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27th out of 528 books
—
545 voters
From a Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections #1)
by
Tamera Alexander (Goodreads Author)
What happens when the realization of a dream isn't what you imagined... and the secret you've spent a lifetime guarding is finally laid bare?
Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, th...more
Determined to become one of the country's premier newspaper photographers, Elizabeth Westbrook travels to the Colorado Territory to capture the grandeur of the mountains surrounding the remote town of Timber Ridge. She hopes, too, th...more
Paperback, 381 pages
Published
June 1st 2008
by Bethany House Publishers
(first published January 1st 2008)
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Elizabeth Westbrook's dream of becoming a newpaper photographer whose work is accepted under her own name (instead of a male pen name), is put to the test when she travels to the untamed Colorado Territory. Her assignment is to take pictures of the area's majestic countryside and surreptitiously investigate the feasibility of investors back east developing the area around the town of Timber Ridge into a resort property. Elizabeth is a strong, prickly character whose occasionally abrasive manner...more
won this in a giveaway. Such a romantic and touching story!
I really liked this book! It was an old fashioned story of a womean photograer going the distance in those long skirts of back in the day.
The illness that almost left her flat and the man who really had her going through out the story....I read this while at my grandmothers home and didn't have my computer with me. I do remember reading this book pretty quickly because I was so enjoying the story. Fun to read about how they did things with photography back in the day with a great stroy!
Here on G...more
The illness that almost left her flat and the man who really had her going through out the story....I read this while at my grandmothers home and didn't have my computer with me. I do remember reading this book pretty quickly because I was so enjoying the story. Fun to read about how they did things with photography back in the day with a great stroy!
Here on G...more
I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to reading book 2. Though not overly exciting, it was completely enjoyable as the story line easily draws you in. My favorite part was when Elizabeth and Daniel meet. (Read it, you'll see.)
I felt the Tamera did an excellent job with the characters. They were well thought out and easy to like. Miss Elizabeth has some spiritual growing that needs to take place and Mr. Daniel needs to let go of the past and hand it over to God. The journey the two...more
I felt the Tamera did an excellent job with the characters. They were well thought out and easy to like. Miss Elizabeth has some spiritual growing that needs to take place and Mr. Daniel needs to let go of the past and hand it over to God. The journey the two...more
In an effort to win a coveted photography position at one of the countries most popular newspapers in the summer of 1875 Elizabeth is willing to travel across the country alone to prove that she can do what any man can do, and better. She is quietly taking photos of the most beautiful landscapes and animals that she can find with the help of Josiah, a freed slave who she hired to assist her. Josiah and Elizabeth are like kindred spirits, they can poke fun, gently reprimand and support eachother...more
In this, what seemed to be the start of Alexander's Timber Ridge series, she gives us several strong characters set against the Rocky Mountains in Colorado Territory around 1875. The leader character is Elizabeth Garrett Westbrook, erstwhile correspondent and photographer for a Washington paper. In her early 30's she has travelled to captives pictures of the legendary country and the cliff dwellings she's heard of. Her goal is the become a permanent reporter for the paper. Her father a Union gen...more
I enjoyed this book; I didn't love it...but it was a good read.
