From a Distance (Timber Ridge Reflections, Book 1) | 
| Author: Tamera Alexander
Publisher: Bethany House Publishers
Category: Book
List Price: $13.99
Buy New: $1.98
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Avg. Customer Rating:  20 reviews
Sales Rank: 36921
Media: Paperback
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.2
ISBN: 0764203894
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.6
EAN: 9780764203893
ASIN: 0764203894
Publication Date: June 1, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Shipping: Expedited shipping available
Shipping: International shipping available
Condition: Brand New! Christian Family owned business, we sell 100% Christian Books. May have a remainder mark. **Shows signs of shelf wear**
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Product Description
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, that the cool, dry air of Colorado, and its renowned hot springs, will cure the mysterious illness that threatens her career, and her life. Daniel Ranslett is a man shackled by his Confederate past, and he'll do anything to protect his land, and his solitude. When an outspoken Yankee photographer captures an image that appears key to solving a murder, putting herself in danger, Daniel is called upon to repay a debt. He's a man of his word, but repaying that debt could reveal secrets from his past he would prefer remain buried. Forced on a perilous journey together, Daniel and Elizabeth's lives intertwine in ways neither could have imagined when first they met from a distance.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 15 more reviews...
Excellent read! October 6, 2008
I loved this book! I hated to see it end. The discription of the landscape put you right there! I have loved all of her books but this was by far my favorite!
FROM A DISTANCE IS EVEN BETTER UP CLOSE!!! September 29, 2008
From the moment it hit Amazon.com for preorder, I knew I had to read Tamera Alexander's first book in her Timber Ridge Reflections series, From A Distance. Not because of the striking cover, although it certainly is. Not because of Ms. Alexander's rich, fluid prose which sets her far above many historical authors today, and not because she completely captures the essence of an era when our country was rugged and new and burgeoning with strength. Although all of these points are certainly true, the reason I run--not walk--to preorder Ms. Alexander's latest work of art is the confidence I have that it will be one of the best reads of the year. And I was right--it is! Kudos to an amazing author who tops my favorites list.
An engrossing story of vulnerability and grace... September 11, 2008
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 can be a little hard to take. However, Alexander does an excellent job of balancing Elizabeth's drive to succeed with her fears and insecurities. Her brash manner is extremely realistic compensation for a lifetime of hurt and struggle. In a society that held certain limited expectations for the role of women, Elizabeth bucks convention on multiple fronts.
Daniel Ranslett, who served as a Confederate sharpshooter in the war, immediately clashes with Elizabeth. He doesn't understand her drive and she doesn't understand his enigmatic manner and reluctance to serve as her guide. However, his loner status masks pain of a different sort - the mental and emotional toll of combat. Daniel is a wonderful hero - though he's a wounded, gentle spirit he possesses a core of unwavering moral strength and character. He's the perfect foil for Elizabeth, who has some tough lessons to learn about truth and honor while in turn he must learn about brokenness and trust.
From a Distance is a beautifully crafted, thoroughly absorbing novel full of richly drawn, unforgettable characters. There's a dash of mystery, but the real strength of the novel is the journey Elizabeth and Daniel undergo towards surrender. Elizabeth and Daniel are two of the most well-drawn, imperfect characters I've ever run across - you know characters are "real" when you alternately want to shake them when you're frustrated, empathize with their hurts, and cheer at their triumphs. As a native of Tennessee and an amateur Civil War history buff, I loved how Alexander wove together snippets of Tennessee and Civil War history into her Colorado frontier-set story. While the action of the novel takes place ten years after the end of the Civil War, Alexander does a beautiful job of showing the heartbreaking, far-reaching cost of that conflict on its survivors. I also enjoyed learning about photographic processes in the 1800's - it's eye-opening to read about the processes and Elizabeth's job struggles in an era when cameras (and women in the workforce) are taken for granted. This is a novel about choices - how one chooses to overcome tragedy, health problems, trust issues - and God's sovereignty and care over even the most minute details of one's life. When the dreams they cling to are stripped away, Daniel and Elizabeth's story shows how in vulnerability and brokenness God pours out blessings and strength and dreams much greater and more rewarding than one's human frailty can possibly imagine.
a tale of hope & dreams September 10, 2008
Reviewed by Bethany L. Canfield for Reader Views (9/08)
"From A Distance" is a tale of hope, of dreams and the road to accomplishing them. Elisabeth is a budding journalist. Society may think that she is past her prime, that she should just worry about getting married, but she sees a dream that she is about to capture and cannot rest until she does. Elisabeth dreams big, and she will do whatever it takes to get her to her desired goal. Is everything fair game? Are there things that are not acceptable in our pursuit of what we want, or is it every woman for herself? Decisions made in the past will impact the future; however, there is grace to forgive. Will it be enough?
This is a five-star read for sure. It is believable, well-thought-out, well-written, and intriguing. I could not put it down because the storyline was a dream to read, and as I read, the only thing that I didn't like was that the end was coming! "From A Distance" is filled with interesting topics from that day: female rolls, corsets, male-female relations, propriety, the wild west, slavery, racism, mistrust, civil war, healing from lives lost in the war and much else that I am always interested to read about.
All humans are flawed, and in this book the flaws are not smoothed over, and they are not made pretty. Flaws are evident and they cause guilt to surface. I admire the way Tamera Alexander portrays loss and life, but especially her take on forgiveness. This book contains so many relationships, and they feel completely real -- mainly because they are deep -- deep enough to have times when forgiveness is necessary. Forgiveness is something that is either given or not. I loved the realness of the problems and the distances formed through hurt and pain in "From A Distance." It felt so real, so relatable, and through the flaws of the characters, I was able to really feel a bond. A great read all around!
Fantastic! September 2, 2008
I simply loved this book! The prose is exquisite, Daniel Ranslett is a totally swoony hero, and I identified completely with the clash of Elizabeth's ambition and faith. Tamera brings her characters and setting to life in such vivid detail, you feel like you're in the Rockies, breathing the crisp air and experiencing the awesome wonder of God's creation. I can't wait to read the next book in the Timber Ridge Series!
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