Murky plot halts epic tale

Into the Wilderness

Bantam Books

HH

Welcome to the melodrama forest. Like many works of historical fiction, "Into the Wilderness," by Sara Donati, struggles to find its way through the woods of overused plots and character types prevalent in historical fiction. Its main characters, Elizabeth and Nathaniel, though charming in their own right, could have just as easily starred in "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman."

Fresh off the boat from England with ambitions of teaching school, Elizabeth Middleton quickly realizes that the rustic New York village her father calls home is anything but the paradise for which it is named.

By page six, her father has already shot her love interest and the villainous nature of her brother has been revealed. Elizabeth is fiercely independent and quickly fixes her eye on a fur trapper, Nathaniel Bonner, who was raised by Native Americans, both as an ally and as a lover.

Donati uses Elizabeth to address virtually every humanitarian and civil rights cause available in 1792 America.

First, Elizabeth must assert her independence as a woman and defeat her father's attempts to marry her to the town doctor.

Second, Elizabeth goes on a one-woman crusade to ensure that every child in the village, including the slave children, receive an education.

Finally, Elizabeth fights to save the rights and culture of the Native Americans.

With so many plots happening at once, none of these issues gets the attention it deserves and the story degenerates into mediocrity.

Donati's strength lies in the delightful, and often witty, character dialogue and her vivid descriptions. Hence, the reader develops a real affection for some of the off-beat characters like the blushing Scottish woodsman Robbie MacLachlan. Donati does sometimes sacrifices the most likeable traits of her characters for the plot.

For instance, as the story continues Elizabeth seems to trade her independent spunk for a more matronly appearance. The reader is left wondering why she cannot be both an activist and a contented wife and mother.

It is something of a paradox that a book which calls itself historical fiction could never actually have taken place.

The unlikely romance between Elizabeth and Nathaniel is only the starting point. But avid readers of historical fiction will appreciate the well-researched backdrop, appealing characters, and the potential for sequels.

"Into the Wilderness" takes on a lot for a first effort, but somewhere within the murky and ambitious story lies the beginnings of an epic.

- Kelly Lutes

11-25-98