These Is My Words (Sarah Agnes Prine, #1)

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These Is My Words (Sarah Agnes Prine #1)

4.39 of 5 stars 4.39 · rating details · 28,931 ratings · 6,909 reviews

In a compelling fiction debut, Nancy E. Turner's unforgettable "These Is My Words" melds the sweeping adventures and dramatic landscapes of "Lonesome Dove" with the heartfelt emotional saga of "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All." Inspired by the author's original family memoirs, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Sarah Prine, one of the...more In a compelling fiction debut, Nancy E. Turner's unforgettable "These Is My Words" melds the sweeping adventures and dramatic landscapes of "Lonesome Dove" with the heartfelt emotional saga of "Oldest Living Confederate Widow Tells All." Inspired by the author's original family memoirs, this absorbing story introduces us to the questing, indomitable Sarah Prine, one of the most memorable women ever to survive and prevail in the Arizona Territory of the late 1800s. As a child, a fiery young woman, and finally a caring mother, Sarah forges a life as full and as fascinating as our deepest needs, our most secret hopes and our grandest dreams. She rides Indian-style and shoots with deadly aim, greedily devours a treasure trove of leatherbound books, downs fire, flood, Comanche raids and other mortal perils with the unique courage that forged the character of the American West.

Rich in authentic details of daily life and etched with striking character portraits of very different pioneer families, this action-packed novel is also the story of a powerful, enduring love between Sarah and the dashing cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot. Neither the vast distances traveled nor the harsh and killing terrains could quench the passion between them, and the loss and loneliness both suffer only strengthen their need for each other.

While their love grows, the heartbreak and wonder of the frontier experience unfold in scene after scene: a wagon-train Sunday spent roasting quail on spits as Indians close in to attack; Sarah's silent encounter with an Indian brave, in which he shows her his way of respect; a dreadful discovery by a stream that changes Sarah forever; the hazards of a visit toPhoenix, a town as hot as the devil's frying pan; Sarah's joy in building a real home, sketching out rooms and wraparound porches.

Sarah's incredible story leads us into a vanished world that comes vividly to life again, while her struggles with work and home, love and responsibility resonate with those every woman faces today. "These Is My Words" is a passionate celebration of a remarkable life, exhilarating and gripping from the first page to the last.(less)

Paperback, 384 pages

Published March 1st 1999 by ReganBooks (first published January 22nd 1998)

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Mar 21, 2008 Brookann rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Brookann by: Holly

I was completely taken by this book! The library fines are racking up because it is overdue and I can't renew it because it has been requested by someone else, but I can't let it go because I find myself going back to it to reread passages and "reliving" moments of the book in my mind. I shed many a tear and towards the end was so enraged I almost threw the book, but I simply cannot stop thinking about it! I'm dying to discuss it with someone.

It is the beautiful and heartbreaking story of a woma...more

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Nov 08, 2008 Annalisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Annalisa by: Hannah Coleman

Shelves: historical-fiction, book-club, favorites

The reason I loved this book comes down to one word: authenticity. I bought into this woman's life and believed these characters. I have this vivid picture in my mind of this ranch out in the middle of nowhere with Sarah out there putting laundry on the line with a pistol tucked in her rugged apron.

I don't like western movies or get into frontier stories and was worried, especially by the title, that the grammar would rake on my nerves. But the story is about a thirst for education as much as a...more The reason I loved this book comes down to one word: authenticity. I bought into this woman's life and believed these characters. I have this vivid picture in my mind of this ranch out in the middle of nowhere with Sarah out there putting laundry on the line with a pistol tucked in her rugged apron.

I don't like western movies or get into frontier stories and was worried, especially by the title, that the grammar would rake on my nerves. But the story is about a thirst for education as much as anything else and as Sarah learns, her writing improves. It may be rare to find a woman in the late 1800s who wants to go to college, considers women on the same level as men and doesn't want a man to care for her, and treats Mexicans and Indians as her own white neighbors, but there is enough 19th-century humility, morality, and territory toughness to keep her era appropriate. Unlike Little House on the Prairie with obvious '80s-era actors fighting against stigmas of the day, I found Sarah to be the perfect frontier woman, a little forward thinking, but just enough to make her yearning add to her perfection.