Elizabeth is a likable character, and you can't help but sympathize for her (what with her "lung ailment" and all). Typically, women in historical novels are either completely subdued and walked all over, or completely rebellious against current society and complete feminists. It's rare to find a female character who is a good balance of both. Alexander accomplished this quite well with Elizabeth. Though adamant, stubborn (bordering...more
Elizabeth is a likable character, and you can't help but sympathize for her (what with her "lung ailment" and all). Typically, women in historical novels are either completely subdued and walked all over, or completely rebellious against current society and complete feminists. It's rare to find a female character who is a good balance of both. Alexander accomplished this quite well with Elizabeth. Though adamant, stubborn (bordering...more
This is the first book in the series "Timber Ridge Reflections" by Tamera Alexander. Rocky Mountain Colorado Territory, April 15, 1875, Elizabeth Garrett Westbrook had left her home in Washington, DC to presume her career as a Newspaper reporter and photography. Her father is a US Senator and her mom had died at the age of thirty-three of a lung illness. She also had another reason she was in Timber Ridge and used the camera and her love of it as am excuse. She met a mountain man to say, and she...more
I read some of Alexander's books a few months ago and thought they were ok. I was really surprised with this one. I really like historical romances and this book was really good. I was hooked- I loved the suspense of how the male and the female characters would discover the love they held for each other. Their lives intersected in the past by extreme circumstances- it was fun piecing the puzzle together as the book moved along. It also had a spiritual theme- our experiences truly make us who we...more
Alexander weaves a captivating story about Elizabeth Westbrook, a woman photographer in the late 1800s who aspires to be a reporter for the Washington Chronicle. Her ambitions bring her west, to the beautiful Colorado territories and to Timber Ridge as she endeavours to capture the natural beauty of the area with her camera. I enjoyed reading about the cumbersome task of taking a photo in those times and appreciated how Alexander describes this with just enough detail without being overly techni...more
I must like the sub genre of Christian romance because I seem to gravitate to it again and again, at least in the past few months, and I have also come again and again to this author. However, I seem to consistently give these books two-star and three-star ratings. Very illogical. But true. As a sub genre, the Christian romance novels seem to meander around here and there and they seem to take a great deal of time in their meandering. The writing itself (the putting together of words, apart from...more
I was very impressed with the writing of this book. I always hesitate a little going into Christian fiction, sometimes all they do is pray and preach and the story gets lost. There was none of that is this. The story was the base of this book and it was very powerful and moving. The main character I liked and learned to love as the book went on. I like how she saw in herself the changes that needed to be made and made them. The leading man was awesome and I totally fell in love with him and how...more
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I couldn’t wait to pick up FROM A DISTANCE and fall in love with another book by Tamera Alexander. That is why I was so surprised when I found the beginning dragging. I felt the story got off to a slow start. All the key ingredients were there but somehow it didn’t grab me. I was determined to hang on because of my love of Alexander’s previous series . . . and I’m glad I did. Though it took about seventy pages before I felt the momentum building, the rest of the book was a pure delight.
As we fo...more
As we fo...more
For some reason, when I bought this book (Kindle edition) I missed the "2009 historical ROMANCE winner." Hence, the three stars are for my personal preferences. I'm sure, for the genre, it's a five star book.
But I avoid romances, mostly because of the often implausible forced coincidences that keep the protagonist and her guy at odds throughout the book. This one I hoped would be different, and Iwas disappointed. I was reading passages that made me groan with the often comical happenstance. I'm...more
But I avoid romances, mostly because of the often implausible forced coincidences that keep the protagonist and her guy at odds throughout the book. This one I hoped would be different, and Iwas disappointed. I was reading passages that made me groan with the often comical happenstance. I'm...more
Although I rated this book with only 3 stars, I really don't think it had anything to do with Tamera Alexander's writing or the story itself. I enjoyed the main plot and the way the other details of the sub plots were woven into the story. I especially enjoyed Josiah's character. I think I just had a hard time connecting with the heroine which I've found lately either makes or breaks a book for me. Elizabeth was a likeable personality but I didn't feel that she put God first in her life. She cla...more
This inspirational romance was a pure delight to read. The historical aspects of the writing were well researched and quite informative. I loved how the author clearly explained photography during the time frame of the story. The plot was well laid out and developed. The main character, a young lady that was looking to make her way in the world that was at the point in history dominated by men. Her struggles to achieve her goals are the main aspect of this story, the love interest actually takes...more
I'm having a hard time deciding between 3 and 4 stars for this one.
the predictable romantic storyline and weak mystery point me towards 3 stars, but the fact that this was so well written in every other aspect rewards it with 4 stars.
'From a Distance' takes place shortly after the Civil War in the Colorado territory. I've never read anything by Tamera Alexander before, and I was pleasantly surprised by her wonderful writing style. Her characters and the setting were very well written. I didn't...more
the predictable romantic storyline and weak mystery point me towards 3 stars, but the fact that this was so well written in every other aspect rewards it with 4 stars.
