"...highly entertaining and provides a valuable picture of the New Mexico frontier." —
Journal of the West
"An unusual story of an American pioneer woman who used a needle, skillet, or gun, as needed, and who tended the dying during frontier wars or outbreaks of equally deadly diseases."  —
The Old Bookaroos
"For vivid descriptions of pioneer life in southeastern New Mexico, no work of history or fiction can match Eve Ball's dramatic story of Barbara Jones and her family...Anyone who picks it up will be reluctant to stop reading... "Few western historians have made such expert use of oral history as Mrs. Ball. Colloquial language adds color; and carefully drawn sketches of the family, their acquaintances, and the major figures in Lincoln County provide a degree of intimacy seldom found in historical works. That the resulting tale is believable and deeply moving demonstrates just how effective these techniques can be." —
Southwestern Historical Quarterly