Journal Entry 1 by CrazyDutchwoman from Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Friday, November 21, 2008

I discovered this book on amazon and added it to my wish list. Lucky me, I was able to mooch it on bookmooch from someone in China. yes I had to wait a while but it is a brand new copy plus it was funny, the person turned out to be Dutch.

Based on the real-life exploits of the author's great-grandmother, this fictionalized diary vividly details one woman's struggles with life and love in frontier Arizona at the end of the last century. When she begins recording her life, Sarah Prine is an intelligent, headstrong 18-year-old capable of holding her own on her family's settlement near Tucson. Her skill with a rifle fends off a constant barrage of Indian attacks and outlaw assaults. It also attracts a handsome Army captain named Jack Elliot. By the time she's 21, Sarah has recorded her loveless marriage to a family friend, the establishment of a profitable ranch, the birth of her first child?and the death of her husband. The love between Jack and Sarah, which dominates the rest of the tale, has begun to blossom. Fragmented and disjointed in its early chapters, with poor spelling and grammar, Sarah's journal gradually gains in clarity and eloquence as she matures. While this device may frustrate some readers at first, Taylor's deft progression produces the intended reward: she not only tells of her heroine's growth, but she shows it through Sarah's writing and insights. The result is a compelling portrait of an enduring love, the rough old West and a memorable pioneer. 

Journal Entry 2 by CrazyDutchwoman from Heemstede, Noord-Holland Netherlands on Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The start of this book did remind me an awful lot of Sandra Dallas's book: The Diary of Mattie Spenser which was written a decade before in 1998 and is one of my favorites. I really enjoyed this book though although a lot of sad things happen in the book and I even cried (one tear only!) lol.

Discovered there is a book 2 and 3 so I really want to read those 2 as well.
Finished last night on January 26th