"These Is My Words" by Nancy Turner

These Is My Words by Nancy Turner
Call Number: FICTION Turner
A moving, exciting, and heartfelt American saga inspired by the author's own family memoirs, these words belong to Sarah Prine, a woman of spirit and fire who forges a full and remarkable existence in a harsh, unfamiliar frontier. Scrupulously recording her steps down the path Providence has set her upon--from child to determined young adult to loving mother--she shares the turbulent events, both joyous and tragic, that molded her, and recalls the enduring love with cavalry officer Captain Jack Elliot that gave her strength and purpose. Rich in authentic everyday details and alive with truly unforgettable characters, These Is My Words brilliantly brings a vanished world to breathtaking life again.

Survival and Resilience: Sarah Agnes Prine faces numerous challenges and hardships throughout the novel, including frontier life, loss, and conflicts with Native Americans. How does she demonstrate resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity? Discuss specific instances where Sarah's strength of character shines through.
Character Development: Analyze the character of Sarah Agnes Prine. How does she evolve over the course of the novel, both emotionally and spiritually? What lessons does she learn about herself and the world around her through her experiences on the frontier?
Romance and Relationships: Sarah's relationship with Captain Jack Elliot is a central aspect of the novel. How does their relationship develop over time, and what challenges do they face as a couple? Discuss the role of romance and interpersonal relationships in Sarah's life and character development.
Frontier Life: "These Is My Words" offers a vivid portrayal of life on the American frontier in the late 19th century. How does the novel depict the challenges and realities of frontier life, including the harsh environment, pioneer settlements, and interactions with Native American tribes?
Gender Roles and Independence: Sarah defies traditional gender roles for women of her time, displaying independence, courage, and resourcefulness. How does she challenge societal expectations of women in the 19th century? Discuss the importance of female agency and empowerment in the novel.
Family Dynamics: Sarah's relationship with her family, particularly her siblings and children, is a significant aspect of the novel. How do family dynamics influence Sarah's decisions and actions? Discuss the bonds of love and loyalty that unite the Prine family.
Friendship and Community: Sarah forms close friendships with various characters throughout the novel, including the Davis family and Lieutenant Graversen. How do these relationships shape Sarah's sense of community and belonging on the frontier? Discuss the importance of friendship in times of hardship.
Historical Context: The novel is set against the backdrop of historical events such as the Arizona Territory's transition to statehood and conflicts with Native American tribes. How does the author incorporate historical details and events into the narrative? What insights does the novel offer into the history of the American West?
Narrative Style: "These Is My Words" is presented as Sarah's personal journal, written in her own voice. How does the epistolary format enhance the storytelling? Discuss the effectiveness of using Sarah's journal entries to convey the emotional depth and authenticity of her experiences.
Legacy and Memory: The novel concludes with Sarah reflecting on her life and the legacy she leaves behind for future generations. How does she reconcile the hardships and triumphs of her past? Discuss the theme of legacy and the importance of preserving personal history and memories.
The Power of Language: Sarah's journal entries serve as a testament to the power of language and storytelling. How does she use writing as a means of self-expression and catharsis? Discuss the role of storytelling in preserving personal narratives and shaping individual identity.
Reader's Response: Reflect on your personal response to the novel. What aspects of the story resonated with you the most, and why? How did "These Is My Words" deepen your understanding of the pioneer experience and the resilience of the human spirit?

Early Life and Education: Nancy Elaine Turner was born on March 14, 1953, in Dallas, Texas, USA. She developed a love for storytelling and literature from a young age, which would later influence her career as a writer.

Turner attended Arizona State University, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Creative Writing. Her education provided her with a strong foundation in writing and storytelling, which she would later apply to her career as a novelist.

Literary Career: Nancy E. Turner is best known for her historical fiction novels that explore themes of frontier life, resilience, and the human experience. She made her literary debut with the publication of her novel "These Is My Words" in 1998.

"These Is My Words" is the first book in Turner's Sarah Agnes Prine series, which follows the journey of a pioneer woman living in the Arizona Territory in the late 19th century. The novel received critical acclaim for its vivid portrayal of frontier life and the strength of its protagonist.

Turner continued Sarah's story with two sequels, "Sarah's Quilt" (2000) and "The Star Garden" (2007), completing the trilogy. The series became immensely popular among readers for its authentic historical detail and compelling storytelling.

In addition to her Sarah Agnes Prine series, Turner has written other novels, including "The Water and the Blood" (2002) and "My Name is Resolute" (2014), which also explore themes of resilience and survival in historical settings.

Personal Life: Nancy E. Turner resides in Tucson, Arizona, where she continues to write and pursue her passion for storytelling. She is known for her meticulous research and attention to historical detail, which she incorporates into her novels to bring the past to life for her readers.

Turner's novels are characterized by their strong, independent female protagonists, richly drawn historical settings, and themes of resilience and survival. She has earned a dedicated readership and critical acclaim for her contributions to the genre of historical fiction.

A Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry
Call Number: FICTION Barry
A dazzling new novel about memory and identity set in Paris, Tennessee in the aftermath of the American civil war from the Booker Prize shortlisted author Winona Cole, an orphaned child of the Lakota Indians, finds herself growing up in an unconventional household on a farm in West Tennessee. Raised by her adoptive father John Cole and his brother-in-arms Thomas McNulty, this odd little family scrapes a living on Lige Magan's farm with the help two freed slaves, the Bougereau siblings. They try to keep the brutal outside world at bay, along with their memories of the past. But Tennessee is a state still riven by the bitter legacy of the civil war and when first Winona and then Tennyson Bouguereau are violently attacked by forces unknown, Colonel Purton raises the Militia to quell the rebels and night-riders who are massing on the outskirts of town. Armed with a knife, Tennyson's borrowed gun and the courage of her famous warrior mother Winona decides to take matters into her own hands and embarks on a quest for justice which will uncover the dark secrets of her past and finally reveal to her who she really is. Exquisitely written and thrumming with the irrepressible spirit of a young girl on the brink of adulthood, A Thousand Moons is a glorious story of love and redemption.
The Diary of Mattie Spenser by Sandra Dallas
Call Number: FICTION Dallas
No one is more surprised than Mattie Spenser herself when Luke Spenser, considered the great catch of their small Iowa town, asks her to marry him. Less than a month later, they are off in a covered wagon to build a home on the Colorado frontier. Mattie's only company is a slightly mysterious husband and her private journal, where she records the joys and frustrations not just of frontier life, but also of a new marriage to a handsome but distant stranger. As she and Luke make life together on the harsh and beautiful plains, Mattie learns some bitter truths about her husband and the girl he left behind and finds love where she least expects it. Dramatic and suspenseful, this is an unforgettable story of hardship, friendship and survival.
The Sweet Blue Distance by Sara Donati
Call Number: FICTION Donati
1857: In a bid to outrun her past, Carrie Ballentyne accepts a nursing position with a doctor in the New Mexico Territory. She knows the journey from New York to Santa Fe will not be easy, but she relishes the adventure. However, nothing could have prepared her for the wilderness she encounters. Its vastness and power are awe-inspiring, stunning in both beauty and brutality. To endure, she must learn to rely on her fellow travelers--and one enigmatic man in particular. As the small, tight-knit group tackles challenge after challenge, she feels her heart opening to this rugged land--and the people willing to risk so much for one another. The trip west is only the beginning of Carrie's challenges, though. In Santa Fe, she compassionately helps women bring new life into the world, making her beloved among new mothers. Soon, however, she realizes that her employer and his wife are keeping secrets from her, and she must ferret out the truth to protect their young daughter. But to save the little girl she's come to cherish, Carrie will have to confront the demons in her own past--a feat that will take all of her bravery with the help of the man she's grown to love and depend on above all others. With its vivid descriptions of the breathtaking western landscape and its irresistible characters, The Sweet Blue Distance is the unforgettable story of one woman's courage to heal herself, her family, and the women entrusted to her care.
The Big Sky by A. B. Guthrie
Call Number: FICTION Guthrie
The Big Sky is the first of A. B. Guthrie Jr.'s epic adventure novels set in the American West. Here he introduces Boone Caudill, Jim Deakins, and Dick Summers: traveling the Missouri River from St. Louis to the Rockies, these frontiersmen live as trappers, traders, guides, and explorers. Caudill is a young Kentuckian driven by a raging hunger for life, longing for the blue sky and brown earth of big, wild places. Caught up in the freedom and savagery of the wilderness, he becomes an untamed mountain man, whom only the beautiful daughter of a Blackfoot chief dares to love. With The Big Sky, Guthrie presents an unforgettable portrait of a spacious land and a unique way of lie.
Everything She Didn't Say by Jane Kirkpatrick (Preface by)
Call Number: FICTION Kirkpatrick
In 1911, Carrie Strahorn wrote a memoir entitled Fifteen Thousand Miles by Stage , which shared some of the most exciting events of 25 years of traveling and shaping the American West with her husband, Robert Strahorn, a railroad promoter, investor, and writer. That is all fact. Everything She Didn't Say imagines Carrie nearly ten years later as she decides to write down what was really on her mind during those adventurous nomadic years.Certain that her husband will not read it, and in fact that it will only be found after her death, Carrie is finally willing to explore the lessons she learned along the way, including the danger a woman faces of losing herself within a relationship with a strong-willed man and the courage it takes to accept her own God-given worth apart from him. Carrie discovers that wealth doesn't insulate a soul from pain and disappointment, family is essential, pioneering is a challenge, and western landscapes are both demanding and nourishing. Most of all, she discovers that home can be found, even in a rootless life.With a deft hand, New York Times bestselling author Jane Kirkpatrick draws out the emotions of living--the laughter and pain, the love and loss--to give readers a window not only into the past, but into their own conflicted hearts.
Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison
Call Number: FICTION Larison
From a blazing new voice in fiction, a gritty and lyrical American epic about a young woman who disguises herself as a boy and heads west In the spring of 1885, seventeen-year-old Jessilyn Harney finds herself orphaned and alone on her family's homestead. Desperate to fend off starvation and predatory neighbors, she cuts off her hair, binds her chest, saddles her beloved mare, and sets off across the mountains to find her outlaw brother Noah and bring him home. A talented sharpshooter herself, Jess's quest lands her in the employ of the territory's violent, capricious Governor, whose militia is also hunting Noah--dead or alive. Wrestling with her brother's outlaw identity, and haunted by questions about her own, Jess must outmaneuver those who underestimate her, ultimately rising to become a hero in her own right. Told in Jess's wholly original and unforgettable voice, Whiskey When We're Dry is a stunning achievement, an epic as expansive as America itself--and a reckoning with the myths that are entwined with our history.

Ora Smith

Islington Branch Book Club - Past Titles: "These Is My Words" by Nancy Turner

"These Is My Words" by Nancy Turner

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