The Texas Women of Spirit Trilogy

By: Angela Castillo

Narrated by: J. Grace Pennington

Length: 14 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's Summary

Books one through three in the Texas Women of Spirit series. Clean Christian fiction set in 1890s Texas.

Book one: The River Girl's Song

Zillia Bright never dreamed she’d be orphaned at 16 and left to care for her baby brother and Papa’s farm. With only a mule and a 100-year-old shotgun, she must fight to protect what's hers. Countless dangers lurk on the Bastrop, Texas, riverside. Zillia must rely on the help of her best friends, Soonie and Wylder, to hold her world together. With Zillia’s struggles come unexpected miracles, and proof that God might just listen to the prayers of a river girl.

Book two: The Comanche Girl's Prayer

It's 1890. Called by God, 19-year-old Soonie Eckhart travels to an illegal Comanche and Kiowa settlement in North Texas to become a teacher for the children in hiding. Despite her Comanche roots, she finds many in the group, including a volatile young man named Lone Warrior, refuse to accept her. After a chance encounter in the hills with a band of dangerous men, Soonie must draw on the deepest parts of her faith and courage to survive.

Book three: The Saloon Girl's Journey

Weary of the saloon girl life - and tired of being slapped around - Darla North decides to start over and let her new-found faith lead her. A friend sends her to Downs House, a place for "unfortunate women". Darla is offered a home - if she can behave herself. Old habits are hard to break, but Darla is desperate to prove to everyone that she's changed, especially Ethan Downs, the owner's sensitive and sweet son. But when Darla's past threatens to catch up with her, she must decide to face the truth...or run away again.

©2016 Angela Castillo (P)2018 Angela Castillo

Great series!!!!

I loved the three book trilogy "The Texas Woman of Spirit". J Grace did a good job of bringing the books to life.

Three strong women

Three women who endure the hardships of very different lives as they make their make in the dangerous times of early Texas history.

Really liked the first book

The first book was great, but wasn’t overly impressed with the other 2 books. Good if your looking for an easy read.

Enjoyable Collection of Sweet Stories!

Collection of three stories by Angela Castillo, all based on Texas in the 1890's. I enjoyed all three stories, the plots were all very unique and kept me listening. I liked that in all the stories the plot centered on the heroine and conflicts happening in her life. She took charge to solve the problem and make her life better. There is a hint of romance, but the romance is not the main focus of the story.
The narration was excellently done and reflected each story well. J, Grace Pennington handled character voices, intonation, accents and even singing with ease.
I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and I have voluntarily left this review.

Very good series!

These books were very well written and the characters were well developed. The characters were interwoven throughout all 3 books, but they could also be read as stand alone. The faith, hard work and perseverance that it took to live, love and trust thru the time period of these books shows forth. There is enough suspense written in to keep you intrigued as well.

The narration was done very well.

I received a free copy of this from the author and I am voluntarily leaving this review.

Good stories!

I really enjoyed these. The story lines flowed well. They were interesting and kept my attention. Author did a good job of tying the three together.

Narrator was easy to listen to.

So Different, Yet All Are Loved

Loved the narrator, especially because she sang a character or backdrop.

I initially tried to review the first story, but this is actually better.

The River Girl's Song
Zillia's mother died giving birth to her little brother. His father, her stepfather, an abusive gambler and drunkard, abandons them taking everything of value he can carry. Zillia is a "stiff upper lip" kind of girl. She steps up to the plate, taking care of the ranch, farming and caring for her little brother. He's a handful! Her best friends Wylder and Soonie Eckhart and their grandparents watch over her, extending help and protection as often as they can without totally taking over. Some seasons they two barely scrape by, some they totally fail, but YHWH always provides a helping hand whenever she needs it. When her squirrelly stepfather comes back, it's all hands on deck and Wylder is there to catch her before she falls.

A Commanche Girl's Prayer
Soonie leaves with her uncle to teach at an illegal settlement of Commanche/Kiowa natives who refuse to stay on a reservation. They have to stay hidden and the leader of Fort Sill helps however he can. Soonie meets Lone Warrior in this place. But trappers want what the natives have and cause trouble. They are warned by Darla, a saloon girl and the race is on.

The Saloon Girl's Journey
Darla has to start over again after leaving the Commanche/Kiowa settlement. She ends up at Down's house, a place for women who have lived in unfortunate circumstances. There she meets and falls in love with Ethan Downs. Ma Downs, Ethan's mother runs the place and she fully knows Darla's history. But Darla doesn't realize she knows, so she hides her history and her feelings, which brings trouble and redemption.

Each of these women love YHWH. Each is very different. Zillia is quiet, loyal and strong. Soonie is mixed race, dealing with racism, feeling as if she doesn't really fit anywhere. Darla is fiesty, brave and secretive. YHWH meets each of them where they're at, meeting all of their needs. It's an excellent read!

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Very enjoyable series!

These books are fun. Interesting Heroines, and the storylines are different and keep you listening. They are set in the Texas Territories in the years after the Natives were reloated to Fort Sill. The Narrator did a wonderful job. and she sang when needed in some chapters. Good job!

Excellent set of stories

I wavered on the rating for story, but decided the only thing about it was this is an unusual genre for me. One I would not generally read. However, I really enjoyed the series.
It also made me really ponder those times and the relationships between the Native Nations and the new Americans and the unique difficulties faced by believers in those times and in different areas.
I know, I’m overthinking it. But I like to do that. If you don’t, you can just listen to them and enjoy the stories as they are. They are good. Some of the characters are very like able, and some are villains.
This was altogether a find set of stories, but not a series.

Life in 1890

Comanche Girl Prayer
The year of 1890 a strong faith to go to Texas to teach children in hiding. She is only nineteen, what an undertaking.
Saloon Girl
Darla tired of the life she was living, goes and now finds herself in a house of women of the night. She is determined and how she makes changes.
A favorite of how her new faith guiding her.
Looking at the hardship of women in the 1890's, they were still almost a child, yet having to make decisions as adult, and the hard changes that would occur. Difficult to read in someways, of how they had to do what was needed to survive
Given audio also. was good for my voluntary review and my honest opinion

Brilliant trilogy of pioneering women very good

Loved these 3 books of pioneering women the bravery they had to show in their different circumstances all with a romantic and Christian feel to them. Narration was great I do hope their will be follow up books for the women