Tuesday, January 12, 2010

These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner



These is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901, Arizona Territories by Nancy E. Turner

from the publisher:

"A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author's own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon -- from child to determined young adult to loving mother -- she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her, and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose.

Rich in authentic everyday details and alive with truly unforgettable characters, These is My Words brilliantly brings a vanished world to breathtaking life again."



These is My Thoughts: (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Oh...my...goodness! What a precious story of one of the most fiesty, indomitable, endearingly funny heroines of the pioneering West! She has more heart and grit than book learnin', but that doesn't stop her from outsmarting and outwitting those that oppose her. Mix Annie Get Your Gun with Lonesome Dove, and you have the spirit and essence of These is My Words.

I loved it!

I laughed....I cried...I wanted to shout, "No! No! No! How much can one person take?" But Sarah was a survivor, and she always managed to dig deep within her inner resources and forge ahead with unmatched determination (and wry humor).

One of my favorite lines (among many) came after a relationship with a man went wrong, and a gun-toting Sarah states matter of factly, "I am plum fed up with all the work I have to do and it is all because of a worthless man, and any other man ever comes around me better be carrying a pistol with one more bullet than I've got or I'll have the last word!"

An unforgettable love story with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot, who is the one man plucky enough to take on Sarah. Have a box of tissues handy!

4.5/5 stars

Title: These is My Words
Author: Nancy E. Turner
1998
Harper Collins Publishers
384 pages
genre: historical fiction

4 comments:

Kim said...

Ditto -- Ditto. You know this was one of my two favorite books last year. Isn't it fun to find a great book that was published years ago. Makes you wonder how many more there are out there. :) Glad you liked it.

Joanne said...

Absolutely, Kim -- I could spend the rest of my life reading nothing but past oldies but goodies that passed me by while I was busy teaching and having babies!

Suey said...

This is one of my favorite books too. I need to read the sequel one of these days and see if it lives up to the first one.

Thanks for dropping by my blog!

Carrie at In the Hammock Blog said...

This looks like a great book! I'm going to put it on my to read list :)

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