What do you think?
Rate this book
Dorsetville
On a Wing and a Prayer
The New England town of Dorsetville, “where miracles are never far away,” faces unexpected challenges in this much-anticipated fourth volume of Katherine Valentine’s beloved series.
The rumor mill is running at full the Country Kettle Café, meeting place for everyone who’s anyone, may close down now that the owner’s wife has struck it rich. Deputy Hill is devastated over his open-ended assignment to the graveyard shift, his just desserts for having nearly wrecked a car and a wedding in one unfortunate mishap.
Then tragedy the Gallagher twins are fighting for their lives after a fall through the ice—one on life support and the other in a coma. Doc Hammond is waging his own battle for life while helping the twins. More than ever, Dorsetville needs a miracle.
The rumor mill is running at full the Country Kettle Café, meeting place for everyone who’s anyone, may close down now that the owner’s wife has struck it rich. Deputy Hill is devastated over his open-ended assignment to the graveyard shift, his just desserts for having nearly wrecked a car and a wedding in one unfortunate mishap.
Then tragedy the Gallagher twins are fighting for their lives after a fall through the ice—one on life support and the other in a coma. Doc Hammond is waging his own battle for life while helping the twins. More than ever, Dorsetville needs a miracle.
256 pages, Paperback
First published October 4, 2005
10 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
September 6, 2015
This is a lovely book.
I did wonder whether I was going to enjoy the travels of a lone woman through the rainforests of central and South America in search of lots of things including Harpy Eagles – but I very much did.
Sarah Woods now works for the RSPB, which I didn’t realise until I got to the end of the book, but I did realise she was keen on birds. She tells you which birds she sees on her travels and she seeks out particular birds, with the elusive, powerful, Harpy Eagle as the biggest prize. Did she one? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Sarah Woods did see an Andean Condor and the description of that sighting, and of many other sightings of various wildlife, is well written. I felt I was sharing the author’s excitement through reading her words.
The description of helping a woman in some jungle to give birth was quite interesting and memorable, but nowhere near as interesting and memorable as the description of capuchin monkeys sticking their fingers behind each others’ eyeballs. I knew women had babies, but I didn’t know that monkeys did that! I cringed at the thought of it. Isn’t nature wonderful? Is it?
Sarah has been a travel writer, writing both books and also for many newspapers and magazines. The descriptions of the places, but particularly of the people and their lives, elevated this book well above an elongated birding trip. There is shape-shifting and drug smuggling, sloths and snakes, hammocks and rutted roads. There is gunfire too. This book is about a lot more than getting to see (or not?) a Harpy Eagle.
I don’t think I’ll ever go to the jungles of South America – they seem hot, sweaty and full of biting things, but I was very glad to read this excellent account of people, places and wildlife, including, perhaps, a Harpy Eagle.
This review first appeared on Mark Avery's blog http://markavery.info/2015/05/17/sund...
I did wonder whether I was going to enjoy the travels of a lone woman through the rainforests of central and South America in search of lots of things including Harpy Eagles – but I very much did.
Sarah Woods now works for the RSPB, which I didn’t realise until I got to the end of the book, but I did realise she was keen on birds. She tells you which birds she sees on her travels and she seeks out particular birds, with the elusive, powerful, Harpy Eagle as the biggest prize. Did she one? You’ll have to read the book to find out.
Sarah Woods did see an Andean Condor and the description of that sighting, and of many other sightings of various wildlife, is well written. I felt I was sharing the author’s excitement through reading her words.
The description of helping a woman in some jungle to give birth was quite interesting and memorable, but nowhere near as interesting and memorable as the description of capuchin monkeys sticking their fingers behind each others’ eyeballs. I knew women had babies, but I didn’t know that monkeys did that! I cringed at the thought of it. Isn’t nature wonderful? Is it?
Sarah has been a travel writer, writing both books and also for many newspapers and magazines. The descriptions of the places, but particularly of the people and their lives, elevated this book well above an elongated birding trip. There is shape-shifting and drug smuggling, sloths and snakes, hammocks and rutted roads. There is gunfire too. This book is about a lot more than getting to see (or not?) a Harpy Eagle.
