Tuesday-Tell-All--on Wednesday

Tell us about the last book you read.

Hmm, the one I'm almost done with? Or the one I just finished? How about I just tell you about a book I have read recently that I really enjoyed.

"These Is My Words," is a book I've stumbled across several times in the past few years but had never picked up and read. Finally my little sister (emarfar) ended up with a copy of it that I gladly stole from her just before I moved to South Dakota. (hehehe) And do you know what I found out? That book is incredible! I was riveted, I fell in love with the characters and their daily plights, I couldn't put it down. I consumed it in less than a week.

So what is in this book that I find so captivating? It's the journal entries of a woman growing up in the Arizona territory and according to the back of the book it is based on a woman in the author's family line.

Sarah is the woman and she's got this man that's in love with her that she's absolutely oblivious to. Jack is the wild wests equivalent to Mr. Darcy. You really learn to fall in love with him.

One of my favorite scenes in the movie is when Sarah and her family (and neighbors) have been attacked by Indians. This is during some of the most stressful periods between the Native Americans and the Arizona settlers and those people on the ranches and farms really bear the brunt of the warring. So Sarah and her brother's run down to the neighboring homestead to help with guns and man power. The home is surrounded and the only hope they really have is in a group of soldier's that suddenly appears over the horizon. Clouds of dust and sounds of gunfire ensue, Sarah is in the midst of it all shooting as well as any man when she runs out of bullets. The Indian she had been firing at realizes this and walks right up to her, puts his gun to her head and smiles. Sarah knows she's a goner and she prays that her children will be safe. Suddenly out of nowhere a soldier appears, all you see is his blue coat as he visciously takes down the Indian in a rage that can only be had by a man about to lose the woman he loves. It's a spectacular scene! Except you don't ever find out it was Jack... you just know it was.

The other thing I love about this story is her aching desire to learn. When the story starts her english is atrocious and her emotions are difficult for her describe. Yet her need to educate herself drives her to find people and books that will teach her and as the story progresses so does her vocabulary and her expertise with the language until finally she takes the test (as an adult) to get her High School Diploma.

Really it's a beautiful book. Ivy, you'll love it! Jen would too. If I had to rate it out of 5 I'd give it a 6. It moves you inside and stir the soul in a way that I've never experienced with anything concerning the 'old west' before. The 'official' description of the book says it's like Lonesome Dove, but I HATE Lonesome Dove and would completely disagree that it is anything like that.

You can see more about it here. Oh, and if you decide to read it tell me!

Have a good day everyone.