We find all kinds of characters in the book: Indians, Army men, ranchers, Mexicans, Quakers, spoiled Easterners, foreigners, even polygamist Mormons, all minor characters splattered throughout Sarah's life to give us a feel for the type of people around the territories in those days. Mingled with the mundane, which I found interesting, was enough excitement, like Indian attacks and the danger of women alone, to make me want to keep reading. It gave me the sense of how fragile life could be with attacks, childbirth, disease, and nature.

Turner did a fantastic job of giving us a picture of life on the early frontier without making it feel like she's teaching us what life on the early frontier is like. You find out the chore it is to cook a long meal and put together a bath without running water because Sarah is exasperated without any help. Through Sarah's commentary we learn about housing conditions, cattle herding, adjusting and making clothes, mail and bank systems, conditions on wagon trains, and even conjugal issues with whispered conversations with Savannah. These were my favorite, especially Savannah's Quaker rigidness strictly against kissing before marriage. Occasionally, like the article describing their new home with indoor plumbing, I felt pulled out of the story with the intention clear to educate on the times more than describe Sarah's life, but overall the description felt like Sarah's life and not overview.

The other authentic aspect of the book that I loved was the love story. Not your unrealistic perfect man who can do no wrong which creates a man who is overbearing or too emotionally unrealistic. No, this is a real-life love story about a relationship that makes you crazy mad and impatient at the same time. Love through the ups and downs of life. A man who is stubborn in being himself but even though he understands her better than herself, requires her not to change either, who just wants to be with her and finds all her imperfections endearing. It's the guy who may be a little rough on the outside, not the one who knows just how to smooth talk his way into your heart, who will treat you like gold. I really enjoyed their story, and the suffering and learning she had to go through to get there. The perfect combination of excitement and believability to make me want to read the story and feel that it could really have happened.(less)

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Oct 27, 2012 Rachelle rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: i-own-this-book, favorites

This is pretty much my favorite book I've ever read along with it's sequel Sarah's Quilt. First of all, it is a beautiful love story. I cried so much. Any book that makes me feel really emotional, I consider to be a good book. But it is also an incredible tale of determination and down right stubborness. I love that Sarah learned to read, loved learning and by so doing changed her life. I love the way she endured challenges. I want to read it again so I can put more details in here.

************...more

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Jul 08, 2008 Amanda rated it 5 of 5 stars

This is, UNEQUIVOCALLY, the best love story I have read.

I devoured this book -- I simply could not put it down. The beginning was gritty, heart-wrenching, and a grammatical mess. Yet, this is part of the author's brilliance. As the main character, Sarah, matures, she is strengthened by her experiences. And as Sarah educates herself at every opportunity, the grammar and story-telling improve.

Without giving anything away, I cannot put into words the romance between Sarah and Captain Jack Elliott....more

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Feb 21, 2009 katie rated it 5 of 5 stars

i began this book several years ago. i thought it was a non-fictional journal, and once i found out that it was fictional i couldn't get back into the book. Since that time, my mom and sister have pleaded with me to finish this book, as it is an all-time favorite for both of them. i finally heeded their suggestion, and i am so glad i did! i devoured this book and couldn't wait to read each day. set in the late 19th century and written as a journal, it is a captivating story of a feisty, determin...more

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Aug 19, 2008 Margaret rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorite-books

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. I try not to be too generous when I give out 5 stars and I try to give them out to only the books that truly deserve them in my opinion. “These is My Words” is a book that I thought deserved 5 stars from the first 50 pages or so. It is a story about Sarah Prine who is sixteen when the story starts out growing up in the 1880’s in the Arizona Territories. It is in a journal format. At first Sarah’s grammar is not so good and it is somewhat difficult to read but as the story progresses her grammar...more

