Wilderness Books in Order

The Wilderness series drops you into a version of New York that feels a world away from modern skyscrapers. Starting in the harsh winter of 1792, this multi-generational saga immerses us in the endless forests of the state's frontier, where the remote village of Paradise serves as a fragile outpost of civilization. It is here that we meet the Bonner family, a clan whose lives become inextricably linked with the birth of a nation.

The story begins with Elizabeth Middleton, a protagonist who immediately defies the expectations of her era. She arrives from England not as a reluctant wife or a nervous settler, but as a determined spinster with a "radical" education and a plan to open a school. She expects the climate to be cold and the living conditions rough, but she doesn't expect Nathaniel Bonner.

Nathaniel is a frontiersman who walks the line between two very different worlds. Though white by birth, he has deep, familial ties to the Mohawk people and understands the rhythms of the land far better than the new settlers claiming it.

Their meeting sparks a partnership that anchors the entire six-book run.

What starts as a romance quickly evolves into a complex study of survival. Donati doesn't treat history as mere wallpaper; the challenges here feel visceral and dangerous. The narrative tackles the uneasy and often tragic relationship between European settlers and Indigenous peoples, refusing to shy away from the political schemes and broken treaties that defined the time.

As the series progresses, the scope widens significantly. We move beyond the initial struggles of Elizabeth and Nathaniel to follow their children and grandchildren. The timeline stretches forward through major upheavals like the War of 1812 and the relentless expansion of the American West. The Bonner children, raised with a foot in both settler and Indigenous cultures, must navigate a world that often demands they choose a side.

The books are famous for their lived-in details. Whether describing a difficult frontier childbirth, the intricacies of herbal medicine, or the tension of a courtroom drama in Montreal, the research is woven naturally into the plot. Real historical figures often cross paths with the Bonners, grounding the high-stakes adventure in reality.

At its core, this is a story about the definition of family. It paints a portrait of a group of people determined to hold onto one another through wars, epidemics, and social upheaval. For readers who want to get lost in a long, immersive journey, the Wilderness series offers a vivid window into the past.