These is My Words by Nacy E. Turner

What a delicious find! The story revolves around Sarah Prine who keeps this "diary" reflecting her feelings about living in the Arizona Territories from 1881-1901. It is what I would term a "sweeping" story since it covers so many years and events in her life. It's been a long time since I read a "western" that was this good (I think Lonesome Dove was the last great "western" book I read). Sarah's story includes conflicts with Indians, including a trek from New Mexico to San Angelos, Texas, and back to Tuscon where most of the story takes place. None of the heartaches she endures seem trite, and her love story, which is central to the overall story, is a really beautiful one. The book is lengthy--she marries the right person around page 200 with the final 200 pages describe their life together. The story is presented as Sarah's diary entries, and I though the challenges inherent with that technique were handled well by Turner. The reader can dismiss the fact that no one with such a hard life would have written such a detailed account, even if she had had the resources (paper, ink, light, time). Jack Eliot, the main character's true love, is in the Army, which causes him to fade in and out of her life so she has plenty of challenges she faces alone. Sarah Prine is a terrific protagonist: she is spunky, but tender hearted; she is uneducated but intelligent; she is determined and successful. There is no foul language or explicit sex scenes in this book--which proves you can write a terrific book based on storyline alone. A good book for an adult or a teen.