"These Is My Words" by Nancy E. Turner

 Rating: 3.5/5 stars

CW: Death, murder, sexual assault (multiple), mild if any language. No graphic descriptions.

Summary:

Come along with Sarah Agnes Prine as she journals of her experiences living a frontier life filled with highs, lows, trauma, and love. Though every imaginable trial is sent her way, she fights her way to the top again and again.

Spoiler-filled review:

Imma be honest, I had a tough time getting into this book. It was recommended to me from a library I admire, so I felt determined to push through. However, I did pause about 20 pages in to write down that we already have 1. A brother dead 2. Another brother's leg is amputated 3. Rape 4. Self-defense killings 5. Father dead from heart attack 6. Move BACK across the territories.

These are followed by attacks from Apaches and endlesssssss tragedy. In general, I enjoy a journal narrative, but this one, I don't know, I just couldn't get into it. However, once the love story with Jack Elliot really gets going, I became more invested. I did enjoy having a strong female lead and was impressed with Sarah's determination, entrepreneurship, and growth. There were a lot of characters I felt would have been serviced better by a third-person narrative rather than a journaling format, such as her younger brother and his flighty wife.

Discussion Questions:

1. What do you believe was Sarah's primary motivation for marrying Jimmy?

2. Albert knew Jimmy was unfaithful to Sarah. Do you think he should have told Sarah before she married him? Do you think that would have influenced Sarah's decision?

3. Sarah decides to leave the blue stains from April's exploration of ink on her floor and walls. What's something untraditional you have kept because of the memories attached to it?

4. We see Sarah's soap business for a small portion of the story, though it is referenced throughout the story. Does this indicate she continued the soap business when they moved to town?

5. Jack dies while fire chief, a job that was supposed to be safer than being in the army. What other stories can you think of that have a similar trope? Running away from a consequence only to find it in the new field?