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Far from Here
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.
353 pages, Paperback
First published February 7, 2012
90 people are currently reading
1587 people want to read
About the author
Nicole Baart
17 books1,569 followersNicole Baart is the author of eleven novels, including Everything We Didn’t Say (an October 2021 Book of the Month selection and Amazon Editor's pick) and The Long Way Back. Best known for her “race-to-the-finish family dramas” (People), Baart is also the cofounder of a nonprofit and mother of five. She lives in Iowa with her family.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 202 reviews
January 17, 2018
I just couldn't connect with Dani. She annoyed me for some reason. A little disappointed in this one, I loved the other books I've read by Nicole Baart.
February 7, 2012
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.
February 4, 2014
I'm totally indifferent about this book, I could not get into the back and forth point of view and I did not care for the main character, or really any of them for that matter.
I actually felt sort of bad that I didn't like this book because it deals with important issues about marriage and an unthinkable situation that is a sometimes scary reality.
I did really like this quote in the book though when Dani is talking about her relationship(s) and says "We fail each other. But sometimes we come through for one another. Sometimes we forgive".
I actually felt sort of bad that I didn't like this book because it deals with important issues about marriage and an unthinkable situation that is a sometimes scary reality.
I did really like this quote in the book though when Dani is talking about her relationship(s) and says "We fail each other. But sometimes we come through for one another. Sometimes we forgive".
February 15, 2012
Publishers Weekly (starred review): This gorgeously composed novel is a candid and uncompromising meditation on the marriage of a young pilot and his flight-fearing wife, their personal failings, and finding the grace to move beyond unthinkable tragedy. Baart (Beneath the Night Tree) catalogs ample flashbacks with incisive details to develop Danica ("Dani") and Etsell Greene's relationship, making them appear to be the perfect couple: Etsell calls Dani his ground, his center, his home, and she equally worships her "golden boy." In their tenth year of being together, Etsell decides to pick up flights in Alaska, the "place that had been the object of his longing." Shortly thereafter, he and his plane disappear into the Alaskan wilderness, and Dani is forced to come to terms with her fears and grief, as well as the reality of her frayed marriage and the fact that her husband may have been lost to her long before he vanished. Surrounded by a delightful mismatch of the important women in her life, Dani must learn how "to survive in a place between," mired as she is in the unknown: Is her husband dead, or is he simply gone? Baart's mastery of images makes Dani's grief, anger, and self-loathing brilliantly palpable. Pulsing with passion and saturated with lush language, Baart's latest will leave an indelible mark. (Feb.)
“Nicole Baart is a writer of immense strength. Her lush, beautiful prose, her finely drawn characters, and especially her quirky women, all made Far From Here a book I couldn’t put down.”
-- Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author of Prayers for Sale and The Bride’s House
“Far From Here was a rare journey to a place that left me healed and renewed by the end of this beautiful, moving novel. A tribute to love in all its forms--between a man and a wife, between sisters, and among mothers and daughters--my heart ached while I read Far From Here, but it ached more when I was done and there were no more pages to turn.”
-- Nicolle Wallace, New York Times bestselling author of Eighteen Acres
“Nicole Baart is a huge talent who has both a big voice and something meaningful to say with it. Far From Here is a gorgeous book about resilient people living in a broken world, finding ways to restore hope and even beauty in the pieces.”
-- Joshilyn Jackson, author of gods in Alabama and A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty
"Far From Here, Nicole Baart's tale of the certainties of absolute fear and the uncertainty of love whirls the reader up and never lets go.”
-- Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author, The Deep End of the Ocean, and Second Nature: A Love Story
“Nicole Baart is a writer of immense strength. Her lush, beautiful prose, her finely drawn characters, and especially her quirky women, all made Far From Here a book I couldn’t put down.”
-- Sandra Dallas, New York Times bestselling author of Prayers for Sale and The Bride’s House
“Far From Here was a rare journey to a place that left me healed and renewed by the end of this beautiful, moving novel. A tribute to love in all its forms--between a man and a wife, between sisters, and among mothers and daughters--my heart ached while I read Far From Here, but it ached more when I was done and there were no more pages to turn.”
-- Nicolle Wallace, New York Times bestselling author of Eighteen Acres
“Nicole Baart is a huge talent who has both a big voice and something meaningful to say with it. Far From Here is a gorgeous book about resilient people living in a broken world, finding ways to restore hope and even beauty in the pieces.”
-- Joshilyn Jackson, author of gods in Alabama and A Grown-Up Kind of Pretty
"Far From Here, Nicole Baart's tale of the certainties of absolute fear and the uncertainty of love whirls the reader up and never lets go.”
-- Jacquelyn Mitchard, New York Times bestselling author, The Deep End of the Ocean, and Second Nature: A Love Story
February 1, 2012
Danica Greene 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.
When 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 hit dream, he reveals, and Danica knows that she can't stand in the way. Etsell is on his last flight before heading home when his plane vanishes shortly after takeoff, leaving Danice in a free fall. He's gone, but what exactly does gone mean? Is she a widow? An abandoned wife? Or will Estell find his way home to her?