'From a Distance' takes place shortly after the Civil War in the Colorado territory. I've never read anything by Tamera Alexander before, and I was pleasantly surprised by her wonderful writing style. Her characters and the setting were very well written. I didn't...more
This is a period book which occurs in west after the civil war and before there were federal protection for many of the beautiful places we now love to visit. It is an adventure, a love story and a mystery. The main character is a woman who goes west to take a the perfect photo to land a job at a newspaper at a time that women journalist were rare. She tells her father, a war veteran and US Senator, that she is going to teach school in a territory without teachers. She teams up with a free black...more
The landscaping and setting of the Colorado Territory really comes alive with the vivid description in the story set in the post civil war era. The beginning of the book gets off to a slow start, but I kept thinking it has to get better because it's a Tamera Alexander book. The Heroine, Elizabeth, was not very likeable. I found her to be very self centered, rude, and quite deceptive. Of course, by the end of the book she is a totally changed character and becomes very likeable. Josiah, was a fav...more
This was the first book I've read by Tamara Alexander. It won't be the last.
This book is the first of the Timber Ridge Reflections series. Elizabeth Westwood, newspaper photographer and daughter of a U.S. Senator, travels to the small Colorado settlement to photograph the natural splendor, as well as check out prospective land developments. For a guide, she hires Daniel Ranslett. Daniel has been living a reclusive life in the Rocky Mountains as he tries to recover from the scars of the Civil War...more
This book is the first of the Timber Ridge Reflections series. Elizabeth Westwood, newspaper photographer and daughter of a U.S. Senator, travels to the small Colorado settlement to photograph the natural splendor, as well as check out prospective land developments. For a guide, she hires Daniel Ranslett. Daniel has been living a reclusive life in the Rocky Mountains as he tries to recover from the scars of the Civil War...more
"From a Distance" is an emotional read that delves into some moments in history (i.e., war and slavery), that makes some of us just as uncomfortable as it does the book's main characters, Elizabeth, Daniel and Josiah. But Tamera Alexander is a master storyteller who makes the story easy to read and digest, even while causing the reader to reflect upon its message for our own lives. What I appreciated most is that that the story is historically accurate and memorable and the characters are well d...more
Though I like Tamera Alexander "alot" this book just wasn't as good as most, though it is certainly an okay read. I think it was partly because she was spending time setting up the next couple of books with this one, hence the relationships between several characters are still very much unresolved. But also, the relationship between the main characters was kind of hit and miss for me. I hade a love/dislike relationship with Elizabeth; she seemed so self-centered at many times in the book. Howeve...more
I liked this book. I say that with a tinge of irony in my voice. It was not a total shock that I would identify with a lead female who is a photographer and seemed to be asthmatic in a time period before it would have been labeled as such. The shock comes from my being agnostic on a good day, atheist if I am being honest with myself, being a Christian lit winner I was surprised to find the God message to be watered down and befitting the story instead of preachy and distracting as it can often b...more
Wonderfully written, this story is set at a time when the west was being explored. Elizabeth Westbrook, a daughter of a senator, wants to distance herself from that and pursue her passion to be a photographer for a newspaper. This proves difficult, especially at a time when women are hardly recognized for being entities unto themselves. Fiesty, courageous and "real", Elizabeth experiences successes, failures and roadblocks along the way. Sprinkled with light romance, adventure, a bit of mystery...more
This is a great novel. Set in the Rocky Mountains right after the Civil War and the death of President Lincoln. Our Heroine is a wonderful woman, who left her home and father to fulfill her dreams of become the first woman photo journalist. She is an open woman who rises above the prejudices of the day and hires a black man as her assistant. Our Hero is a hermit who must overcome his horrible war psychological past. This is the journey of the three very strong souls, their interaction with their...more
I liked the mystery and romance and the references to some of the first photography in this book. I liked that you wanted to know more, and couldn't put it down (I could hardly put it down to go to sleep)
I did not, however, like the feminism in Elizabeth, nor the reference to Southerners mistreating their slaves! Granted some did abuse them, but so did the Northerners! Slaves were like horses (in a manner of speaking) and you didn't treat your horse badly, or else it wouldn't work. Why would yo...more
I did not, however, like the feminism in Elizabeth, nor the reference to Southerners mistreating their slaves! Granted some did abuse them, but so did the Northerners! Slaves were like horses (in a manner of speaking) and you didn't treat your horse badly, or else it wouldn't work. Why would yo...more
Elizabeth Westbrook in her quest to become the first female photojournalist of the Washington Chronicle has traveled from Washington, D.C. to Timber Ridge, a small town in the Colorado Territory to photograph the Mesa Verde. She is also secretly seeking the cool, dry air, and hot springs of Colorado, to help or cure a mysterious illness that threatens her life. Daniel Ranslett is struggling with the effect the Civil war has had on his life and the lives of those around him. I really enjoyed lear...more
Another Kindle freebie... so I read it even though it was outside of my usual genres. Gulp... romance? I did read those Twilight books though.
