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reneesuz's review
4.0
At first I was uncertain if I cared for Far from Here; it's one of those books that bounces around with flashbacks and truth be told I can get easily confused but it worked for this story. Danica's husband disappears while on a job in Alaska. We learn that Danica and Etsell had a typical relationship with ups and downs. Little by little, we learn more about their past and we see Danica come to grips with being a widow despite Etsell's past showing up at her doorstep. I was a bit disappointed by the ending because; it was too neatly tied up although it did leave a question in the reader's mind.
bookishnicole's review
5.0
I really loved this book and I'm so glad that I picked it up. It was easy to lose yourself in the words and the story being told. This tale of a wife's heartbreak as she comes to terms with the disappearance of her pilot husband was one that every woman wishes that she never had to face. There are times when you find yourself grieving with Danica as she comes to terms with what happened. I thought the book was going in a different direction than it did, but it was a great story nevertheless. Baart picked an interesting form of story telling by Changing it up each chapter from First person to third person every other chapter. I thought that provided the reader with a lot more insight into what Danica was feeling while also exploring how her family members dealt with this as well.
Read more at Paperback Princess
Read more at Paperback Princess
plettr's review
5.0
This book is so heartfelt and brimming with emotions. I could help but be swept along. The writing had a beautiful, poetic lilt. Often I was brought to tears as I imagined the struggle of loss and of living.
Read this book; it is a journey that should not be missed.
Read this book; it is a journey that should not be missed.
lazygal's review
2.0
This book looks at marriage: how we make mistakes that can haunt us later, how people change, and how long people will wait before moving on.
Etsell and Danica met in their teens, married when Dani was 19 and seemingly the happiest couple around. There have been several ups and downs, like when Dani bought the building that would house her beauty salon and more recently when Ell decided to go to Alaska to fly a bush pilot route to help out a friend. It's on this trip that Ell goes missing, bringing Dani's world to sudden halt.
The problems the couple experience are not unexpected in a relationship that starts at such a young age; what surprised me was how quickly Dani moved on. Her grief, frustration, shock and numbness seemed to wear off relatively quickly (less than a year) which made me question how deep the relationship was. I also didn't understand why the author chose to alternate first person and third person chapters - it didn't add to the story.
Copy provided by publisher.
Etsell and Danica met in their teens, married when Dani was 19 and seemingly the happiest couple around. There have been several ups and downs, like when Dani bought the building that would house her beauty salon and more recently when Ell decided to go to Alaska to fly a bush pilot route to help out a friend. It's on this trip that Ell goes missing, bringing Dani's world to sudden halt.
The problems the couple experience are not unexpected in a relationship that starts at such a young age; what surprised me was how quickly Dani moved on. Her grief, frustration, shock and numbness seemed to wear off relatively quickly (less than a year) which made me question how deep the relationship was. I also didn't understand why the author chose to alternate first person and third person chapters - it didn't add to the story.
Copy provided by publisher.
renflew's review
4.0
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.
Another potential for Book Club! Interesting book about marriage, how people change, and how they stay the same. Loved the ending and how it left it 'up in the air'.
Another potential for Book Club! Interesting book about marriage, how people change, and how they stay the same. Loved the ending and how it left it 'up in the air'.
shinydiscoballx's review
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
csmbsailor's review
3.0
This is a book about a woman who experiences the loss of her husband, and how she comes to grips with it. I won this book in a Goodreads contest.
This is not the typical book that I read, and while it took me a while to get into it, I did enjoy the story. Some of the plot points were predictable but still well written, and I though they were handled well nothing crazy or unrealistic. I put this book into my TBR-again pile for sure.
I would classify it it as not quite a chick lit book, but a not just a contemporary read either.
This is not the typical book that I read, and while it took me a while to get into it, I did enjoy the story. Some of the plot points were predictable but still well written, and I though they were handled well nothing crazy or unrealistic. I put this book into my TBR-again pile for sure.
I would classify it it as not quite a chick lit book, but a not just a contemporary read either.
sakamknigi's review
3.0
Too slow for my taste.
Too much descriptions, not enough meaningful events.
Fine ending but a little unrealistic with the baby.
Good writing, deep and "artistic".
Estel was great, beautiful character and I still can't believe that he did what he did. It doesn't fit his character at all. I loved him.
Too much descriptions, not enough meaningful events.
Fine ending but a little unrealistic with the baby.
Good writing, deep and "artistic".
Estel was great, beautiful character and I still can't believe that he did what he did. It doesn't fit his character at all. I loved him.
camchorse's review
3.0
Far from Here by Nicole Baart is the story of Danica and Etsell, a young married couple who despite being opposites in many ways, have built a strong relationship. Or have they? When Etsell, a pilot, jumps at the opportunity to fly in Alaska, trouble begins to surface.
Danica is then devastated to find out that his plane has disappeared. She finds herself trapped in limbo, first waiting for him to return and then realizing that she may be a widow. Danica has so many issues to address with regards to her marriage and her situation is complicated by her dysfunctional mother and sisters.
I was a bit torn by this book. I wanted to really like it. The author did a great job of developing the characters and clearly presenting their emotions. I just found that the story moved a little slowly for my taste, and I was wishing less time was spent dragging out the search for Etsell and more time was spent telling about how Danica was able to heal. However, I did leave with the idea that people can rise up and live again after tragedy.
Danica is then devastated to find out that his plane has disappeared. She finds herself trapped in limbo, first waiting for him to return and then realizing that she may be a widow. Danica has so many issues to address with regards to her marriage and her situation is complicated by her dysfunctional mother and sisters.
I was a bit torn by this book. I wanted to really like it. The author did a great job of developing the characters and clearly presenting their emotions. I just found that the story moved a little slowly for my taste, and I was wishing less time was spent dragging out the search for Etsell and more time was spent telling about how Danica was able to heal. However, I did leave with the idea that people can rise up and live again after tragedy.