I apologize for taking so long to post my review of “These is my Words”.
This is one of my favorite books and I’ve re-read it a few times and every time the story draws me in and I can’t put it down.
A good friend of mine kept telling me that I had to read this book and to be honest, I judged the book by the cover and put off reading it. Just hearing it was about a tough pioneer woman in the Arizona territories didn’t capture my interest and the cover itself didn’t tempt me to open it up. I finally borrowed a copy when I was heading back East on vacation and what was pleasantly surprised. The story caught my attention from the beginning. Even when I was sitting at the beach with my adorable niece, I could not put this book down. I stayed up late, became a bit antisocial and read it in record time. I even made my sister buy her own copy while I was visiting her because I was so anxious to discuss the book with someone. As soon as I finished it, I started recommending it to everyone I knew. Have I mentioned how much I enjoy this book!
There are so many things I love about this book. I love having Sarah Agnes Prine as the narrator. As the novel progresses we get to observe how Sara grows up and changes. I am impressed with the tough, sassy attitude of Sarah. She is a resilient survivor and I really like her character. She has some classic one-liners and quotes that are full of attitude and made me laugh. I felt bad for Sarah’s Mamma and could understand why she struggled mentally. I was mad Sarah married Jimmy, what a jerk! I pretty much fell in love with Jack Elliott. I love reading when they finally get married too! You should re-read it, from pg. 216 in my copy Sarah stated:
“No one should write down, even in her private journal, the things that happen on her wedding night, but I never want to forget the first time I knew John Edward Harrison Elliot. He told me he loved me more than life itself, telling me he had longed for this moment forever and forever…….”
I also like Nancy’s writing style. She gives wonderful in-depth descriptions so you can easily picture what is going on. Even though some of the situations are horrific to read, this kept the story real for me. Some of the experiences brought sad tears to my eyes and some of Sarah’s commentary made me laugh right out loud.
Last year when my book club reviewed this book we were lucky enough to have a 2 hour conference call with Nancy Turner. She was so fun to visit with and ask questions. This is her first novel and I read in the back of the book that “Nancy has been a seam snipper in a clothing factory, a church piano player, an aide to a paleontologist, and an executive secretary.” She lives in Tucson, AZ with her husband and 2 children. Nancy told us she was in school when she first drafted up a short story based on her own relatives stories and later this story became the novel “These is my words”. She shared all kinds of insights into her novels and she even gave advice to anyone that is interested in getting a story published. She also told us who she pictures playing the main characters if this book is made into a movie (movie rights have not been purchased yet). Much like Sarah, Nancy sounds like a determined woman that refuses to give up. She took it upon herself to send her novel out to publishers and she was turned down multiple times before someone finally liked her story. Nancy is very interested in the stories of pioneers that traveled across the territories and she has spent a lot of time researching details about life in the Arizona territory in the late 1800s. She based the novel on her family’s original memoirs and many of the characters are based on her own relatives.
If you enjoyed this book you must read the sequels, “Sarah’s Quilt” and “The Star Garden”. I won’t give any plot spoilers here but both novels are wonderful. Nancy continues sharing the uplifting and challenging experiences of the Prine family through Sarah’s eyes and she also kept the journal format. Both sequels were page-turners for me.
The dedication or introduction for “These is my words” states: “For everyone who has ever stood alone on a hill in a storm”. I love this simple introduction to the journey and captivating adventures that are contained in this book. I think there are times in life everyone feels like they are standing alone on a hill in a storm.
I’ll end with a random “reading group discussion question”:
“What is the point of “The Duchess of Warwick and Her Sorrow by the Sea.”