Forced to search for the truth in her marriage, Danica grapples with the impossible questions about her husband's mysterious disappearance. And when she learns that Ell wasn't flying alone, the bits and pieces of the careful life that she constructed for them take to the wind...
I received Far From Here by Nicole Baart compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster for my honest review and found this story hard to comprehend. I don't know what I would do if my husband went missing, with no sign of a crash and no remains of a plane, just a big opened ended question much like what Danica is faced with in the book. Not quite knowing what to do or where to begin, she struggles with taking advice from her dysfunctional family who means well and from her surrogate mother-in-law who offers to help her get her life back on track by any means possible. There's even a kind pastor/neighbor who offers to get her mind off things by helping her maintain her lawn without bringing up her missing husband.
This really hits home in so many ways because the struggle by Danica to figure out what to do is very real. She deals with how long does she wait before she must realize he isn't coming back, how does she cope with being alone, and how does she deal with the truth that her marriage wasn't all she thought it was. A very compelling read and one I could not put down until the final page was turned. A believable and well-written story about a tragic loss and how one woman will weather the storm. For that I rate this story a 5 out of 5 stars.
When 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 hit dream, he reveals, and Danica knows that she can't stand in the way. Etsell is on his last flight before heading home when his plane vanishes shortly after takeoff, leaving Danice in a free fall. He's gone, but what exactly does gone mean? Is she a widow? An abandoned wife? Or will Estell find his way home to her?
Forced to search for the truth in her marriage, Danica grapples with the impossible questions about her husband's mysterious disappearance. And when she learns that Ell wasn't flying alone, the bits and pieces of the careful life that she constructed for them take to the wind...
I received Far From Here by Nicole Baart compliments of Howard Books, a division of Simon and Schuster for my honest review and found this story hard to comprehend. I don't know what I would do if my husband went missing, with no sign of a crash and no remains of a plane, just a big opened ended question much like what Danica is faced with in the book. Not quite knowing what to do or where to begin, she struggles with taking advice from her dysfunctional family who means well and from her surrogate mother-in-law who offers to help her get her life back on track by any means possible. There's even a kind pastor/neighbor who offers to get her mind off things by helping her maintain her lawn without bringing up her missing husband.
This really hits home in so many ways because the struggle by Danica to figure out what to do is very real. She deals with how long does she wait before she must realize he isn't coming back, how does she cope with being alone, and how does she deal with the truth that her marriage wasn't all she thought it was. A very compelling read and one I could not put down until the final page was turned. A believable and well-written story about a tragic loss and how one woman will weather the storm. For that I rate this story a 5 out of 5 stars.
February 12, 2012
(Reviewer’s note – I am an independent writer. I am also a freelance reviewer for Howard Books, a division of Simon & Schuster. What this basically means is that I am on an email list, and the publisher notifies me of new releases. If I see a book that I like, they will send me a copy. In other words, I choose the book that I wish to read and I write a review and post it on my websites. My reviews are based solely on the merits of the book, and I receive no remuneration from the publisher or author, other than a copy of the book, in exchange for posting a review on my blogs. I also post my reviews on GoodReads. The following is my review of Nicole Baart’s Far From Here. Thank you – vmls)
~~**~~
Nicole Baart has written an inspiring story of hope and human frailty, weaving a rich tapestry with the finely crafted, beautiful prose we have come to expect from this immensely talented writer, and the all too realistically drawn characters that can only come from someone with the unique and compassionate understanding of the human condition that Nicole has. If we at times are made to feel a bit uncomfortable at something one of her characters says or does, it is only a tribute to Nicole’s incredible skill as both writer and storyteller.
No spoilers here… I promise (well, maybe just a tiny bit). Far From Here is more than just a book of roughly 340 pages… it is an experience one cannot fully appreciate through the eyes or words of another. I do not use the phrase ‘must-read’ lightly, but never has it been more apt than with Far From Here. Nicole Baart’s latest novel will take you on a journey of joy, pain, happiness and sorrow… a journey of discovery… of revelation… that will leave you healed and renewed… with new hope and promise.
Okay, maybe I will ‘spoil’ it a little… this story is going to make you cry, so grab a big box of Kleenex!
~~**~~
What do you do when your whole world turns on one person, and one day that person is gone?
What do you do when your happy little, perfect world is tilted on its axis… and the life that you knew shatters into a thousand pieces… and you watch helplessly as all those pieces slide away.
Far From Here is a story of love and loss… the journey between the two and the journey through the aftermath… a search for truth… for redemption… a search for ‘self’, not the person we thought we were or the person [we let] someone else define us as.
Redemption is a journey for which the only roadmap is our heart. It is not always an easy journey, navigating around and through the scars and fissures the life lost has left behind. And as Danica will come to realize… you can’t find redemption in an ‘echo’ of the past.
But… I’m getting ahead of the story…
~~**~~
Danica Reese meets the ‘boy of her dreams’, the one who makes her soul take flight, when she is sixteen. Etsell Greene is a young man with an imperfect, through no fault of his own, past… not unlike Danica’s in some respects. But, broken families don’t always leave broken children… just imperfect children. Ell and Dani aren’t perfect, but in each other they come as close as two people can. Or, so Danica comes to believe.
