Sarah Prine is my new favorite book character. She is tough, smart, humble, thoughtful, and ever so hardworking. There is so much courage and sorrow and love and tragedy in this story. More than you'd think relates to modern gals. Thanks for this recommendation, Julie! A great pioneer, western settler tale for this month.
In my opinion, the more life experience the reader has, the more they will appreciate and understand Sarah. But young adults can learn from the story, too.
A good review from School Library Journal-
This novel in diary format parallels the early history of the Arizona Territories as Sarah and her family travel from the New Mexico Territory and settle down to carve out a new life on a ranch near Tucson in the 1880s.
Sarah's diary, based on the author's family memoirs, is a heartwarming and heartbreaking fictional account of a vibrant and gifted young woman. Sarah starts out as an illiterate, fiery 17 year old. Eventually, her writing becomes as smooth and polished as Sarah herself as she becomes a tenacious, literate, and loving wife and mother. A treasure trove of discovered books becomes the source of her self-education.
Turner describes the trip in such detail that one has a sense of having traveled with Sarah, experiencing all of its heartache and sadness, its backbreaking exertion and struggles, its danger and adventure, its gentle and lighter moments. Life in the new country brings the constant fear of Indian raids and the threat and reality of floods, fire, and rattlesnakes; bandits; rough men, and pretentious women all have an effect on the protagonist but her strong marriage makes the effort worthwhile. Sarah centers her world around her home and family but maintains an independent spirit that keeps her whole and alive throughout her many trials and heartaches. This is a beautifully written book that quickly captures readers' attention and holds it tightly and emotionally until the end.
Dottie Kraft, formerly at Fairfax County Public Schools, VA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.
This is probably my favorite picture book. The message is timeless and a beautiful one for kids to know early on. Gratitude is one virtue I hope I always have. It brings a fulness and joy to life that I would be so lost without.