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5 comments:
I too was wary about reading this book. I'm one of those people who will only read something that I really want to read. So I picked up the book at your recommendation, and I absolutely could not put the book down. Within the first few pages I was crying, and I don't do that very often with a book. I just really felt invested in the characters. I too fell in love with the captain. His rugged manliness was so attractive to me. I was so mad when she married her first husband. I couldn't believe that the author would give us such an amazing man and know that he was perfect for Sarah and then have her marry that loser. I wasn't too surprised that he died though, because I'd read the back of the book. I loved how Sarah didn't let anything get her down. She could do everything from shooting a gun, to making pretty little soap (it was funny that some thought the soap a bit scandalous). Just out of curiousity, who did Nancy Turner want to play Sarah if it was made into a movie?
I have no idea what the point of the book was. I do believe that Captain Elliot kept it with him as a reminder of Sarah.
Thanks for sharing this book with us. I loved it and it's definitely one of my favorites.
I am planning on posting about this book! I am reading it and I am almost done. I've been careful not too read the spoilers and I am excited to add to the discussion. I am just a little behind this month as well. :)
I finished the book today and read the other posts. I thought the point of "The Duchess of Warwick and Her Sorrow by the Sea" was to symbolize the life Sarah wanted when she was younger. Although she had only read a single page of the book, the duchess had two main things that Sarah didn't in the first part of the book: someone she loved and physical comfort/fine things. I think that symbolism was strengthened by how she could not get the rest of the book and wanted it for so many years. Then, she got everything she wanted - true love, physical comfort, financial security, and that book - all of them came with Jack Elliot.
He reminded me of Rhett Butler so many times! If you have only seen Gone With the Wind as a movie and have not read the book, I don't know if you will notice the personality similarities as much. But his twinkling eyes and crooked smile and the way he teased her about kissing were totally Rhett. and the way he was brave and people admired and respected him, but he wasn't quite socially acceptable - like how Sarah thought April's new in-laws wouldn't want their son marrying a soldier's daughter. And Rhett was friendly to people who were even less socially accepted, like Belle, a whore, the way Sarah and Jack let the Indian scout hang out at their house and people snubbed her for it. And the way Sarah loved Jack, then was so aggravated by him and did all kinds of name-calling in her journal. That is totally Scarlett's attitude toward Rhett. Almost like she hated the fact that she loved the scoundrel. Anyway, I didn't plan to spend this much time on a Gone With the Wind tangent, but there were lots of enjoyable parallels.
I thought it was interesting how the book ended with Suzy and April gone and Sarah once again the only girl with a bunch of boys. That kind of came full circle and it made me sad that she started her story feeling badly that she had no sisters and ended out at the ranch with no daughters. Although it did sound like she always had a very different personality than April. I guess we find out what happens to April in the sequels? I almost wish this book didn't have sequels for two reasons - first, I hate to think of Sarah living for years and years without Jack, even though I know she will be OK. and second, I haven't done any laundry since I started reading that book and I've stayed up late reading it when I know I need to go to bed on time in order to have enough energy to get through my day! :) I guess I need to work on self-control, but this story had me so absorbed. I already recommended it to my mom and I know she will love it. Thanks for suggesting this great book!
One final thought/question - did this book motivate anyone else to write in their journal? It made me want to sit down and write down some of my own thoughts and stories about my family. I especially liked how Sarah shared in her journal that her Mama had counseled her to remember the good times in life so they will strengthen you later. I want to do that!
Emma Thompson is too old now, but she could have played this character in the early 90's when she did Much Ado
About Nothing. I think Reese Witherspoon could play Sarah for sure, although I don't think she could pass for 17 the way Sarah is at the beginning of the book. I am not very familiar with the names of current popular actresses to pick someone younger. :)
Rachel, thanks for that insight into Gone with the Wind. I never thought to compare them. I have seen the movie, a long time ago, but now I'm quite interested in reading the book. Isn't it funny how characters can be recycled? As for journaling, I'm quite in the throws of it now with blogging. I absolutely love to do it. I know that Sarah's journal is fictional, but honestly, where would we be without the diaries and journals of those who came before us. We can learn so much from these amazing people. I constantly read what my own ancestors have written. It's important to me to know their story and where I come from. I want to provide something like that for my own posterity. Ok, now I've gotten off on a tangent. Loved the book and love this discussion!
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