Book Review: Touching the Clouds by Bonnie Leon

Kate Evans is a female pilot in the 1930's. When she decides to leave her home in Washington State and move to Alaska to seek a job as a bush pilot, she leaves a former fiance and two worried parents behind. She discovers a world that is dangerous as well as a society that frowns upon women being in a career that is considered exclusive to men. She meets two men, one who attempts to win her heart, and another whose enigmatic ways keeps Kate from knowing the man he really is. What is this man's secret? And why is he living all alone in the Alaskan wilderness? Will Kate be able to overcome her own fears to get to know him more?

Bonnie Leon is a gifted author. As I read Touching the Clouds, I gained a sense of what Alaska was like in the time before statehood. She captured well the adventurous spirit of its people. Her description of the treacherous terrain kept me involved in the story as I imagined what it would have been like to have lived in that place during that time. I also liked the characters and sympathized with them as they made their way through life's trials.

I think the one thing that kept me from fully enjoying the story was the pace of the book. I might be spoiled now by other more fast-paced books, but I felt that this book dragged a little, especially in the parts where there was much detail to describe the activities of Paul, one of the main characters who spent much of his time trapping animals, taking care of his dogs, and brooding over his past as he sat in his home in the wilderness, all alone and blaming God for his circumstances.

I don't think that will keep me from reading more in this series (Alaskan Skies). The ending was satisfying, but it left me wanting more of the story of Kate and her friends. I will be on the lookout for more from Bonnie Leon.

I give Touching the Clouds 3.5 out of 5 stars.

To learn more about Bonnie Leon, read the interview she had with Christianbook.com. 

(I received this book from Revell Books for review purposes. I received no monetary compensation for this review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.)