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Jan 11, 2008 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Jenn by: Jessica Kern

Title: These is My Words
Author: Nancy Turner
Genre: fictional diary, family, romance
Pages: 384
Rating (out of 5 stars): *****
Reviewed by: Jenn
Description: This book is a novel written in diary format, as Sarah Prine tells her own story of living in the Arizona Territories from 1881-1901. Over this course of time, the rugged, uneducated, vivacious young Sarah grows into an informed, reflective, sincere (and still feisty) woman. The novel shows the dangers, excitement, injustice, hardship, loss, cha...more

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May 31, 2011 Wendy rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction

I debated between 2 and 4 stars, but after all is said and done I wouldn't recommend the book to my friends, so it came down to 2. As for reading enjoyment and ability to hold my interest, this book gets a 5. However, the first 30 pages contain enough trauma to send any woman to a pyschiatrist for years! Rape, murder, tragic child deaths, Indian attacks, attempted abduction, etc. It was a bit too much for me to handle.

Although the description says "inspired by the author's grandmother", very li...more

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Oct 04, 2007 Jen rated it 4 of 5 stars

I totally DID NOT want to read this book, but did for a book group. I loved it. It reminded me of my grandma who grew up AZ and the crazy, hard life that she had. I remember feeling like she was kind of strange, uneducated, and maybe a little scary because she was so tough... she had like 18 inch biceps-- we are talking strong. She was just so different from my other very educated,very classy, rich grandma that I was close to growing up. After reading this book I really wished I would have taken...more

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Apr 20, 2011 Stacy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: historical-fiction, recommendations

This book was highly recommended by a friend, and I was surprised to see that a ton of my Goodreads friends loved it too. I finally got around to reading it with a measure of initial skepticism. After all, I had never heard of this book and the novel cover was inconspicuous, plain. Plus, I don't really read much historical fiction normally.

Well, I fell head over heels for this book, which is based on records of the author's own ancestors who were settlers in the Arizona Territories in the late 1...more

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Apr 05, 2009 Cindy rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: anyone

Recommended to Cindy by: Jodi

Shelves: adventure, romance, blog, 999, book-club, 19th-century

I enjoy historical fiction sometimes, but I'm not much into the Western. But this one was recommended by a friend. She just loved it. I decided to give it a try, but couldn't get a paper copy. But they did have the audiobook, so I checked it out.

I am so glad I did! I was absolutely hooked from the very first CD. It starts out with an Indian ambush, the death of a child, and a brutal attack on some unsuspecting girls, and that was just the first CD!

The story is told as journal entries of Sarah Ag...more

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Feb 04, 2009 Mandy rated it 4 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Sep 16, 2010 Kimberly rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

I am enjoying this book more than any book I have read in a long time. I love that this is a real life setting about a powerful courageous woman of our time. It shows the struggles and triumphs of life, and I can relate to it in so many ways. I love it!

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Apr 02, 2009 Dani rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Mar 12, 2009 Mehrsa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I probably would not have finished this book if I were not reading it for book club. I enjoyed reading it at times, but mostly, I was trying not to roll my eyes and just appreciate that it was Nancy Turner's first novel and it's good for a first shot (although I have read some incredible first novels before). The book is about a woman growing up in the Arizona territories and is written in diary format.

The Good: It's a nice historical novel that really makes you get what life was like then and...more

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Feb 06, 2009 Camie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-bookgroups

I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it as stories of the early American West are not really my preferred genre, but I really loved it. I thought, since Sarah’s writing went from rough to more refined, that I might have a hard time getting into it and following what was happening. But, although Sarah’s vocabulary might not be very large in the beginning, this has no effect on her ability to be articulate and engaging. I found Turner’s diary-style story very easy to slip into and hard to put d...more I wasn’t sure what to expect going into it as stories of the early American West are not really my preferred genre, but I really loved it. I thought, since Sarah’s writing went from rough to more refined, that I might have a hard time getting into it and following what was happening. But, although Sarah’s vocabulary might not be very large in the beginning, this has no effect on her ability to be articulate and engaging. I found Turner’s diary-style story very easy to slip into and hard to put down.

