The Sweet Blue Distance - by Sara Donati

About the Book

"In 1857 a young midwife braves the perilous journey west from New York City to Santa Fe, New Mexico Territory in this captivating epic from Sara Donati, the international bestselling author of Where the Light Enters. Carrie Ballentyne's life was upended in 1845 when she had to leave the only home she'd ever known in the mountains of upstate New York. With her are her widowed mother and younger brother Nathan, but the separation from Bonner, Ballentyne, and Savard relatives weighs heavily. In time Carrie finds footing as a midwife and nurse, but she never feels at ease in the city. So when, a decade later, she receives an invitation from a doctor in Santa Fe to join him at his practice, she readily accepts. The trip across the country is long and often dangerous, but she travels the last leg on horseback with men who have been hired to see her safely through the Native nations fighting the westward flood of colonizers. On that journey she makes friends who will be with her for all her life: Eva, a young widow; and Eli, an experienced surveyor. Once Carrie is established in Santa Fe, it becomes clear that her employer is not everything she was led to believe, and she is forced to face far more challenges and responsibilities than she anticipated. But she dedicates herself to the work and the women, providing health care, delivering babies, and earning the trust of her patients. In the course of that first summer in New Mexico, determined to make a life for herself in a new kind of wilderness far beyond her imagination, Carrie finds friendship, support, and even love where she least expected"--

Book Synopsis

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 nothing could have prepared her for the wilderness she encounters, stunning in both beauty and brutality. To endure, she must learn to rely on her fellow travelers--and one enigmatic man in particular. As she and Eli Ibarra tackle challenge after challenge together, she feels her heart opening to this rugged land--and the man willing to risk so much for her.

The trip west is only the beginning of Carrie's challenges, though. In Santa Fe, Carrie is beloved by new mothers for her talent and compassion. But when she realizes that her employer and his wife are keeping secrets from her, she must uncover the truth to protect their young daughter. 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 and the help of the man she's come to love and depend on above all others.

The Sweet Blue Distance is the unforgettable story of one woman's courage to heal herself, her family, and the women and children entrusted to her care.

Review Quotes

"A stunning tour de force!"
--Booklist (starred review)

"Meticulous research, a host of fictional characters, backstories woven seamlessly into historical settings, and Donati's marvelous storytelling all prove fertile ground to sow details of the American West, white colonialism, and the genocidal annihilation of tribal life. It's immersive and compelling, with a delicate balance which never oversteps itself. Written in the tradition of the best of historical fiction, Donati's sweeping novel is as expansive as the magnificent land through which Carrie and Eli ride."
--Historical Novel Society

"Layered, absorbing, and peopled with complex, fascinating characters, The Sweet Blue Distance is a captivating portrayal of one woman's inner journey set against the vast backdrop of the rapidly changing American West."
--Shelf Awareness

"Impeccable historical detail, romance, drama, action, adventure and compassionate insight make The Sweet Blue Distance a fine addition to a riveting series."
--Our Coast

Praise for the novels of Sara Donati

"Powerful...gorgeous, vividly described."
--People

"Spellbinding.... Captivating....An enthralling love story [and] a heartwarming celebration of human kindness."
--The Seattle Times, on The Gilded Hour

"Donati's saga of a New York family in the 1880s, with its exquisitely realized characters, is apt to inspire repeated readings.... As she brings the sights, sounds, smells, and social mores of 1884 New York into sharp focus, Donati creates a timely tale of the past that illuminates the ongoing struggle for women's reproductive rights and sheds light on the passionate, centuries-long fight over abortion."
--Booklist (starred review)

"Each time you open a book, you hope to discover a story that will make your spirit of adventure and romance sing. This book delivers on that promise."
--Amanda Quick, New York Times bestselling author

"Much more than a simple mystery plot, Where the Light Enters touches on the complexities of marriage, the bonds of family (both by blood and by choice), the pernicious effects of drug addiction and the challenges Anna and Sophie face as pioneering female doctors. Readers of historical fiction will find Donati's richly detailed narrative both satisfying and thought-provoking"
--Shelf Awareness

"With its focus on smart, courageous women physicians, who were a rarity but certainly not unheard of in the late 19th century, Where the Light Enters easily sets itself apart in the genre of historical fiction...The controversial themes, headstrong heroines and gripping accounts of high-stakes medical trails all come together to create a winning combination."
--BookBrowse

"[Donati's] knowledge of 19th century New York is such that walking the kaleidoscopic streets alongside the fascinating Savard cousins feels absolutely real. This is a satisfying family saga as well as an absorbing mystery."
--Historical Novel Society

"This is a riveting medical mystery."
--Publishers Weekly

"Lushly written...Exemplary historical fiction, boasting a heroine with a real and tangible presence."
--Kirkus Reviews

"Hugely satisfying."
--The Orlando Sentinel

"Epic in scope, emotionally intense...an enrapturing, grand adventure."
--BookPage

"From page one, the action is nonstop. The more you read, the better it gets."
--Tulsa World

"An elegant, eloquent word journey...The author has [a] gift for capturing the history and the lives of the people of that time and place."
--The Tampa Tribune

"A powerfully good read."
--Toronto Sun

About the Author

Sara Donati is the international bestselling author of Where the Light Enters, The Gilded Hour, and the Wilderness series, which includes Into the Wilderness, Dawn on a Distant Shore, Lake in the Clouds, Fire Along the Sky, Queen of Swords, and The Endless Forest. She is a native of Chicago but currently lives on Puget Sound.