These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901: Arizona Territories (The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine 1881-1901, Arizona Territories)

Rating:
Summary: The Best Ever
Review: This is my all time favorite novel - ever! I have read many, many books and this one tops the charts.

My main reason for writing this review is to tell all of you that there is going to be a sequel! It is coming out in May and is called "Sarah's Quilt". I can't wait!

Rating:
Summary: I loved this book!
Review: A cousin recommended this book to me and I am so grateful. It is a book I know I will read over and over. I treasure it. Sarah was a wonderful and amazing woman - really gutzy and brazen and caring and warm all at the same time.

Rating:
Summary: Fabulous!!
Review: I purchased this book in 1998 and am currently on my
5th reading. When I first bought it, I could not put it down and I seem to keep picking it back up!! I read 4-6 books a year and I just keep coming back to Sarah Agnes Prine. Such a well written, enjoyable story.



Rating:
Summary: An Amazing First Novel
Review: Normally you can tell a "first" novel: the author isn't quite comfortable in his/her skin, or the characters in the book lack a certain depth. Not so with "These is My Words."

Nancy Turner brings history alive in the story of Sarah Agnes Prine, a delightful 17 year old young woman who lives several lifetimes in 21 years as she travels across the west in 1881 to build a new life with her family. At the beginning of the novel, Sarah is nearly illiterate (as the title hints); she can barely read and write. But her thirst for knowledge is apparent from the beginning. While she is traveling (eventually settling in Arizona), various people appear in her life who help her to learn and grow as an individual. As her verbal skills grow, so does the depth of her perception of events surrounding her. Yet she never loses that unique freshness that characterizes her.

I am reading the book now for the second time, and it's just as exciting and satisfying as the first read. I can't wait to see what Ms. turner writes next.

Rating:
Summary: Great Read.
Review: I love books about pioneer life & this is one of the best. The characters are very believable & by the time the book is at its end you feel as if they are your good friends. I didn't want this book to end.

Rating:
Summary: A Compelling Read!!!
Review: "My face feels all pulled down and I declare I don't think I know how to smile no more." These are the words of Sarah Agnes Prine. She documents her life from 1881-1901 in her diary as she travels through Indian territory, endures loss, raises her family, and discovers her own strength in love and in life. Sarah is talented from an early age with her shotgun. So talented that she puts men to shame with her precise shooting.


But Sarah is a more than just a stereotypical "strong" female character. The reader is able to understand her thoughts and emotions as she encounters varied circumstances including Indian wars, inclement weather, prejudice against women, death, relationships, and physical hardships. As the story begins, Sarah is in her late teens. Her ongoing love affair with Captain Jack creates a longing in the reader as we see Sarah evolve from naïve young woman into a solid mother of character and wit.


The diary format allowed me to know Sarah personally and helped the pacing of the novel. I loved the old look of the cover and was a bit disappointed that the book was not offered in hardback. Turner's first novel is a heart-felt story is written in a raw, honest style. Female readers who crave realistic fiction will enjoy this book for years to come.