The two seem oddly suited for each other, given Ell’s deep love for flying and Dani’s almost pathological hatred of flying. But… as some of us know all too well… the heart wants what the heart wants, and it won’t be denied.
Danica and Etsell are married three years later and for the next seven years build a life for themselves, settling into the ‘routine’ of married life. It’s not a perfect life, but love smoothes over the little bumps and detours.
Love is also at times, painfully blind.
One of those ‘bumps’ the two must work through is Ell’s decision to go to Alaska for a period of weeks to help out a pilot friend. The decision is a unilateral one, but not the first one in their relationship, and the two find a way to work through it.
Little do either realize that their little ‘Xanadu’ is about to be turned inside out.
Ell’s last flight turns into one of ‘no return’ and Danica’s life suddenly stalls, falling into a tailspin.
Over the next several weeks, Dani is forced to re-examine her marriage and try to come to terms with the almost unbearable questions her husband’s disappearance has raised. And when she learns that Ell was not alone on that last flight, Dani’s carefully crafted life is revealed to be little more than a house of sand, and the ‘wind’ of Ell’s disappearance scatters it… possibly irrevocably.
Out of the wreckage and all the emotions that come with loss – the loss of trust, fidelity, companionship, self - Danica slowly begins to rebuild her life, and in doing so reconnects with her mother and sisters, gaining new insight into herself and her family. Nicole narrates this in an incredibly profound and moving telling… the resilience of mother and daughters… sisters… the love that was always there and is now made stronger through their shared adversities.
One evening, with [almost] all of the women in Danica’s life gathered around her, a knock comes at the front door…
Who is at the door? Do they bring news… good or bad, it doesn’t matter… do they bring new hope, or only fresh pain?
~~**~~
You’re going to hate me, but I am stopping here. As I mentioned earlier, Far From Here is a ‘must-read’. Go buy the book, borrow it from a friend… write me and I will loan you my copy…
But… read this book!
Far From Here is about more than just the relationship between two people… much, much more.
I will close with this…
I met my [now] wife, Christina, on my 21st birthday… five and a half years ago. When we first met, my life was in tatters… I had no expectation of celebrating a 22nd birthday. But Tina didn’t see it that way. She was the gravity that pulled the torn pieces of my life back together and made me whole again.
Will Danica find her gravity?
Thank you.
Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw
11 February 2012
Cannon Beach, Oregon
veronicathepajamathief@hotmail.com
~~**~~
Nicole Baart has written an inspiring story of hope and human frailty, weaving a rich tapestry with the finely crafted, beautiful prose we have come to expect from this immensely talented writer, and the all too realistically drawn characters that can only come from someone with the unique and compassionate understanding of the human condition that Nicole has. If we at times are made to feel a bit uncomfortable at something one of her characters says or does, it is only a tribute to Nicole’s incredible skill as both writer and storyteller.
No spoilers here… I promise (well, maybe just a tiny bit). Far From Here is more than just a book of roughly 340 pages… it is an experience one cannot fully appreciate through the eyes or words of another. I do not use the phrase ‘must-read’ lightly, but never has it been more apt than with Far From Here. Nicole Baart’s latest novel will take you on a journey of joy, pain, happiness and sorrow… a journey of discovery… of revelation… that will leave you healed and renewed… with new hope and promise.
Okay, maybe I will ‘spoil’ it a little… this story is going to make you cry, so grab a big box of Kleenex!
~~**~~
What do you do when your whole world turns on one person, and one day that person is gone?
What do you do when your happy little, perfect world is tilted on its axis… and the life that you knew shatters into a thousand pieces… and you watch helplessly as all those pieces slide away.
Far From Here is a story of love and loss… the journey between the two and the journey through the aftermath… a search for truth… for redemption… a search for ‘self’, not the person we thought we were or the person [we let] someone else define us as.
Redemption is a journey for which the only roadmap is our heart. It is not always an easy journey, navigating around and through the scars and fissures the life lost has left behind. And as Danica will come to realize… you can’t find redemption in an ‘echo’ of the past.
But… I’m getting ahead of the story…
~~**~~
Danica Reese meets the ‘boy of her dreams’, the one who makes her soul take flight, when she is sixteen. Etsell Greene is a young man with an imperfect, through no fault of his own, past… not unlike Danica’s in some respects. But, broken families don’t always leave broken children… just imperfect children. Ell and Dani aren’t perfect, but in each other they come as close as two people can. Or, so Danica comes to believe.
The two seem oddly suited for each other, given Ell’s deep love for flying and Dani’s almost pathological hatred of flying. But… as some of us know all too well… the heart wants what the heart wants, and it won’t be denied.
Danica and Etsell are married three years later and for the next seven years build a life for themselves, settling into the ‘routine’ of married life. It’s not a perfect life, but love smoothes over the little bumps and detours.
Love is also at times, painfully blind.
One of those ‘bumps’ the two must work through is Ell’s decision to go to Alaska for a period of weeks to help out a pilot friend. The decision is a unilateral one, but not the first one in their relationship, and the two find a way to work through it.
Little do either realize that their little ‘Xanadu’ is about to be turned inside out.
