Dawn on a Distant Shore (Audiobook)

Author: Sara Donati
Genre: Historical Fiction, Saga
Type: e-audiobook
Source: Audible.ca
Narrator: Kate Reading
Length: 20 hours, 2 minutes
Series: #2 in the Into the Wilderness series
Publisher: Random House Audio
First Published in Paper: 2001
Opening Lines: "My Lord, Allow me to report success: at long last I have located the man I believe to be your cousin. He is known as Dan'l Bonner, called Hawkeye by his associates, Indian and White."

Book Description from GoodReads: Elizabeth and Nathaniel Bonner have settled into their life together at the edge of the New York wilderness in the winter of 1794. Soon word reaches them that Nathaniel's father has been arrested by crown officials in British Canada. Nathaniel sets out, determined to see his father freed. Instead, Nathaniel is imprisoned and finds himself in danger of being hanged as a spy. Elizabeth soon discovers that freeing Nathaniel will take every ounce of her courage and inventiveness. Torn apart, the Bonners must embark on another voyage...this time to the heart of Scotland where a wealthy Earl claims kinship with Nathaniel's father. With this journey, a whole new world opens up to Nathaniel and Elizabeth - and a destiny they could never have imagined awaits them.

My Rating: 4 stars

My Review: The Into the Wilderness series is one of my all-time favourite sagas. Filled with adventure, romance and family drama, Donati has written an engaging story that pulls readers into the lives of the Bonner family as they experience the tumultuous issues influencing 18th century North America. 

While I liked that this book takes Elizabeth and Nathaniel on a wee bit of an adventure, this wasn't my favourite book in the series. Still a great read but I think I prefer it when more of the secondary characters, namely those at Lake in the Clouds and small-town Paradise, are included in the story lines. When you start to miss characters, you know you've got a good read.

Kate Reading narrates this audiobook and does a phenomenal job. A narrator can make or break an audiobook and Reading is one of the best. She easily bounces back and forth between the characters and includes several different well-done accents, making the story and its characters quite vivid for the listener.

Fans of Outlander will particularly enjoy this series. It has a similarly addictive story and main couple and you'll find yourself immersed in the Bonner clan. What it doesn't have is the frustrating wordiness that Outlander is known for. If you can get your hands on copies of this series (sadly, they are no longer in print for paper editions!), I highly suggest diving into this memorable series.