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A review by okiecozyreader
These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901: Arizona Territories by Nancy E. Turner
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
This book was published about 25 years ago. I saw a review that inspired me to mark it as something I wanted to read and when my local book club selected it, I added it to my list.
It’s the story of Sarah Agnes Prime, who was the great-grandmother of the author told as journal entries. This is a fictional story of her life. The great love of her life in the book is fictional, because the author and her family didn’t know much about him. The book begins in July of 1881 as the family is in a wagon, often running from Indians and trying to survive. It is not low on difficult moments, as there must have been many for a family in such a time and area. I live in oklahoma and know how hot a summer is, and can’t imagine being in a wagon traveling in an unpopulated area. The book continues as the family creates permanent homes after homesteading for several years. Much of the book deals with the difficulties of bearing and raising children at the time (without birth control) and limited medical help.
I can see why so many people have loved this book, especially the main love interest with Sarah.
“She was accustomed to her sorrows it said, as she had been accustomed to great riches and fine foods. We are accustomed to Indian wars and sorrows and traveling fast and folks dying.” P35
“I only thought I wanted to be a wife. I just wanted to be happy. There's nothing happy in this.” P130
“There are so many hard things to live through, and latching on to the good things will give you strength to endure, she says. So I must remember this day. It is beautiful and this seems like the best time to live and the best place.” P327
It’s the story of Sarah Agnes Prime, who was the great-grandmother of the author told as journal entries. This is a fictional story of her life. The great love of her life in the book is fictional, because the author and her family didn’t know much about him. The book begins in July of 1881 as the family is in a wagon, often running from Indians and trying to survive. It is not low on difficult moments, as there must have been many for a family in such a time and area. I live in oklahoma and know how hot a summer is, and can’t imagine being in a wagon traveling in an unpopulated area. The book continues as the family creates permanent homes after homesteading for several years. Much of the book deals with the difficulties of bearing and raising children at the time (without birth control) and limited medical help.
I can see why so many people have loved this book, especially the main love interest with Sarah.
“She was accustomed to her sorrows it said, as she had been accustomed to great riches and fine foods. We are accustomed to Indian wars and sorrows and traveling fast and folks dying.” P35
“I only thought I wanted to be a wife. I just wanted to be happy. There's nothing happy in this.” P130
“There are so many hard things to live through, and latching on to the good things will give you strength to endure, she says. So I must remember this day. It is beautiful and this seems like the best time to live and the best place.” P327
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Death, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Violence, Grief, and Murder
Minor: Cancer and Infidelity