Ell’s last flight turns into one of ‘no return’ and Danica’s life suddenly stalls, falling into a tailspin.
Over the next several weeks, Dani is forced to re-examine her marriage and try to come to terms with the almost unbearable questions her husband’s disappearance has raised. And when she learns that Ell was not alone on that last flight, Dani’s carefully crafted life is revealed to be little more than a house of sand, and the ‘wind’ of Ell’s disappearance scatters it… possibly irrevocably.
Out of the wreckage and all the emotions that come with loss – the loss of trust, fidelity, companionship, self - Danica slowly begins to rebuild her life, and in doing so reconnects with her mother and sisters, gaining new insight into herself and her family. Nicole narrates this in an incredibly profound and moving telling… the resilience of mother and daughters… sisters… the love that was always there and is now made stronger through their shared adversities.
One evening, with [almost] all of the women in Danica’s life gathered around her, a knock comes at the front door…
Who is at the door? Do they bring news… good or bad, it doesn’t matter… do they bring new hope, or only fresh pain?
~~**~~
You’re going to hate me, but I am stopping here. As I mentioned earlier, Far From Here is a ‘must-read’. Go buy the book, borrow it from a friend… write me and I will loan you my copy…
But… read this book!
Far From Here is about more than just the relationship between two people… much, much more.
I will close with this…
I met my [now] wife, Christina, on my 21st birthday… five and a half years ago. When we first met, my life was in tatters… I had no expectation of celebrating a 22nd birthday. But Tina didn’t see it that way. She was the gravity that pulled the torn pieces of my life back together and made me whole again.
Will Danica find her gravity?
Thank you.
Veronica Marie Lewis-Shaw
11 February 2012
Cannon Beach, Oregon
veronicathepajamathief@hotmail.com
April 29, 2013
Danica Greene and her husband, Etsell, married at a young age and have been together for ten years. Etsell, a pilot, has always dreamed of being a bush pilot in Alaska. Danica is not only deadly afraid of flying; she can't imagine a life in Alaska. Without consulting Danica, Etsell suddenly decides to go up to Alaska and help out a pilot friend for three weeks. Near the end of that time, he flies off from the Seward airport and his plane vanishes. Danica's world is turned upside down: is he still alive somewhere? Is he dead? They've had a few rough patches in their marriage... has he just chosen to disappear? These questions, and several others that come to light after his disappearance, force Danica to come to terms with a new life.
This book surprised me for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was actually better than I thought it would be. I was hoping for a solid "3 star" read; I just wanted something light for the weekend. It turns out that there was a little bit more substance to the story than I'd anticipated, so I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it's got its predictable moments, but overall I enjoyed it.
My second surprise is that the author writes Christian fiction, and the publisher is a "faith-based" one. I hadn't thought about it when I picked it up; I just liked the cover and the story sounded like a good light read. (The cover, by the way, is very nice, but I don't see what it has to do with the story!) It's funny because as I was nearing the end of the book, it crossed my mind that this would be a good read for readers of Christian fiction, only because there are no descriptions of sex and, to my recollection, there are maybe just two instances of profanity. I certainly don't object to reading books with profanities, but because that's not the way I talk I sometimes get a bit put off if I have to wade through a lot of unnecessary bad language. Also, Danica's neighbour happens to be a pastor, but he certainly didn't add any religious overtone to the story.
Anyway, I found all this a little funny because when I finished reading the book, I looked at what other GoodRead reviewers have said and some of them were actually disappointed in the author because the book wasn't true to her usual "Christian" standards. Hmmm. True, two bad words were uttered, but overall I thought this was almost the perfect balance between a "Christian" fiction and regular fiction. The few Christian books I've read have usually been a little too preachy. I think this book is just a nice read for anyone.
This book surprised me for a couple of reasons. First of all, it was actually better than I thought it would be. I was hoping for a solid "3 star" read; I just wanted something light for the weekend. It turns out that there was a little bit more substance to the story than I'd anticipated, so I was pleasantly surprised. Yes, it's got its predictable moments, but overall I enjoyed it.
My second surprise is that the author writes Christian fiction, and the publisher is a "faith-based" one. I hadn't thought about it when I picked it up; I just liked the cover and the story sounded like a good light read. (The cover, by the way, is very nice, but I don't see what it has to do with the story!) It's funny because as I was nearing the end of the book, it crossed my mind that this would be a good read for readers of Christian fiction, only because there are no descriptions of sex and, to my recollection, there are maybe just two instances of profanity. I certainly don't object to reading books with profanities, but because that's not the way I talk I sometimes get a bit put off if I have to wade through a lot of unnecessary bad language. Also, Danica's neighbour happens to be a pastor, but he certainly didn't add any religious overtone to the story.
Anyway, I found all this a little funny because when I finished reading the book, I looked at what other GoodRead reviewers have said and some of them were actually disappointed in the author because the book wasn't true to her usual "Christian" standards. Hmmm. True, two bad words were uttered, but overall I thought this was almost the perfect balance between a "Christian" fiction and regular fiction. The few Christian books I've read have usually been a little too preachy. I think this book is just a nice read for anyone.
