The setting of Texas and Arizona in the 1880s makes for a gripping and moving read. The book spans nearly twenty years of Sarah Prine’s life and has the reader laughing and rejoicing one moment and sobbing in sorrow the next. The book is written as journal entries following Sarah and her family as they migrate and start anew. The author has some poetic descriptions of life events and uses words to subtly craft the intellectual development of Sarah. Fast paced this book was not, but rather thought provoking and heart wrenching. A truly realistic depiction of life on the frontier and the courageous men and women who took the challenge to conquer the perils of the untamed land. Readers will be pleased to note this is the first installment of a trilogy.
Content Analysis:
Profanity/Language: 7 religious exclamations; 11 mild obscenities; 1 religious profanity.
Violence/Gore: Many brief mentions of war injuries; Children pretend to shoot one another with sticks and several other imitations of war; Several encounters with natives containing mild detail of shootings, burnings, arrow injuries and deaths, one instance covers 5 pages; Many brief descriptions of injuries including amputations, burns, snake bites, cuts and broken arms; Character dies from snakebite; Character shoots and kills multiple people in a few instances of self-defense; 39 women and children slaughtered without apparent provocation, little detail; Character threatens to shoot, slap or switch other characters; Character dreams about animals “cutting” her “to ribbons”; Animal cuts head and there is “blood everywhere;” Characters go hunting for food on a few occasions; Five sentences describing a naked, bloody body covered with ants; Dog run over by wagon and killed, no details; Character drug to death by horse some details; Two characters die in fire, little detail; Second hand reports of killings during stage and train robberies, no details; Woman murders her infant son and is shot by her husband, little detail; Child hits a sibling with object after being provoked.
Sex/Nudity: Many instances of characters kissing, both married and non-married;A few times characters are bathing, little detail; Character describes another being raped multiple times in one event and another character is interrupted during an attempted rape, some non-graphic detail; A few mentions of floozies, harlots, hussies and wanton women;Characters discuss in vague terms how to “get” babies; Adult male and female character sleep together in completely non-sexual circumstances; Characters hold hands and hug; A few instances of married characters making love or “knowing” one another, no details; A few instances of characters disrobed partially or completely to treat injuries.
Mature Subject Matter:
Native American conflicts, rape, infidelity, robbery, murder, death of family members, death of pet, rape, war, murder of one’s child and spouse.
Alcohol / Drug Use:
A few mentions of characters behaving like drunks, but very little actual alcohol consumption. Two adult characters consume alcohol that is watered down. Characters take vow of abstinence.