I think the reason I liked it so well was because, when you boil it down, These Is My Words is really a love story. One the front cover, there’s a quote from USA Today that says, “Jack and Sarah are as delicious a couple as Rhett and Scarlet.” And I would have to agree, except that not only did I like Jack and Sarah a lot more, but I really thought, even though Jack sometimes seems an unrealistic character, their love felt real. I loved Captain Elliot the moment I laid eyes on him. And I mean that in the most literal sense. =)

I was not surprised to find out that there was no “real life” basis for Jack Elliot as there had been for Sarah. I read a bit of Turner’s comments in the back of the book and found out that her husband likes to think that she based Jack on him. And she did say that her husband was in the army and fought in Vietnam, and that she spent a lot of nights worrying if he would come home alive. I found that to be very tangible in her writing. Every time he went off on another assignment, I felt a little tingle in my stomach, wondering if this would be the moment he would die and Sarah would be left alone again.

I also enjoyed Savannah and Sarah’s relationship. I wonder if the author made their names so similar as if to elude to the idea that maybe they were the two halves of the same person. Sarah, although she thought of herself as “low down” compared to her sister-in-law, was more of a passionate and independent person, I think. And Savannah reminded me a little bit of Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice—always saying the right thing with quiet acceptance, bordering on being good to a fault. Then, slowly, as their relationship grew and they felt the influence of one another, Sarah became a little less wild, although still controversial, and Savannah became a little bolder, although still blushing. As if the perfect woman maybe lies somewhere in between.

Another thing that I think really shines through Turner’s writing is Sarah’s courage and tenacity. I think the fact that she is based on a real person and on real events (although not all actually happened, denoted by the title of “fiction”) makes her story an incredible one. At times, it was difficult to read some of the hardships she and others endured, and it gave me a new perspective on that time and the difficulty of the human experience. Overall, a great read!(less)

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Mar 14, 2013 Colby rated it 5 of 5 stars

I am realizing how young America really is. 1890 actually wasn't that long ago. At the same time, everyday life has changed SO much. One of the things that struck me the most about this book was how hard information was to come by 100 years ago. How much more and education was valued.

Where will we be in another short century, if today so MANY place no value on learning?

Excerpts:

"Children cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there like patchwork i...more I am realizing how young America really is. 1890 actually wasn't that long ago. At the same time, everyday life has changed SO much. One of the things that struck me the most about this book was how hard information was to come by 100 years ago. How much more and education was valued.

Where will we be in another short century, if today so MANY place no value on learning?

Excerpts:

"Children cannot be sad too long, it is not in them, as children mourn in little bits here and there like patchwork in their lives."

"Being my share of nosy, I climbed up inside and found the dearest treasure I think I have ever seen. The wagon bed was lined with boxes of books. Books and books, stacked and packed in rows with leather covers on them and some had gold and ribboned edges. Some of them were story books, some of them seemed to be schoolbooks, and were about things I don't know of, and one is a magical book, with a big D on it, a book of words to learn to spell and what they mean. I opened it up and said my ABC's to myself and found Gale in the book and it is "a strong wind of high velocity usually a storm on the ocean.

This wagon is a treasure chest and I am suddenly struck greedier than ever in my life. I want it so bad I am just beside myself. All these words to read and know is more than my insides can stand and I am trembling all over with excitement. ...

These books are not trash, I said, as I know they are the opposite. They are the only thing I wanted in my life more than I could name. They are pearls in my hair and scarlet velvet gowns but I could not say that out loud because they would think I was touched."