December 18, 2012
Did Not Finish
Pages read: 138 of 337
When I requested this book for review, I had thought it was Christian Fiction and would be clean... well it wasn't what I expected. There was a lot of cursing and that on its own made my opinion of Far From Here lower. If it would have just be one or two swear words, I could have accepted that, but the "D" word, "B" word, and others were used (there might have been even more had I continued reading).
I also found parts of the story very slow and sad. I finally decided to just not finish it and skip ahead to see how the story ends... let me say, that did not help my opinion at all.
I've read other reviews and some people seemed to have really enjoyed Far From Here - I wish that would have been the case for me.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
Pages read: 138 of 337
When I requested this book for review, I had thought it was Christian Fiction and would be clean... well it wasn't what I expected. There was a lot of cursing and that on its own made my opinion of Far From Here lower. If it would have just be one or two swear words, I could have accepted that, but the "D" word, "B" word, and others were used (there might have been even more had I continued reading).
I also found parts of the story very slow and sad. I finally decided to just not finish it and skip ahead to see how the story ends... let me say, that did not help my opinion at all.
I've read other reviews and some people seemed to have really enjoyed Far From Here - I wish that would have been the case for me.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher for my review. I was not required to give a positive review, only my honest opinion - which I've done. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.*
April 21, 2022
This story opens with the disappearance of a small plane in the wilds of Alaska and makes it way through the anguish of loss. Dani and Etsell grew up in a small town in Iowa . Each had a challenging homelife pocked by the loss of a parent and difficult people. They married soon after high school and strove to make a good life together. Etsell's love of flying never wins over Dani's enthusiasm. A crack opens up between them.
This story centers on Dani efferts to cope with not knowing what happened or where her husband might be. She knows he is missing and likely dead but trying to live and grieve and forgive and continue on is almost overwhelming.
I enjoyed the story. The characters were lifelike. I found the style of writing a little strange somehow. Overall, it was a good enough little read.
This story centers on Dani efferts to cope with not knowing what happened or where her husband might be. She knows he is missing and likely dead but trying to live and grieve and forgive and continue on is almost overwhelming.
I enjoyed the story. The characters were lifelike. I found the style of writing a little strange somehow. Overall, it was a good enough little read.
August 24, 2024
I would give this 3.5 if I could. Wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was. Worth a read.
February 12, 2017
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.
Have you come across a book that ended up taking you by surprise? FAR FROM HERE was that book for me. When I came across this book while I was at the library, I didn’t know what to expect, I had never read book by this author before. It was the cover, the title that drew my attention to the story. Once I read the summary, my curiosity for the story grew more and by reading it, I was eager to find out how it was going to end, if we wo ill find out what happened Etsell. FAR FROM HERE had a mystery mixed in it, and one of reasons that had me curious because I love books that have any sort mystery in it. How can you not be curious about someone’s mysterious disappearance on the plane? You can’t help but wonder if there is a chance that Etsell might be somewhere out there, hurt? Or if there is chance that he left by choice. I feel like by the end that the issue isn’t discovered.
Etsell and Danica are unlikely pair. It is mostly because Etsell is a pilot and Danica is terrified of flying. I did wonder if their marriage would survived if he did come back, especially after what Samantha confessed to about Etsell and her. Would she forgiven him? Even I was in shock, from what I read through the novel, I could tell that Etsell was crazy about Danica. Cheating was last thought that entered me when it was discovered that Samantha went missing too. I was in shock and I could feel Danica’s emotions, anger, betrayal, even if it was a mistake. In the end he still hurt her. I am just glad that her sisters were there though it all, especially Kat, and there was Hazel and Benjamin. I don’t think that she would made it through this, if it wasn’t for them.
Emotions in this novel were magical. I could feel every single emotion that the characters were feeling, especially Danica, as if I was right there besides her. It was hard for me to not get drawn into this book, the story. I loved every single page. I was actually sad when I reached the last page, but at same time relieved that Danica was able to move past what had happened.
A beautiful, touching, heart aching story about love, loss, hope and moving on.
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.
Have you come across a book that ended up taking you by surprise? FAR FROM HERE was that book for me. When I came across this book while I was at the library, I didn’t know what to expect, I had never read book by this author before. It was the cover, the title that drew my attention to the story. Once I read the summary, my curiosity for the story grew more and by reading it, I was eager to find out how it was going to end, if we wo ill find out what happened Etsell. FAR FROM HERE had a mystery mixed in it, and one of reasons that had me curious because I love books that have any sort mystery in it. How can you not be curious about someone’s mysterious disappearance on the plane? You can’t help but wonder if there is a chance that Etsell might be somewhere out there, hurt? Or if there is chance that he left by choice. I feel like by the end that the issue isn’t discovered.
Etsell and Danica are unlikely pair. It is mostly because Etsell is a pilot and Danica is terrified of flying. I did wonder if their marriage would survived if he did come back, especially after what Samantha confessed to about Etsell and her. Would she forgiven him? Even I was in shock, from what I read through the novel, I could tell that Etsell was crazy about Danica. Cheating was last thought that entered me when it was discovered that Samantha went missing too. I was in shock and I could feel Danica’s emotions, anger, betrayal, even if it was a mistake. In the end he still hurt her. I am just glad that her sisters were there though it all, especially Kat, and there was Hazel and Benjamin. I don’t think that she would made it through this, if it wasn’t for them.
