From a Distance

This is more than a novel, a journey into two peoples lives that brings you to the edge of their experiences and beliefs and makes you focus on your own as well. I had a hard time through the first part of the novel, because I was unsure if I really liked the personality of the main character Elizabeth Westbrook. Yet as the story continued, and I was able to really look more on who she was and who she might be becoming I found that I really did like her. The humor through out the entire book is true to life. Included with the hardships of live during and after war, as well as life in the West is a love and growth between individuals. It is something that you can read about, and then feel it within your heart and not just turn a blind eye. Each character within this story has their flaws and they are these bits and pieces that make them so much more realistic and provide a reader the ability to relate. Every page brings something unexpected, and be fully prepared to shed some tears on the last page. Tammy has done it again with this novel, so far every single one is a complete hit to my mind and I cannot finish typing this review fast enough to pick up the second book in this Timber Ridge Series, [b:Beyond This Moment 3568996 Beyond This Moment (Timber Ridge Reflections, #2) Tamera Alexander https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1400175908l/3568996.SY75.jpg 3611199].

I'd like the characters and then I wouldn't. The research about old photography was superb but a lot of other research was completely missing (glad to be able to say the author's more recent books haven't had this issue).

Elizabeth had major issues with lying and though her conscience bothered her at times it didn't make her stop and at the end it was pretty much a non-issue .

A truly atrocious asthma crisis scene made me cringe to no end. 1) when the patient's airway is completely closed, sulphur isn't going to help open it. 2) a real doc wouldn't carry a patient for several minutes to a spring when CPR isn't even working; her only hope was an immediate trach, and he would have done that or she would be dead. 3) They wouldn't spend time hacking through whalebone of a corset and undressing her...they'd undo things by their ties as the design was meant to. 4) afterward she wouldn't be able to dress without ordering a $300 or so fresh custom corset to replace the destroyed one, but I guess that's beside the point if the scene would have left her dead in real life (corsets are NOT like bras that come to size...they have to be individually fitted to each body and can't be loaned at the drop of a hat). (note: it takes a person around three minutes to suffocate; that much action is flatly impossible for her) (also the guy taking a moment to think of lust then?!)

Her travel would have ruined her name because no society would consider her helper Josiah to be an appropriate chaperon, especially when they're cuddling for warmth in a cave.

Someone thinking a sniper is an “unfair warrior”? Urghhhhhhh.

The whole scenario of the battle felt uber modern and really unrealistic for a historic conscience to get hung up on.

The ending was super rushed.

So yeah, not a winner for me. But Josiah's ending was good. I'm going to think of Josiah's ending when I think of this book. :)