"My biggest Buff Orpinton rooster is on the small corral fence letting the world know he is in charge, all puffed up and sassy. There is nothing more silly than a rooster taking over the world, but every day he things he can. I wonder if we are just a little part of the world, like that rooster, and that the real things go on around us while we strut in our own yards trying to take charge of things."(less)

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Aug 17, 2010 Anne rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Readers 16 and older who enjoy adventure and love stories.

Recommended to Anne by: A librarian

I'm surprised at my reaction to this book. I am *in love* with Jack Elliott! I know he is too incredible to be believable, almost a Superman in cowboy boots and a mustache, but I believed the story anyway. And between Jack and Sarah Prine there were enough adventures to fill the first two seasons of a TV show, but I was caught up in all of it anyway.

At first I was a little uncomfortable with the pace of the horrible things that happened to the Prine family in the beginning of the story, but as...more

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Aug 14, 2010 Shelly rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book is about a girl, Sarah Agnes Prine, and her stories as a pioneer/territorial settler in the late 1800s. The book is her journal and she begins writing at about 14 years old, then it ends when she's in her 30s, though the entries are spotty and much more rare at the end. The character is VERY loosely based on the author's great-grandmother. The author is from Arizona and attended Pima Community College and the University of Arizona as an older adult.

At points in this book, it feels a li...more

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Jul 26, 2012 Kris Irvin rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites, re-read, 2012

I didn't think I would like this book. I didn't realize it was a novel until after I'd finished the first chapter or so (duh to me) and since I wasn't rabid over the Little House series I was afraid I'd feel kinda blah about this one too.

Nope. I loved this book. Couldn't get enough of it. I love how Sarah changes and matures and her writing becomes clearer and better all the time. It took me a while, but I finally fell in love with Jack (all the Twihards who are drooling over Edward really need...more

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Jul 10, 2011 Doug Bradshaw rated it 4 of 5 stars

Several years ago I watched an excellent PBS documentary of the Donner Party story. At the end of the program, having vicariously lived through the whole mess, they interviewed this older woman who had lived through it all to get her thoughts and advice: "don't take no shortcuts" was her main thought. I had to laugh thinking how trite that sounded after all of that. To some extent, "These is My Words" reminds me of that. I can picture Nancy Turner reading through journals and just shaking her he...more

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Sep 15, 2009 Amy rated it 1 of 5 stars

Okay, 1st of all I thought this book was drier than the Mojave itself. Something kept me from getting over the hump on this book and I have no idea what that was. I kept TRYING to like it...but no. Unlike my book club brethren, I just couldn't find the WOW behind this book. But given the fact that we are TWO weeks PAST book club and I just finished it, should tell you something. And it isn't for lack of time to be able to read it.

Here are my thoughts:
1) I liked Sarah. I thought by the end she h...more

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Sep 20, 2011 Angela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Recommended to Angela by: Jeanette

Shelves: historical, for-kirsten, home-family, love-or-romance, audio-book, read-in-2010, west-frontier

THIRD READ: 9/15/11
This needs to be a movie!

FIRST READ: 3/8/10 - 3/10/10

This book is AMAZING!

It was strongly recommended to me almost 2 years ago as a book that I must absolutely read. I finally checked it out, but honestly it just didn't sound that great. GoodReads had thousands of reviews and ratings and the average is still 4.5 out of 5. And still I was hesitant to pick it up. I listened to the audio book and instead of listening while I cleaned, I finally just sat down and listened to the...more THIRD READ: 9/15/11
This needs to be a movie!

FIRST READ: 3/8/10 - 3/10/10

This book is AMAZING!

It was strongly recommended to me almost 2 years ago as a book that I must absolutely read. I finally checked it out, but honestly it just didn't sound that great. GoodReads had thousands of reviews and ratings and the average is still 4.5 out of 5. And still I was hesitant to pick it up. I listened to the audio book and instead of listening while I cleaned, I finally just sat down and listened to the words. It's the kind of writing that made me want to "read" passages out loud to whoever was in the room with me. I want to buy my own copy of the book just so I can mark all those great passages ... although, I think the book would be more marked than unmarked by the time I finished!