Emotions in this novel were magical. I could feel every single emotion that the characters were feeling, especially Danica, as if I was right there besides her. It was hard for me to not get drawn into this book, the story. I loved every single page. I was actually sad when I reached the last page, but at same time relieved that Danica was able to move past what had happened.
A beautiful, touching, heart aching story about love, loss, hope and moving on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2012
I don't often finish a book that I don't particularly enjoy but I did finish this one. My reading time is limited and I would rather invest the time in a book that really grabs me. I was disappointed with this book and often turned back to the cover to make sure I really was reading a book authored by Nicole Baart. I have read every book that Nicole has written and have always made it a point to follow her as a Christian author. Her books are worth reading. But what confused me was the inclusion of profanities and the single incident of giving someone "the finger." In the world, this is not a big deal. But if you are counting on Nicole Baart to be an author who is "in the world, but not of it," this book may crinkle an eyebrow or two. After checking the cover multiple times in hopes that in some strange way I had read her name wrong, I had to look into who the publisher was. Maybe the publishing company asked her to include the language to be more marketable. I don't know. But if this is the direction that Nicole Baart has personally decided to take, I will unfortunately say goodbye to her as an author who I look forward to reading. This book didn't feel like Nicole's style or sound like Nicole's style. Just disappointing.
As for the story line, the premise was good. But it was a slow moving book. I skipped things that I didn't feel were necessary to the story line and could have easily been omitted. I skimmed and skipped here and there. I did want to find out what happened in the end and I am glad I did. The reason I have enjoyed Nicole so much in the past is that she was different than most Christian authors. She wrote about real life. But she did it without compromising. I liked that about her.
As for the story line, the premise was good. But it was a slow moving book. I skipped things that I didn't feel were necessary to the story line and could have easily been omitted. I skimmed and skipped here and there. I did want to find out what happened in the end and I am glad I did. The reason I have enjoyed Nicole so much in the past is that she was different than most Christian authors. She wrote about real life. But she did it without compromising. I liked that about her.
August 28, 2016
Far From Here by Nicole Baart is written like a classic author returned from the dead. It is not a book to read quickly. It is so well penned that each word must be savored like a fine wine. I would read a sentence and often have to reread it to make sure I grasped the entire meaning. Ms.Baart writes from her heart. This book is so full of emotion that I was gasping out loud. I believe any author that can stir a reader's emotions with their words is a genius. I was never sure how I wanted to feel as I read or what I wanted the outcome to be.
When I taught writing, I always told my students a great author grabs the reader's attention in the first paragraph and continues to keep the reader on an emotional roller coaster so they will want to keep turning the pages. A good author keeps the reader's attention until the end of the book, a great author makes the reader want more after the last sentence is read.
Ms. Baart is a great writer. She grab from the first paragraph with the hint of the forthcoming tragedy,and after the last sentence was read I was so sad. I wanted more. It ended too soon. I enjoyed the emotional roller coaster I was taken on and all the emotions that were stirred in me.
Reading groups will devour all the topics to be discussed---dreams, love, loss, relationships of all kinds,truth,secrets,hope,grief,and above all survival.
I recommend this book highly when you have a lot of time to devote to the beauty of the writing as well as the story itself. This is not a quick read. It is far too beautifully written for that.
When I taught writing, I always told my students a great author grabs the reader's attention in the first paragraph and continues to keep the reader on an emotional roller coaster so they will want to keep turning the pages. A good author keeps the reader's attention until the end of the book, a great author makes the reader want more after the last sentence is read.
Ms. Baart is a great writer. She grab from the first paragraph with the hint of the forthcoming tragedy,and after the last sentence was read I was so sad. I wanted more. It ended too soon. I enjoyed the emotional roller coaster I was taken on and all the emotions that were stirred in me.
Reading groups will devour all the topics to be discussed---dreams, love, loss, relationships of all kinds,truth,secrets,hope,grief,and above all survival.
I recommend this book highly when you have a lot of time to devote to the beauty of the writing as well as the story itself. This is not a quick read. It is far too beautifully written for that.
June 8, 2020
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.
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.
February 12, 2012
Nicole Baart can write. Her prose is beautiful, almost poetic. She manages to use a sophisticated vocabulary and yet not create a book that is hard to read. This is one of those infrequent books where the high quality of the writing itself speaks to me, makes me take notice. The story is not bad either.
Far from Here is published by Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The imprint is described as being for "faith-based" books. One of the characters is a minister but other than a funeral we don't see him performing as one--and we only hear a short, very generic prayer there. At one point Danica tells him that he never talks about God, to which he replies "I have...in lots of different ways". He later mentions that marriage is holy. While there are plenty of people in the book who would be well-served by a religious conversion, none happen. The book may be considered faith-based, and the Christian virtue of hope is definitely there, but if you are looking for a sermon dressed as a story, you will be disappointed.
If I had to render one criticism of the book it would be that I thought the ending was just a little too tidy. Still, I like happy endings. I'll give the book an A.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy.
