Characters that Live on the Page ~ Far From Here by Nicole Baart ~Review

Captivating writing, solid story plot and characters that live on the page, are just a few things this novel hides between its pages.

            The writing voice lives little to be desired. Strong and poignant, its literary quality does not lend that the reader’s attention goes anywhere, but stays exactly where it should: with the book.

            A heart-wrenching story of a woman who has lost her husband in a tragic accident and must move on with her life, but a hidden secret just might tear apart every good memory about their relationship. It’s an age-old plot, but told in such a fresh way.

            I can see where some readers might become frustrated with Dani’s attitude, but to me, she was incredibly lovable and while I’ve never lost a spousal connection, I understood her pain through the high quality of the writing.

            I do have a warning about this novel. Strong language, which did offend me and will most likely offend other Christian readers, should not pick this novel up assuming it to be geared for the Christian market as I did. It is not. It’s a great story, but one must contend with offensive language. And I’ll be honest, this lowered my opinion of the novel…and disappointed me.

            The ending is incredibly strong for the tragic bent of the novel. But it closes the book with such hope, a hard thing to do. But well done.

            This review is my honest opinion. Thanks to the publishers for my copy to review.

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More about the novel....

How long do you hold on to hope? 

Danica Greene has always hated flying, so it was almost laughable that the boy of her dreams was a pilot. She married him anyway and together, she and Etsell settled into a life where love really did seem to conquer all. Danica is firmly rooted on the ground in Blackhawk, the small town in northern Iowa where they grew up, and the wide slashes of sky that stretch endlessly across the prairie seem more than enough for Etsell.  But when the opportunity to spend three weeks in Alaska helping a pilot friend presents itself, Etsell accepts and their idyllic world is turned upside down. It’s his dream, he reveals, and Danica knows that she can’t stand in the way. 

Ell is on his last flight before heading home when his plane mysteriously vanishes shortly after takeoff, leaving Danica in a free fall. Etsell is gone, but what exactly does gone mean? Is she a widow? An abandoned wife? Or will Etsell find his way home to her? Danica is forced to search for the truth in her marriage and treks to Alaska to grapple with the unanswerable questions about her husband’s mysterious disappearance. 

But when she learns that Ell wasn’t flying alone and that a woman is missing, too, the bits and pieces of the careful life that she had constructed for them in Iowa take to the wind. A story of love and loss, and ultimately starting over, Far From Here explores the dynamics of intimacy and the potentially devastating consequences of the little white lies we tell the ones we love.