THESE IS MY WORDS is not the kind of book that is "exciting" or full of action or adventure that you then thrust into the hands of the person nearest you and proclaim that they must read this book. In fact, a little way into the story I was interested in what was going on and what would happen next but I was also wondering what was so "amazing" about this book that it had such high ratings and reviews. But as I kept listening to the story of Sarah Prine in the Arizona Territory of the late 1800's I was slowly and completely wrapped into the words and needing (not just wanting) to know what happened next. It happened so subtley that I didn't realize it happened until I was listening in any stitch of time I could find, even when I probably should have been paying attention to other things instead of listening to an audio book.

I would strongly recommend listening to this book on CD rather than reading it - the reader is INCREDIBLE! It was like going to listen to a 1-woman stage show. She is so talented and it brought the story to life. My husband teased me because sometimes when he'd ask me a question while I was listening to the book, I'd have a little twang in the way I answered the question. At one point I even started throwing in some odd words and phrases from the book because I was so immersed in Sarah's world. It was like Sarah was me and this was my story and I needed to know what was going to happen to me next! But not because our experiences are the same -- although it's amazing how universal life is and how women go through the same things and have the same conversations across all walks of life and time.

READ THIS BOOK!(less)

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May 14, 2011 Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: pbs, books-i-own, 2011

This fictional diary of a feisty young woman living in the American southwest during the late 1800s was an easy, fast-paced read with enough historical detail to raise it up above what I would categorize as a "romance" novel. I was bothered by the mechanics of the novel: the diary format wasn't believable, the attempt to show the heroine's growing literacy by gradually improving her spelling and grammar was inconsistent, and I thought the title was a poor choice. Nonetheless, I never thought of...more

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Nov 10, 2008 Shannon rated it 3 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Pioneer Stories

Recommended to Shannon by: Book Club

***You may have received this review yesterday, but I didn't mean to post it since I hadn't finished compiling my thoughts. Sorry for the confusion. My complete review is below.***

I'll start by admitting that I would never have read this book if it hadn't been a book club selection. There are two main reasons it would never have made it on to my "To Read" list: 1) the title is incorrect grammar and 2) it is written in diary format.

I'm still not sure, even after reading the entire book, why the t...more ***You may have received this review yesterday, but I didn't mean to post it since I hadn't finished compiling my thoughts. Sorry for the confusion. My complete review is below.***

I'll start by admitting that I would never have read this book if it hadn't been a book club selection. There are two main reasons it would never have made it on to my "To Read" list: 1) the title is incorrect grammar and 2) it is written in diary format.

I'm still not sure, even after reading the entire book, why the title is incorrect grammar. The main character doesn't write improperly in spite of the fact that she never received formal schooling. As to the diary format, I got used to it over time, although it did provide a choppier narrative than I would really like. One ongoing limitation of the diary format was limited character development. Because the story was told exclusively from one very limited point of view, I didn't feel like I got to know all of the characters as well as I would like. I wondered if this was a limitation on the author's part that she dealt with by using a diary format for the book.

While I didn't get to know the other characters well, I did feel like I got a pretty good picture of Sarah Prine, the narrator. Early on I was intrigued by Sarah because she finds an abandoned wagon full of books and basically commandeers it. Any woman who loves books that much deserves my attention!

I not only got to know Sarah while reading the book, I admired her. She was fiercely independent, entrepreneurial, tough, creative, resilient and optimistic. This book was based on the author's great-grandmother and is set in the Arizona Territories during the late 1800s. To say that I'm better suited to 21st century Nashville than Tuscon in 1900 is an understatement. But I think I have some things in common with Sarah and I'm certainly thankful that women like her lived in order to make this country what it now is.