Far from Here is published by Howard Books, an imprint of Simon & Schuster. The imprint is described as being for "faith-based" books. One of the characters is a minister but other than a funeral we don't see him performing as one--and we only hear a short, very generic prayer there. At one point Danica tells him that he never talks about God, to which he replies "I have...in lots of different ways". He later mentions that marriage is holy. While there are plenty of people in the book who would be well-served by a religious conversion, none happen. The book may be considered faith-based, and the Christian virtue of hope is definitely there, but if you are looking for a sermon dressed as a story, you will be disappointed.
If I had to render one criticism of the book it would be that I thought the ending was just a little too tidy. Still, I like happy endings. I'll give the book an A.
Thanks to the publisher for providing a complimentary review copy.
April 21, 2012
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
May 8, 2012
This book was very good though I would definitely classify it as Women's Fiction for more than a few reasons. I enjoyed the main character's failings and fears as much as I did her hopes and dreams. The fear she has of flying sticks to my mind the most as it should and at the same time I wonder if the fear is also based in a desire to have something to defeat when she needs it.
So much happens to our hero that I am glad she has her family around though I really do wonder why the only male focus in the book is the neighbor pastor. I would have rated the book higher if there had been more male presence I believe. The author mentions the sisters and mother of our hero having male friends but you never hear of or see them.
I did also enjoy the notes that came with the book and the reading group guide/book club questions though I am sure I will never use them.
So much happens to our hero that I am glad she has her family around though I really do wonder why the only male focus in the book is the neighbor pastor. I would have rated the book higher if there had been more male presence I believe. The author mentions the sisters and mother of our hero having male friends but you never hear of or see them.
I did also enjoy the notes that came with the book and the reading group guide/book club questions though I am sure I will never use them.
July 29, 2013
I liked it. This is one of those books I'd throw across the room then hug tight, afraid someone might see me in the pages like I saw myself. The characters were each well-devoloped to the point of wondering who I should root for. The story laced with love, fear, and hate was really...um, real? It was good--um, really good.
This book was definetly what I needed. It wove a tale I could relate to, one everyone would rather ignore. A story about real love--how it starts out unstoppable then wanes into a chore. It was definetly a bittersweet tale that didn't promise enjoyment as much as caution. A simply complicated story warning us not to love unless we really mean "'till death". Some people read for laughs, but a reminder about what makes life beautiful but hard in a novel is good too.
I'm pretty sure everyone will hate it, but I'm going to reccommend it. :)
This book was definetly what I needed. It wove a tale I could relate to, one everyone would rather ignore. A story about real love--how it starts out unstoppable then wanes into a chore. It was definetly a bittersweet tale that didn't promise enjoyment as much as caution. A simply complicated story warning us not to love unless we really mean "'till death". Some people read for laughs, but a reminder about what makes life beautiful but hard in a novel is good too.
February 7, 2012
Received this ARC from Amazon Vine.
This is the fifth novel by Nicole Baart; my first by her.
Danica Greene and her husband, Etsell, seem to be an unlikely couple. Danica is extremely afraid of flying; Etsell is a pilot. Even her Hazel, her mother-in-law, questions how the two of them ended up married. Etsell disappears shortly after taking off from an airport in Seward, Alaska. Danica is left wandering if he is dead, left her, or just lost in the wilderness.
Danica's first-person accounts read like dairy pages; you get a great feel for her emotions - you get dragged into the moment she is reliving.
Great first read from this author; looking forward to more by her.
This is the fifth novel by Nicole Baart; my first by her.
Danica Greene and her husband, Etsell, seem to be an unlikely couple. Danica is extremely afraid of flying; Etsell is a pilot. Even her Hazel, her mother-in-law, questions how the two of them ended up married. Etsell disappears shortly after taking off from an airport in Seward, Alaska. Danica is left wandering if he is dead, left her, or just lost in the wilderness.
Danica's first-person accounts read like dairy pages; you get a great feel for her emotions - you get dragged into the moment she is reliving.
Great first read from this author; looking forward to more by her.
October 22, 2012
I generally LIKE "Christian" writers...Often the author will give a view through her/his writings that will enlighten me in a principle I had not seen in that view before...HOWEVER, this particular story...did NOT do that for me. Inserted in the story...were things that I would not have expected a "Christian" writer to have expressed...Example: "giving the finger"...and a bit of "language"...Wasn't necessary to the story...
The story had potential. A great story is one I would desire to READ again and possibly...AGAIN! This is NOT one of them...
The story had potential. A great story is one I would desire to READ again and possibly...AGAIN! This is NOT one of them...
April 10, 2012
Nicole Baart is consistently one of my favorite authors. Why? She captures the hearts of strugglers so well. She mines their inner landscape. And she pulls off surprising, twisty stories that keep me turning pages. Far From Here kept me turning the page. She accurately portrayed the complexity of grief, particularly over losing someone who didn't always do things right. Baart's words represent reality, truth, and the beauty of human relationships.
