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Title: A Distant Dawn

Subtitle: Westward Dreams

Author: Jane Peart

Narrator: Christine Williams

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 8 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-14-10

Publisher: Zondervan

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 7 votes

Genres: Fiction, Historical

Publisher's Summary:

Following the death of their parents, 24-year-old Sunniva Lyndall and her younger brother, Tracy, leave the comforts and safety of their Ohio Valley home to travel west to California, With excitement, determination, and the money they received from the sale of the family farm, they head for Missouri and the wagon train that will take them west. But Sunny and her brother quickly learn the ways of the West the hard way when a con-man swindles them out of their money.

Without means to buy supplies, California seems out of the question. But being stuck in Missouri is not what Sunny had planned for their future. Employment with the Pony Express seems to be the only available option. With Tracy as express rider and Sunny as station manager, it looks like they will soon earn enough to resume their journey. But unplanned adventure in the saddle of the Express awaits Sunny with the greatest challenge of her young life. Will her strong spirit be enough to see her through -- or is the happiness that California promised a dream that will never be fulfilled?

Members Reviews:

Thank you

Good reading

Mother's day gift

I bought these for my mom, she loves them.

A pleasant read, but nothing special

Sunny Lyndall has dreamed for years of traveling west to California - and with her parents dead, there's nothing to stop Sunny from selling the family home and making her dream come true. She and her brother travel as far as Missouri before they're robbed and left nearly penniless by an unscrupulous fellow who promises to help them shop for supplies. Sunny and her brother have no choice but to stay in Missouri until they've saved up enough money to resume their trip. Against Sunny's wishes, her brother gets a job as a Pony Express rider, and Sunny agrees to work with him as station manager. As time passes and she gets to know the folks in town, Sunny finds herself wondering if perhaps the disastrous interruption of her own plans was part of some higher purpose, especially when she finds herself falling in love.

It's a sweet story, and if a gentle tale of romance set on the western frontier in the mid-1800's appeals to you, you're sure to enjoy it. However, there's nothing at all about this novel that sets it apart or makes it special. The plot is overdone and predictable, though it's pleasant to watch the story unfold. The characters are stock types (the perfect gentleman with a mysterious past, the rough and ready frontiersman with a heart of gold), and the protagonist is so persistently negative it's hard to have much sympathy for her, especially when she takes out her frustrations on other people. Honestly, I can't imagine why two fine and worthy men would both find themselves so taken with her, especially when she treats at least one of them like something she found on the bottom of her shoe.

I did enjoy this novel. It was a pleasant way to pass a couple of hours. It won't be going on my keeper shelf, though.

A Distant Third

Jane Peart's books are ideal for curling up with in a knitted coverlet and a cup of tea. I've also found them great for reading aloud to the elderly.

Of course, sex and violence are never troublesome, and a current of quiet Christian faith underlies every story.