Customer Reviews

The Star Garden: A Novel of Sarah Agnes Prine

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This third book of the Prine/Elliott saga begins just as the second book ended, in 1906 Arizona Territory...

Forty-three-year-old widow Sarah Agnes Prine Elliott has just survived one of the most difficult years of her life. Her longtime friend and neighbor Rudolfo Maldonado has just tried to get back into her good graces after being discovered attempting to sabotage Sarah's ranch, but she still doesn't believe he's really sorry. Sarah's brother Harland, recently widowed with four small children, has come to stay on the ranch until he's able to get on his feet again. The entire extended family is still in mourning over the murder of Sarah's niece Esther, while all the young adults of the Prine and Elliott families are trying small steps toward independence.

Likewise, new neighbor Udell Hanna, who first indicated a romantic interest in Sarah in the second book, returns with an invigorated desire to win her heart. Part of her feels attracted to this hardworking, plainspoken man; another is guilty to move from the memory of her husband Jack.

As usual, life for the clan is interrupted by a number of factors, including a serious bout of influenza that seriously jeopardizes lives -- and Charlie's return with a bride whose very presence on the family ranch spells trouble for the family. Still, there's little doubt they'll make it through -- largely due to Sarah's inner strength, which readers have been able to follow since her teenage years in "This is My Words."

Well-written and beautifully characterized, the story of Sarah, her family and friends is bound to keep readers immersed. Turner skillfully combines research on early 20th century Western living with thoughts, feelings and ideas that are common to all human beings in any era.

I LOVED THIS BOOK!! I love books written with strong woman characters. This is the 3rd book in the series of Sarah Prine who moved to Arizona with her family and now has her own family of kids and grandkids around her in Arizona. The hardships of fire, dust storms and battles for the land continue to as Sarah tries to decide whether to marry the 'guy next door'. Nancy Turner makes you feel the pain and happiness that Sarah goes through with all the tough decisions she has to make in her life. A series of books that I dearly love and hope a 4th is yet to come!!( PLEASE!!!)

I finished this book a week ago and still can't quit thinking about Sarah and her family. Nancy Turner has created characters so real I feel like I know them personally and am sad we won't be seeing them again. This series has been one of my all time favorites.

When we first met the young heroine, Sarah Agnes Prine, in the award-winning bestseller THESE IS MY WORDS, she rode right into our hearts. This indomitable, unschooled, almost illiterate teenager with a zest for life and a zeal for learning epitomized the spirit that embodied the frontier women of the late 19th century.

Sarah's early life was based on memoirs of the author's great grandmother who came to the Arizona Territory in the early 1880s, the West's most exciting era. As Sarah grew to adulthood, married and started a family, we shared each event through her journals. A sequel, SARAH'S QUILT, continued the saga, and now we are treated in THE STAR GARDEN to Sarah in her prime as she keeps a detailed journal of the events that shape the times and her family's life.

It is now 1907 and the 20th century has brought the Wells Fargo's famed Butterfield Stage Line, newspapers, telegraph and mail, and the automobile to the Arizona Territory. The famed Butterfield route crosses through Sarah's hard-won property, and it is that coveted right of way that her powerful neighbor and nemesis, Senor Maldonado, tries to claim as the railroad schemes with other large landowners to acquire land in any method they can devise to build the railway. Sarah, her mother and her nearest neighbor, Udell Hanna, hold title to key segments of land in the way of the railroad in a time when land ownership was easy to claim but sometimes difficult to hold.

As the twice-widowed mother of two young men, Sarah has earned the notches on her belt from the range and Indian wars, and has surmounted every obstacle that the harsh Arizona desert, wild land fires, Apaches and cattle rustlers can throw at her. Her friend and neighbor, Udell, has progressed from adoration from afar to courting, but Sarah is not so certain that a third marriage is in her future. Meanwhile, her eldest son Charlie, returning from a year away with the Arizona Rangers, brings home a bride --- Sarah's arch enemy's daughter, whom her father had sequestered in a Tucson convent. Between the railroad and the unthinkable match between young lovers from warring families, a smoldering fuse is relit.

Through diligent research of one of the West's most exciting eras and with a rich family history to rely on, Nancy E. Turner has created another page-turning historical family saga. Sarah Agnes Prine is truly among the fictional heroines of the Old West.

--- Reviewed by Roz Shea

As with almost everyone else who has discovered this series, I am completely charmed by Sarah Prine. Beginning with 'These Is My Words' I have rooted for Sarah, cried with her, laughed with her and admired her. From what I have read this is her final installment and this book, like the other two before it, is a wonderful adventure. The last chapter gave me tears and joy. As with any adventure, it eventually ends but I will certainly look forward to my next journey with Ms Turner with great anticipation.

Start with 'These Is My Words', read 'Sarah's Quilt' and this book. I promise you won't be disappointed.

Thank you Ms Turner!!

The final book in Nancy E. Turner's Agnes Prine trilogy is as beautifully written as the first two books in this series and I recommend it wholeheartedly. However, I do wish that the author would rethink her decision to wrap this series up and just keep going and going. I know Agnes has a lot more story left to tell and just like I would like another slice of Agnes' Arizona Pecan Pie (thanks for the recipe Nancy!), I would love to read about the next chapter in her life even more.

In 1906 Arizona Territory, forty-six years old twice widowed Sarah Agnes Prine lives with a horde of family members in a house rebuilt by rich ruthless Rudolfo Maldonado; who once worked for her and even proposed though she said no. Meanwhile her neighbor Udell Hanna wants the reluctant Sarah to marry him.

When Sarah rides on her property she comes across a nasty stagecoach accident in which the driver and a passenger died. She takes the three survivors, Miss James, Professor Fairhaven and Professor Osterhaus into her large home until they can continue their journey. Udell shows his love for Hannah when he enrolls her in classes at the university where the professors are teaching. As she enjoys school, someone who she thought was a friend is causing dangerous problems on her ranch.

This engaging historical tale is told in a journal format but contains plenty of action while focusing on the life of Sarah just before statehood. Sarah is a stupendous person dealing with courtships, family feuds, bandits and an unknown deadly stalker. Readers will enjoy this deep look at a pioneer who takes the early steps so that a century later women can claim we've come a long way.

Harriet Klausner

Another great novel by Nancy Turner, thoughtfully written. Poignant narrative with just the right amount of humor and insight into turn-of-the-century life in the territories. Bound to be a classic series.

The depression continued after Sarah's Quilt as Sarah's life seemed to go from bad to worse. As in that book, I felt that the author should have covered a larger time period in this one. Sarah's continuing on and off again feelings for Udell was puzzling and there were several inconsistencies concerning dates and events. Overall, this was a better book than the 2nd one but not as good as the first one. Although I did feel that the author was just manufacturing unlikely situations to extend the book length.

I have loved the two previous "Sarah" books. Sarah Prine is one of my favorite heroines, full of courage and spunk. Even when she doesn't know what to do, she does her honest best, which is a quality I admire greatly. However, (don't read any further unless you have read the book) I think Sarah "sold out" for lack of a better word. Her relations with Udell Hanna were a big disappointment to me. I know she was lonely, but that part of the book didn't feel like the true Sarah to me. She's human, as we all are, but I wish she had stayed true to herself. Still, a good story. I would like for Nancy Turner to put a picture of all the characters on her website, if she has any. Especially Jack. He must have been the Tom Selleck of his day!!