October 14, 2023
This was much better than The Moment Between. I’m going to choose that the baby in the epilogue is Ben’s and Dani’s, and that Estelle’s whore had to take responsibility for her part in the adultery. If Dani had taken the illegitimate child as her own would have only brought her daily heartbreak as it would have been a daily reminder of the betrays of her husband.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 27, 2013
I hate it when I work my way through a book, and then it leaves me guessing at the end. This book leaves too many unanswered questions. Go ahead and read it if you like to supply your own ending, but if you want answers at the end, pass it by.
March 31, 2012
I thought it needed a lot of edits. long and somewhat boring
February 1, 2014
Found it to be little more than soap opera material.
October 24, 2016
A decent story...but a pokey pace, and the inclusion of profanities and sexual description, which was shocking for a Christian novel. Discerning readers can do much better.
April 15, 2019
I am going to Alaska in a few months, so I’m listening to audiobooks that are set in Alaska. Kind of trying to immerse myself in the culture and setting before I get there. I’m also trying to read varying genres to get a wide variety of viewpoints and experiences. So, I found Far From Here by Nicole Baart, a women’s fiction novel which is partially set in Alaska. Let me first say this is not an Alaska novel. A few scenes are set in that state, but the majority of the novel takes place in the main character’s small Iowa town. Alaska is a big symbol, though, for Danica Greene the young woman who is at the center of Far From Here. It is the place where her hopes and dreams of the future vanish. This novel is labeled as Christian fiction (its publisher is a Christian imprint), but it is far different from the traditional offerings found in CF. This novel is edgy, to say the least. The characters’ lives are really messy. They drink, swear, and sleep around (albeit off the page). And while the center of the novel is the disappearance of Danica’s husband, the novel is really about the lies, half-truths, and deceptions we tell others and ourselves. I really liked this book. It was not an easy read — for most of the book despair and depression dominate. But the hope found in the end was well worth all the angst along the way. This book made me think; it would be a great book club selection. Far From Here is told in the first person recollections of Danica and in an objective third person voice. This style allowed the reader to get in the head of the main character, while at the same time understand all that was actually going on. The audiobook employed two readers to great effect.
As I stated, I liked this book. Would I recommend it? Yes, but with a caveat for those who just don’t want to read a book with adult language and situations.
Recommended (with a warning for language and adult situations.)
Audience: adults.
(I purchase the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
As I stated, I liked this book. Would I recommend it? Yes, but with a caveat for those who just don’t want to read a book with adult language and situations.
Recommended (with a warning for language and adult situations.)
Audience: adults.
(I purchase the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
October 20, 2020
I had fully intended to give this book 1 star until the last quarter. I really wasn't loving Dani's character, and I felt any of hers or the other character's redemption would have been too little too late by the end, but Baart pulled it together and I really loved the ending. Only reason I can't give it more stars is that even though this is advertised as Christian fiction, it really isn't. There is an underlying Christian theme, but there is SOME language, and God is only mentioned in an ethereal, detached way. I don't have to have a sermon preached to me in my Christian fiction, but I never appreciate ministerial characters who seem hesitant to bring God up so as not to spook anyone away. I think it's a cop-out for authors to not dig deep. That being said if you mostly read Christian fiction and you would like a break from the "Hallmark-y", neat and tidy story lines that seem to pervade the genre I think Nicole Baart would be a good direction.
November 10, 2022
Prima dată când am zburat cu el, am crezut că aveam să-mi dau duhul. Nu știu dacă în acea dimineață a fost un accident, o lovitură norocoasă, o lovitură a sorții sau o pură întâmplare care m-a ademenit în carlingă. În împrejurări normale, n-aș fi atins nici cu vârful degetului mic de la picior
micuțul Cessna 180 roșu cu alb pe care Etsell îl folosea ca să le dea lecții de zbor piloților începători. Dar elevul programat nu a mai apărut, iar avionul era alimentat și gata de plecare, așteptând pe pistă decolarea. Mă ascunsesem în hangar cu brațele strânse la piept ca să mă apăr de
frigul primăverii venite mai devreme în timp ce Hazel trăncănea fără oprire despre nepotul ei care era în armată. Mai târziu, m-am întrebat dacă a fost ceva aranjat, dacă mă ispitise cu o cană de cafea proaspătă și cu ochii ei căprui ca de cățeluș, ațintiți asupra mea. Dar, la ora aceea, nu eram în stare decât să mă gândesc că părul ei sârmos avea disperată nevoie de un spălat corespunz��tor și de un coafat.
micuțul Cessna 180 roșu cu alb pe care Etsell îl folosea ca să le dea lecții de zbor piloților începători. Dar elevul programat nu a mai apărut, iar avionul era alimentat și gata de plecare, așteptând pe pistă decolarea. Mă ascunsesem în hangar cu brațele strânse la piept ca să mă apăr de
frigul primăverii venite mai devreme în timp ce Hazel trăncănea fără oprire despre nepotul ei care era în armată. Mai târziu, m-am întrebat dacă a fost ceva aranjat, dacă mă ispitise cu o cană de cafea proaspătă și cu ochii ei căprui ca de cățeluș, ațintiți asupra mea. Dar, la ora aceea, nu eram în stare decât să mă gândesc că părul ei sârmos avea disperată nevoie de un spălat corespunz��tor și de un coafat.
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