness and power are awe-inspiring, stunning in both beauty and brutality. To endure, she must learn to rely on her fellow travelers - and one enigmatic man in particular. As the small, tight-knit group tackles challenge after challenge, she feels her heart opening to this rugged land - and the people willing to risk so much for one another.

The trip west is only the beginning of Carrie's challenges, though. In Santa Fe, she compassionately helps women bring new life into the world, making her beloved among new mothers. Soon, however, she realizes that her employer and his wife are keeping secrets from her, and she must ferret out the truth to protect their young daughter. But to save the little girl she's come to cherish, Carrie will have to confront the demons in her own past - a feat that will take all of her bravery with the help of the man she's grown to love and depend on above all others.

With its vivid descriptions of the breathtaking western landscape and its irresistible characters, The Sweet Blue Distance is the unforgettable story of one woman's courage to heal herself, her family, and the women entrusted to her care."

When you need a good doorstop historical fiction you should always turn to Sara Donati, she never disappoints.

The Sweet Blue Distance
by Sara Donati
Pub Date: April 2, 2024
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.
A young midwife travels west to the New Mexico Territory to care for women in need and faces dangers more harrowing than the ones she’s fleeing in this epic tale of survival, redemption, and love from Sara Donati, the international bestselling author of the Wilderness series.
Donati does not disappoint if you are looking for an epic historical fiction. 5 stars.
“The Sweet Blue Distance” is exactly the big, juicy, page-turner you want in an 800 page historical romance. She shifts the action from the Northeast of her earlier series to 1850s New Mexico Territory, where Carrie Ballantyne has taken a job as nurse-midwife to a doctor in Santa Fe. Carrie comes from the world of the Wilderness and Waverly Place books, where women are capable of anything and manage to find men who support them, something rare in that time period.
5 stars
Must Read!

Donati never disappoints, and this title brought back characters we already know and added new ones. I couldn't stop reading this one. Highly recommend!

I have always loved westerns so when I saw this title I knew I had to read it. The book has a strong sense of place and I was pulled right into Carrie's, the young midwife's, journey from New York to the Santa Fe Territory. The author also brings in characters from her previous books but it isn't necessary to have read them before reading this book. I will post a longer review on my book review blog closer to the publication date and will share it on social media..