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Sarah Agnes Prine begins her diary in 1881 when her father decides to move the whole family – and their horse ranch – from Arizona Territory to Texas, where life will be easier. Sarah, at seventeen, is a tomboy: though she longs to be educated, gracious and beautiful like other women. But when the family sets out on the wagon trail and disasters strike in rapid succession, Sarah turns out to be the only thing that keeps them from certain death.
Sarah stays brave, strong and determined through everything that befalls her. But she longs to be loved, like any other woman, and she is to meet her destiny in Captain Jack Elliot.
Sarah stays brave, strong and determined through everything that befalls her. But she longs to be loved, like any other woman, and she is to meet her destiny in Captain Jack Elliot.
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Reviews
A remarkable novel . . . vividly alive and gripping . . . Innocent, tough, spirited, [Sarah] is utterly admirable and convincing
Fragmented and disjointed in its early chapters, with poor spelling and grammar, Sarah's journal gradually gains in clarity and eloquence as she matures. While this device may frustrate some readers at first, Taylor's deft progression produces the intended reward: she not only tells of her heroine's growth, but she shows it through Sarah's writing and insights. The result is a compelling portrait of an enduring love, the rough old West and a memorable pioneer
A record of a spectacularly combustible love affair . . . a charming and promising first novel
A convivial period tale of adventure, love and marriage, featuring a spunky gun-toting heroine and the brave-hearted soldier she comes to love . . . A lushly satisfying romance, period-authentic, with true-grit pioneering
Incredibly vivid and real and almost as though everything had been found, complete in a box somewhere. How clever writers are to go back into the past and to recreate a time so accurately. And I liked the character of the girl, because she was so matter of fact about all the traumas of her adventures, but I suppose one had to be, faced with Indians and all the other problems
I read it with great delight . . . For me, it says more about Americans than Gone with the Wind, and I'd put it up there with To Kill a Mockingbird. It is moving, funny and rings very true
The author is in control of her material and writes in clear, at times lyrical prose . . . The strongest image that lingers is that of Sarah on horseback, engaged with the land and with her life. Hers is a spirit that will remain long after the story fades
Telling the story of a courageous woman creating her life against the harsh realities of the time, this story of the Wild West is a real find. Both rugged and romantic it brings to life the experiences of a woman struggling to establish a life in the harsh conditions of Arizona territory
Mix Gone with the Wind with a handful of your favourite Westerns, sieve out the schmaltz, and you end up with a sort of pioneer jam, the frontier spirit on toast . . . Eighteen-year-old Sarah narrates the journey through diary entries, detailing heart-stopping episodes of illness, death and hardship with simplicity and spirit. Nancy Turner has created a fascinating portrait of true grit - without a swaggering John Wayne figure in sight - which will appeal to everyone who has mused over the fallen leaves from the family tree
Truly original, absorbing and a joy to read . . . one of those extraordinary stories that jump out of the page. . . Achingly moving story of one woman's life and loves, with a leading character who is strong-willed, hungry for life and has an inspiring vitality and intelligence. A novel you should rush out and buy. Right now
A sweeping saga of struggle, endurance, tragedy and passion . . . a love story with enough oomph to shake Gone with the Wind right off its pedestal . . . The ending will break your heart
It's not often that a debut novel blows you away, but These is My Words does just that. It's impossible not to love it heroine Sarah Prine . . . A compelling narrative of life in the Wild West