Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
by Jeannette Walls
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Book Summary Information
Author: Jeannette WallsEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2009-10-06
ISBN: 1416586288
Number of pages: 288
Publisher: Scribner
Product features:
- ISBN13: 9781416586289
- Condition: New
- Notes: BRAND NEW FROM PUBLISHER! 100% Satisfaction Guarantee. Tracking provided on most orders. Buy with Confidence! Millions of books sold!
Book Reviews of Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
Book Review: DAYTON SAYS: BUY THIS BOOK - BUT AUDIO IF YOU CAN
Summary: 5 Stars
I am coming into this review thread a little late, and so there really is not a lot that I can add, but I'll try.
First, I would like to say this without malice to some members (supposedly) of the Casey family who are upset over this book. The author was very clear about this book, i.e., it is a NOVEL; not a biography. If you feel you can do better, by all means, please write the book, and I promise that I will purchase it...and review it.
For those of you who compare one book of one author to another book that the same author wrote, that is certainly your right to do so, but I tend not to do that. I never start a new book by the same author with any expectations. I understand what you are saying, and it's hard not to do that, but I think that in the end, you'll be better off not making those comparisons.
I believe if you are a person who has lived the struggle of life, you will understand and appreciate this book. If, on the other hand, you've been a bit pampered, you will not quite understand this book as the emotions are not necessary spoon fed to you.
When I read the book, I could not help thinking of my own grandmother who lived during the same time, but in the poorest of the poor areas, i.e., in and around Pine Ridge and Porky Pine Indian Reservations in South Dakota. She was independent and tough as nails; much like Lily. If she was going to survive, she knew that she was the one who would have to make things happen, and she did, until she died five days short of her 98th birthday. So, I know for sure there have been (and are) women like Lily. And, Lily's story, though set in more of a novel setting instead of a biography, is worth reading. I believe it is a great lesson in what any woman (or man) can do, if they just don't stop fighting for what they believe in and working as hard as possible to make their dreams a reality.
Is it The Glass Castle? No, it's not supposed to be. It's Half Broke Horses, and I believe that you will enjoy reading it. It helps us all to remember that there was a time in our country's history...and not all that long ago...when lives were lived much differently than they are today. What I like about the spirit and story of Lily is that times are hard only if you let them be and part of the joy of living is working through those hard times. Did Lily ever cry as an adult woman? Perhaps, but that is only speculation on my part. I never recall my grandmother crying. She was too busy trying to survive. From some of the other reviews, I understand that some feel the story does not hit the mark or does not bring out the emotions like it should, but for me through my knowledge of my own grandmother, this story, though a novel, rings true.
I have one suggestion. Because I do a great deal of reading, often I will listen to a book rendered in audio. This is one book that I HIGHLY recommend that you listen to. Why? The author does the narration, and, frankly, she does it quite well. I have listened to hundreds of audio books, and if Jeannette Walls ever gets tired of writing, I hope that she goes into the business of narrating books.
I will wrap up this review by mentioning that I rarely listen to an audio book twice. This book is one of those exceptions. I enjoyed it even more the second time. By the way, if ever there was a book made for a movie or TV mini-series, this is it. I hope I have sold you on the idea of reading (listening to) this book, as I believe you will enjoy it.
Summary of Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
?Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did.? So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls?s no-nonsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town?riding five hundred miles on her pony, alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car and fly a plane. And, with her husband, Jim, she ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one who is Jeannette?s memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in The Glass Castle.Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds?against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn?t fit the mold. Rosemary Smith Walls always told Jeannette that she was like her grandmother, and in this true-life novel, Jeannette Walls channels that kindred spirit. Half Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen?s Out of Africa or Beryl Markham?s West with the Night. Destined to become a classic, it will transfix readers everywhere.
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