Parts of this book reminded me of one of my favorite books, The Time Traveler's Wife. While the setting is completely different, I think both novels show the push/pull of a marriage relationship. Like Henry in The Time Traveler's Wife, Jack in this novel is alternately present and absent from Sarah's life. I'm thankful that my husband's vocational calling doesn't take him physically away from our family for long stretches of time, but this book left me believing that I would rather have a sometimes absent husband who loves me passionately than an always present husband who doesn't really love me.(less)

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Sep 11, 2008 Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book! I'm glad Sally Baird just informed me that there is a sequel.

I was quickly captivated by Sarah's strength of personality. The challenges the Prines endured seemed overwhelming, but not implausible. I admired Sarah's level-headedness & courage. And I just loved her romance with Captain Jack Elliot. I loved the scene, busy with children and cousins and family making lots of noise in a crowded room, when Jack mouths to Sarah "I love you." It felt real. I also liked the story...more

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Aug 21, 2008 Ashley rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Based on the real-life exploits of the author's great-grandmother, this fictionalized diary vividly details one woman's struggles with life and love in frontier Arizona at the end of the last century. When she begins recording her life, Sarah Prine is an intelligent, headstrong 18-year-old capable of holding her own on her family's settlement near Tucson. Her skill with a rifle fends off a constant barrage of Indian attacks and outlaw assaults. It also attracts a handsome Army captain named Jac...more

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Jun 09, 2008 Angie Bollard rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

As the subtitle suggests this is the journal of Sarah Prine and the story of her life in the Arizona Territories in the days of no law, bad men and rampaging Apaches. This was the best book that I have read in a long time. Usually I'm content if a book has a passible plot,but this book took me by surprise. The narrative is so real. Most of the story is fiction but is based on the life of a real pioneer. For instance, one of the amazing things about the story is the history fleshed out by the boo...more

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Feb 19, 2008 Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Jennifer by: M.T.'s awesome book club.

Hello, awesome book. I never imagined I would become so attached to a book inspired by the life of an early Arizona settler and history of that time. I mean, it couldn't be that interesting or compelling, right? Ha ha!!!
Oh how I love Sarah Prine! Her inconquerable spirit. Her yearning and self motivation to achieve the seeming impossible of her circumstances. The book begins a recounting of the daily life of Sarah Agnes Prine. It is in journal entry form, inspired by actual life events of the...more

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Jul 10, 2010 Kelly rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone

Recommended to Kelly by: Erin and Lisa

Shelves: women-s-lit, fiction, bookclub, reread

This book goes on my top 5 favorite books. Sarah is my hero. This book was so sad about the harsh realities of living in those times in the west. Almost every chapter my heart broke. I loved the romance and practicality of her marriage. She amazed me with her tenacity for life. And how she made the good times help her overcome the hard ones.She was a survival specilist. Her best characteristic I thought was her willingness to do whatever needed to be done. I related to Sarah with her husband Jac...more

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Quotes from These Is My Words

“I might like to have someone courting me. But it would have to be someone who is a square shooter and who has a train load of courage. And it would have to be someone who doesn't have to talk down to folks to feel good, or to tell a person they are worthless ifthey just made a mistake. And he'd have to be not too thin. Why, I remember hugging [my brother] Ernest was like warpping your arms around a fence post,and I love Ernest, but I want a man who can hold me down in a wind. Maybe he'd have to be pretty stubborn. I don't have any use for a man that isn't stubborn. Likely a stubborn fellow will stay with you through thick and thin, and a spineless one will take off, or let his heart wander.” — 69 people liked it

“Children are a burden to a mother, but not the way a heavy box is to a mule. Our children weight hard on my heart, and thinking about them growing up honest and healthy, or just living to grow up at all, makes a load in my chest that is bigger than the safe at the bank,and more valuable to me than all the gold inside it.” — 61 people liked it

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BBCode	[url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/348225.These_Is_My_Words?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1173947222l/348225.jpg[/img][/url] [url=https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/348225.These_Is_My_Words?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]These Is My Words by Nancy E. Turner[/url]

These Is My Words (Sarah Agnes Prine #1)

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