I don’t think I’ll ever go to the jungles of South America – they seem hot, sweaty and full of biting things, but I was very glad to read this excellent account of people, places and wildlife, including, perhaps, a Harpy Eagle.
This review first appeared on Mark Avery's blog http://markavery.info/2015/05/17/sund...
January 14, 2016
I didn't finish this. The book has yellow paper & tiny print, which may have put me off, but I found myself reading faster & faster, skipping more and more. I found this author boring and I couldn't get interested in her writing. When I got to the bit about a man turning into a snake, I was interested, but I didn't find what she wrote about shamanism gripping, so I thought, well, if she can't hold me on a topic I'm fascinated by, then why bother?
Then I read the bit about the natural childbirth and how marvellous it was and how awful and artificial our 'intravenous drip, medical gowns, beeping monitors, austere medical staff, elective cesarean or numbing pain relief' are. This annoyed me and this is probably why I didn't get on with the author. She is so naive. Natural childbirth is marvellous when the process goes well. Her list of awful medicine is what women need when it goes wrong, Nature will happily kill us - HAPPILY!! Be honest - what would you rather have, a cesarean or an obstetric fistula? It shouldn't take longer than ten minutes research to find out what can go wrong if you don't have access to medical care. Another ten minutes on infant mortality rates and death in childbirth wouldn't go amiss either.
I think it's worrying that educated women are still so unaware of how much we owe to the mechanics of society. It's fashionable to complain about society and politicians, but the reality is that without clean water, good food, education and all the other benefits of a solid infrastructure, we females would not be free to waft around the world enjoying nature.
Then I read the bit about the natural childbirth and how marvellous it was and how awful and artificial our 'intravenous drip, medical gowns, beeping monitors, austere medical staff, elective cesarean or numbing pain relief' are. This annoyed me and this is probably why I didn't get on with the author. She is so naive. Natural childbirth is marvellous when the process goes well. Her list of awful medicine is what women need when it goes wrong, Nature will happily kill us - HAPPILY!! Be honest - what would you rather have, a cesarean or an obstetric fistula? It shouldn't take longer than ten minutes research to find out what can go wrong if you don't have access to medical care. Another ten minutes on infant mortality rates and death in childbirth wouldn't go amiss either.
I think it's worrying that educated women are still so unaware of how much we owe to the mechanics of society. It's fashionable to complain about society and politicians, but the reality is that without clean water, good food, education and all the other benefits of a solid infrastructure, we females would not be free to waft around the world enjoying nature.
June 3, 2016
Product warning: this book will infect you with an insatiable urge to travel to Central/South America.
The prose isn't as soaring as a lot of the nature writing pouring into bookshops at the moment, but Woods' accounts of various different trips into the rainforest, to see wildlife and occasionally live with indigenous tribes, are detailed and immersive. Birders will especially love the profusion of birdlife, and for the non-birders like myself, the names of the many species are a delight - jacaranda, mountaingem, quetzal...
Woods is hard not to admire. She throws herself into the landscapes and cultures she visits, and does good when she can. She never makes a link between climate change and the enormous number of airmiles she's clocked up, but then again, that's the paradox of travelling to see and protect the natural world.
I consider myself somewhat of a traveller, but I'll never reach the level that Woods does. And that's OK - the way she narrates allows the reader to fall into her footsteps, see through her eyes. You'll enter tombs filled with carved walls; climb a giant tree; ford rivers; clamber up hills and through mud; and your mind will fill with the deafening colour of the rainforest.
I can't recommend this enough for anyone who enjoys going abroad in search of wildlife and wild places.
The prose isn't as soaring as a lot of the nature writing pouring into bookshops at the moment, but Woods' accounts of various different trips into the rainforest, to see wildlife and occasionally live with indigenous tribes, are detailed and immersive. Birders will especially love the profusion of birdlife, and for the non-birders like myself, the names of the many species are a delight - jacaranda, mountaingem, quetzal...