I was surprised that I didn't actually chuck it (or delete it, since it was on the Kindle). Far less bodice-ripping than I expected. Although there is a "bustle ripping" within, it's for emergency response reasons rather than passion.
I suppose this book is setting up a series, but I'll bow out at this point. Not good enough to have be come back for more,...more
I was surprised that I didn't actually chuck it (or delete it, since it was on the Kindle). Far less bodice-ripping than I expected. Although there is a "bustle ripping" within, it's for emergency response reasons rather than passion.
I suppose this book is setting up a series, but I'll bow out at this point. Not good enough to have be come back for more,...more
I really loved this book. I accidentally read the second book in this series first. But I seriously don't think it made a difference. This is the first novel I've read on my Kindle. I loved the characters and the historical references to the Civil War. I grew up in Tennessee so I know the city of Franklin outside of Nashville which played a big part in the story. It always lends to the suspension of disbelief when an author uses real places, for me anyways.
The lead character was wonderful as we...more
The lead character was wonderful as we...more
If you like a story of historical romance mixed with the wild west and rediculously realistic characters this is the book for you. It is a wonderful story of Elizabeth Westbrook, an aspiring newspaper photographer who is in the wrong place at the wrong time. One of her photos that she took give clues to a murder that has taken place, only she doesn't know it. The only man that can help protect her and the town around them is Daniel Ranslett. When helping Elizabeth, some of the mysteries of his p...more
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
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| Christian Fiction...: ❀Abbi and Caitlyn❀ From a Distance by Tamera Alexander | 24 | 18 | Dec 17, 2012 04:25am |
USA Today bestselling author Tamera Alexander is a novelist whose deeply drawn characters, thought-provoking plots, and poignant prose have earned her devoted readers worldwide as well as multiple industry awards. Tamera enjoys a devoted international following with her books being translated into German, Dutch, and Polish. She recently returned from a book tour in The Netherlands for the release...more
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“That was a mite tacky, ma'am ... even for you."
Elizabeth let her mouth fall open. "Even for me? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It just means that people with" --He stared pointedly-- "your upbringing aren't usually the most polite folks around." ...
"Listen Ranslett, if I've offended you I certainly didn't mean t--"
"Sure you did. You just meant to do it in a way that would make yourself look bad." He turned to look at her more fully, and his eyes narrowed, though not in malice.
“When you’ve got something to say that isn’t kind, Miss Westbrook, there’s no way to couch it so that it is. Or to hide from how it makes you look when you do. That’s something us good ol’ Southern boys learn real quick about women.”
His accent thickened, comically so. “Your gender may say things with a smile, all soft and gentle-like, but some of you --- granted, not all --- have a dagger hidden in your skirts. Us country boys may not be as quick as some, ma’am, but it doesn’t take us too long to figure out who those woman are.” He winked at her. “We just check each other’s backs for the bloodstains.” He stood and reached behind him as though feeling for something. “Yep, feelin’ a little sticky back there.”
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Elizabeth let her mouth fall open. "Even for me? What's that supposed to mean?"
"It just means that people with" --He stared pointedly-- "your upbringing aren't usually the most polite folks around." ...
"Listen Ranslett, if I've offended you I certainly didn't mean t--"
"Sure you did. You just meant to do it in a way that would make yourself look bad." He turned to look at her more fully, and his eyes narrowed, though not in malice.
“When you’ve got something to say that isn’t kind, Miss Westbrook, there’s no way to couch it so that it is. Or to hide from how it makes you look when you do. That’s something us good ol’ Southern boys learn real quick about women.”
His accent thickened, comically so. “Your gender may say things with a smile, all soft and gentle-like, but some of you --- granted, not all --- have a dagger hidden in your skirts. Us country boys may not be as quick as some, ma’am, but it doesn’t take us too long to figure out who those woman are.” He winked at her. “We just check each other’s backs for the bloodstains.” He stood and reached behind him as though feeling for something. “Yep, feelin’ a little sticky back there.”
