what do you think of this idea?
May 12th, 2010
An email from Michelle with a suggestion. Any thoughts?
I was so excited to find your 5th book in the library this last weekend. I am slowly reading it so I can savor every minute of the story. I have read all the previous books as they have been published over the years. But I hate to say it, I am having a problem remembering all the characters. The main characters like Elizabeth, Nathaniel, Hannah, Luke and Jennet, etc. are strong in my memory – along with many others. But how did Daniel get wounded so badly? Who is Martha? I have no memory of these characters or events. (I blame it on middle age.) Is there any way you could provide a quick crib sheet on the main events for each character from the last books or would this be considering cheating or just plain annoying? Anyway I know I am going to love this book as much as the others even with my faculty memory.
Categories: wilderness
I was surprised she’s forgotten Martha considering that her conception/birth was a feature of one book and then she featured as a girl in the another! Anyway, there are so many characters it would take a very long time to compile all the information into character sheets. Don’t suppose you still have the pages from the old wiki do you???
I too am blessed with a leaky memory. Fortunately, we have the web! As each new book was published, I did a web search for “Plot summary Wilderness series Sara Donati” to catch up. Sorry I can’t find it now, it was superb – but even if you search each individual book you can find very detailed sypnoses. Have fun!
I still don’t remember Martha – of course I am still only about 30 pages into The Endless Forest. Hopefully as the book progress – it will all come back to me. My excuse (and I am sticking with it) is that I read a lot of books. But I read in snatches during my daily commute to work and in evenings in between TV and housework. Probably too much multi-tasking. I also don’t read so much as devour books. I think what I will do is someday, is read all books again back to back. That way I will keep all the characters firmly in mind. Definitely something to look forward. Thank you dear author for giving me so many pleasurable moments of reading enjoyment,
I just finished reading The Endless Forest, I really enjoyed it, although sorry to see the series end. I wa wondering why Ethan could not consumate his marriage to Carrie, Was it an injury or something else? And why woild she be content to go the rest of her life in a platonic marriage? I am really curious an d would hate to have to go back through the books to find the answer. Thanls
Sorry spelled consummate wrong.
Great idea!
I have to say I totally agree with Michelle. I could have written her note……I too need help with some back stories. I pretty much remember the characters but would like to be refreshed on some of their stories. I tried asking a friend and she was only remembering bits and pieces. I blame it on age and having 2 teens in the house and mostly on baseball season!! Lucky if we eat dinner by 9 these days–I cant remember whats goiing on in my own life–let alone everybodys from Paradise!! Love, love, love the books and was so happy to see the new one out but could you please make a cheat sheet(cliff/spark notes??!!) for those of us with too much stuff already crammed into our heads??!! (I go way back to one of the original wilderness groups–we use to email every day!!) Thanks!!
I’m the friend Lori is discussing the book with and we need a family tree with a timeline. I haven’t read the book yet and it has been 2 years since I read Queen of Swords. The great thing about this series is the fabulous community of characters but it does get hard to keep track of the connections.
Martha is the offspring of Jemima Southern Kuick and Liam Kirby. They were never married. Daniel was wounded in the war and it seemed to be nerve damage.
I think there are strong indicators that Ethan is gay, but also celibate.
Can you tell me which book of the series refers to Ethan’s staus? (gay,straight, injured???)
Thanks
None of the books actually spell it out about Ethan, but Endless Forest comes pretty close. He proposes marriage to Callie but explains to her he could never be a husband to her in the traditional sense of the word. He is lonely, he loves her as a friend and he likes her, so why not marry since it would put a legal layer between Callie and Jemima. Callie asks if he is incapable and he says yes. But he thinks to himself it is just a word, but a word that reassures Callie he is not interested in sex with her or having children, which she has just told him she is not interested in either. He does tell her he is physically incapable of having children, but then thinks that one day Callie will get curious and ask more questions. He thinks:
“Any maybe by then it won’t matter.”