Woods is hard not to admire. She throws herself into the landscapes and cultures she visits, and does good when she can. She never makes a link between climate change and the enormous number of airmiles she's clocked up, but then again, that's the paradox of travelling to see and protect the natural world.
I consider myself somewhat of a traveller, but I'll never reach the level that Woods does. And that's OK - the way she narrates allows the reader to fall into her footsteps, see through her eyes. You'll enter tombs filled with carved walls; climb a giant tree; ford rivers; clamber up hills and through mud; and your mind will fill with the deafening colour of the rainforest.
I can't recommend this enough for anyone who enjoys going abroad in search of wildlife and wild places.
September 7, 2015
I rarely give a book 5 stars - but this book, I think, deserved them. I also rarely read books by naturalists, about birds and plants. I picked up this book because of a planned trip to Colombia and Panama. Woods' writing about nature is both fascinating, beautiful and - when she is in some danger (being stalked by a jaguar, in extremely difficult terrain) exciting. Her descriptions of the birds, people, wildlife that she came across in her very adventurous travels kept me spell-bound. I also liked her references to her personal life and the story that got her to the traveling she loves so much.
September 16, 2015
Give me a book about small towns, quirky people, quirky situations, and feel-good, uplifting inspiration, and I am thrilled. When I discovered this series, I was eager to read more; but this one just had way too much going on for me to feel any real empathy or sympathy for the characters. The plot was choppy and moved from one tragic situation to another until each character was blessed with the miracle they needed to ease their pain. The miracle came at the conclusion of the book and blanketed all concerned and all was well. I just didn't finish the book feeling good or uplifted. I just felt disappointed and couldn't take the spiritual message to heart this time.
September 3, 2009
This is the 4th in the series and equally as well written. I love the people of Dorsetville and hate to say good-bye to them. This was a fast very enjoyable Christian story. I'm glad I have more by this author.
January 29, 2016
An enchanting account of an intimate encounter with nature..
March 20, 2017
I love this series of books - all about Dorsetville and it's citizens. The series reminds me of "Prairie Home Companion" except in novel length. Sometimes I get bored, but then seconds later I find myself laughing . . . or in tears. Just good reads.
February 22, 2023
Book - 4.5 stars
Narration by John McDonough - 5 stars
Narration by John McDonough - 5 stars
October 11, 2024
Listened on Audible.
February 3, 2020
This book is a combination of good and bad. I don't mean average or mediocre. I don't mean gray. It's not a mix, but a combination. Black and white, like a dalmatian.
On the plus side, it is full of information, about adventures in exotic places and with strange peoples and cultures and an exotic nation. The author seems to be very experienced, having seen and done a lot. She being a woman is another big plus, as she has had access to places and people that a man could not.
On the minus side, the author has a tendency to brag and exaggerate; and her writing style and the context do not fit (just like how my writing style does not fit this review, but you've probably guessed it: mine is intentional).
She has a habit of handling adjectives as bullets, shooting short bursts of them at the reader just like turrets. She comes up with the most out-of-place figures of speech that one could get; forgetting that she's not Shakespeare and this is not Hamlet:
Huh?
Inevitably, such elaborate style leads to clumsy mistakes:
Bottleneck? I don't think it means what you think it means. Did you mean a geographical barrier?
It's the kind of text that you feel you cannot trust: it has been written by someone who is quite open to superstition and has no reservations about exaggerating. Just read the part about the truck-sized catfish that swallowed a dog, or the family guy who turned into an anaconda! (Yeah, that's in the book, and it seems the author actually believes it really happened). Reading such sentences undermines the overall value of the book, making you second guess the authenticity of her narrative. Her knowledge seems to be vast, but I'm sure she could've benefitted from a better editor.
On the plus side, it is full of information, about adventures in exotic places and with strange peoples and cultures and an exotic nation. The author seems to be very experienced, having seen and done a lot. She being a woman is another big plus, as she has had access to places and people that a man could not.
On the minus side, the author has a tendency to brag and exaggerate; and her writing style and the context do not fit (just like how my writing style does not fit this review, but you've probably guessed it: mine is intentional).
