Reading this book

and I keep thinking that there are just not enough hours in the day and that this move is now interfering with my book reading.    Makes me cranky!

I first saw it start popping up all over blogland and to be totally honest, the title didn't really capture my attention.  I kept thinking "These is my words"...."These is my words....what in the world, what is this about?".

I began realizing that there had to be a reason why so many bloggers were giving it so much praise and loving it.  I had to be missing something.

So I went straight to Amazon and to the author's website and that is when I immediately realized that this is a book I would not only fall in love with, but forever consider one of my favorites.

Not only is the story inspired by the author's great-grandmother, but it is a story of pioneers, of trials, of perseverance and of endurance.  It pulled me in within the first two pages and now I find myself thinking about it constantly, wondering when bed time will come around so that I can sink into my bed and flip through those pages.

It's one of those books that makes me forget it's written on the pages, it feels like I'm there, the minute I read the first word the whole world melts away and I'm not a stay at home mom, a military wife, a homeschooling mama....I'm sitting on that wagon with Sarah, I'm feeling the anticipation and the fear everytime the Indian cries pierce the night, I'm crying along with her, I'm celebrating the meals that don't consist of cold mush but of roasted chicken.

Pretty early on in the book there is a certain event that takes place that left a knot in my stomach and a lump in my throat, I literally wanted to reach through the pages and grab the main character into my arms, to fight with her.  Here is a little short snippet:

As I lay that chicken down she stretched out her neck and calmly laid her head on the wood making little cooing sounds. I lifted the hatchet and shook her. Fight back, chicken, I said. Then I hollered at it, fight back, chicken! In a minute I was yelling Fight back Ulyssa! Fight back Ulyssa! over and over like a lunatic.

I was standing there shaking all over and crying out and I could not chop that chicken to save my life. Suddenly over my shoulder I hear these words in Savannah’s voice, Well, you are WRONG, Papa! and then Savannah is there and taking the chicken and the hatchet from me. Everyone has circled around me while I was crying. Savannah says, I’ll do it for you, it’s all right, then she bursts into tears and drops the hatchet and the chicken and throws her arms around me and we both cry to beat all.

Harland took to chasing that chicken to have her for lunch and calling out come here, little Drumsticks, and we all smiled for the first time in many, many days

 To summarize and if you haven't yet had the priviledge of reading this one....buy it, borrow it, do whatever you have to do, but read it.

If you are anything like me, you will find yourself thanking the Lord for everything you have in your life and hugging your children a little tighter.

The real Sarah Prine is third from the left. Young girl is Nancy's mother at age 11. The tallest lady is Nancy's grandmother, teller of stories and baker of pies, and the lady on the far right is Nancy's great- great grandmother, Roxie Virginia Stockman Reed.