What won’t matter? He has already said he can’t be a husband to her in bed. I think that was the first clue I had he was gay. Admitting himself incapable of fathering children could just mean he could not come to completion with a woman or he decided to stay celibate since he cannot be who he really is. His need to live a life with someone, have companionship and not have to live his life in secret was more important to him than the sexual aspect. Also, he never thinks to himself that maybe Callie will one day be open to sex in other ways besides traditional intercourse. I would think that would at least cross his mind if he were straight.
Then Lily, Daniel and Elizabeth are both confused about Ethan marrying Callie. None of them understand it. They don’t wonder when they were attracted to each other or when they started courting, only why did Ethan marry Callie? Daniel speculates that they may suit one another that don’t make sense to others.
I wondered at that point if others knew or strongly suspected Ethan was gay. They had known him all their lives. There is nothing in the books that I can remember that give any clue he had a been injured or been ill causing impotency.
But Jemima threatening to tell tales on Ethan was another clue to me also. She never makes good her threat, but I remembered her husband was gay and he was not the only gay man in Paradise. He had a lover, although it was not Ethan.
I for one am currently re-reading the books as a refresher before going on to the latest. I don’t really “get” people who never want to read a good book again…
Jane — good observations, one and all. I think it’s likely that many men (and women, for that matter) had to make hard choices about the face they showed to the world. Ethan chose companionship, family and celibacy.
I just finished Endless Forest and am so sad that I have read the last Wilderness Series book. I have loved these books. Any suggestions on another good historical fiction series/author? I would really appreciated it!
I am finally back to reading your blog, because I just finished The Endless Forest (TEF) moments ago. I had been afraid to read your blog when I saw the image of Simon’s obituary for fear of spoilers.
With that said, part of the reason it took me so long to get to TEF is because I wanted to re-read Queen of Swords first. This is my usual pattern when a new book in a series comes out; I read the previous book. However, this series is such that I really ought to have gone back to Fire Along the Sky as well. Even in QOS, I was struggling with remembering some important details – like Ethan. I just could not remember Ethan for the life of me. I couldn’t remember enough about him to recall why he was funneling so much money and resources into building up Paradise. But at that point, all of my books were packed up for moving and I hadn’t thought to go online for info. I think that my sister may have suggested googling something about a book summary, but I didn’t do it and/or forgot her suggestion.
I don’t have any excuses for my lapse in memory. That is just the way my mind works. Some things stick, other things don’t.
A crib sheet of characters and time line would have been useful to fill in some gaps.
I have enjoyed your Wilderness series so much that I am starting to read them all over again.
There is so little to watch on TV if you don’t like cops or reality shows. Have you ever considered making a TV show of the Wilderness books?
I have no idea how to get this idea going but if anyone does, I’ll be glad to start a grassroots campaign. I have at least a dozen friends who will join me.
Have you written anything new?
Your life long fan,
Nelda
Like some others have mentioned, when a new book in a series comes out and it’s been some time since the last I will go back and read the last book in the series again, as a refresher. I did that hear. Before “Swords” I read the entire series again and then before EF I went back and read Swords again.
I know some people can’t seem to go back and read a book again but for a series like this, or for that matter, Tolkien’ The Hobbit and Triolgy, I’ve ( more than once) gone back and read it again. Sometimes you lookig for; need a taste of just that kind of book……so why not go back, if you loved it that much to begin with, and read it again. You are guarenteed to pick up things you missed the first (few) times.
“hear?” I meant “here” ………and lookig vs. looking! I need both spell check AND a new keyboard.
This is so True about reading a good book more than once! The “Wilderness Series” Was Sooo Good the first time I am reading it again while I wait for the ” Endless Forest” In paperback. I can’t believe how much I missed the first time and I am enjoying it equallly as much the second go around. The Bonners and the folks of Paradise make me feel like I live right there in town with them. Except I have chosen to live in a little house I built down by the lake where Elizabeth’s School used to stand before Liam’s brother burnt it down.