She has a habit of handling adjectives as bullets, shooting short bursts of them at the reader just like turrets. She comes up with the most out-of-place figures of speech that one could get; forgetting that she's not Shakespeare and this is not Hamlet:
I let the unfamiliar words wash over me as I drink in the textures of each new sound.
Huh?
Inevitably, such elaborate style leads to clumsy mistakes:
The jungle became a bottleneck for the continent’s wildlife, with deer, tapir, bear and cat heading south, and sloth, monkey, marsupial, armadillo and anteater going north.
Bottleneck? I don't think it means what you think it means. Did you mean a geographical barrier?
It's the kind of text that you feel you cannot trust: it has been written by someone who is quite open to superstition and has no reservations about exaggerating. Just read the part about the truck-sized catfish that swallowed a dog, or the family guy who turned into an anaconda! (Yeah, that's in the book, and it seems the author actually believes it really happened). Reading such sentences undermines the overall value of the book, making you second guess the authenticity of her narrative. Her knowledge seems to be vast, but I'm sure she could've benefitted from a better editor.
April 30, 2022
Sarah is a journalist and travel writer who promotes the wildish tourism places of Panama and the Andes. She writes with a light, positive style, mixing statistics with breathless wonder, exaggeration of the risks she is taking and with a focus on the conservation ethos of native communities with whom she sometimes stays. Her freelance, free spirited life style means that there her search for the Harpy Eagle is a loose theme. A guide leads her to a recently poached nest in the Darian forest, as she steps around a python and keeps at bay stinging insects. Online this adventure promotes the eagle nest, so she was unlucky to see it. She explores national parks, touching lightly on environmental and indigenous issues but exploring in depth more existential experiences such as shape changing and the hallucinogenic properties of ayahuasca. Sarah is child like, naive and dreamlike in her continual exploration of the world as she experiences a myriad of natural wonders and spiritual awakening. We learn snippets of her childhood and the trauma of her parents divorce when she was 6 years old, which she reflects may have lead to her wanderlust. Sarah identifies some of the wildlife and plants along the way (as she says the Harpy is a keystone species and their survival is entwined with other species) which allowed me to look them up, but typically these wonders are a backdrop which undermines her supposed connection to the Harpy and it's plight. It's really a book about eco tourism and National Parks. At the end of the book she goes back to where she started, sees the Harpy and reflects on her journey.
July 4, 2015
I was reluctant to read this book when it arrived for review - it was still in manuscript form making it seem cumbersome. Sarah Woods, however, matter-of-fact writing engages you allowing you to be part of her adventure through Central & South America. While her focus is to see a rare hawk in its natural habitat, one can easily not be a birder and enjoy Woods exploration of various cultures and the lush environments she explores. It may just inspire those female readers who have contemplated a far adventure solo to take the leap for as Sarah Woods explains, there is something to be said when one travels alone.
June 12, 2015
One of the recurring discussions in the world of nature writing is the problem of tone. Given the sheer magnitude of the issues facing our planet, to write optimistically can feel dishonest, sometimes like a betrayal. At the same time, nonstop pessimism can burn out even the most committed activists, and gives casual readers no reason to get on board. How do we navigate these waters?... (full review here)
May 24, 2016
What a fun book to listen to. The book is a light read even with heavy subject matter. I enjoy hearing from different perspectives of the characters and it didn't bother me at all that there were so many. It was like visiting a small town and getting to know all the people. Very fun and the narrator John McDonogh made it come alive!
July 6, 2016
I started reading this prior to my trip to Panama. I was eager and interested and it started out okay. It was informative but at times long and parts of it felt over-dramatized. Now that I've seen my own Harpy Eagle in the wild, I don't really have a desire to finish.
December 4, 2008
This is the sequel to "Grace will Lead me home". I liked it better. There are also two before this book.
Read
June 15, 2009this is probably book 4 in the Dorsetville St. Celcilia's Church series
1483/796kindle
1160
950
1483/796kindle
1160
950
September 19, 2010
Excellent read!!
Read
June 7, 2013Read in 2007
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews