Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel [L0151]

2009 PB in Gift-Worthy condition. This is the story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls' 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 of whom 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.

From recent Amazon/GoodReads reviews: "A good read, I couldn't put it down. It is a true life novel written in the first person. The writing and the subject matter are quite compelling.."; "This is the second book I've read by Jeannette Walls, and for the second time I've really enjoyed her writing. The voice in this story is different from The Glass Castle but equally as engaging, and once again it's all true! It's a great escape from the reality we live in now, with computers, text messaging, and the crazy speed at which technology moves us. The first person narrative of Walls' grandmother brings us to another time and place, bringing us alongside her life growing up in the southwest riding horses and living on a ranch, among other things. It's especially gratifying to read about how strong a woman can be, without having to apologize for it. This book ended too quickly, and made me want to know more about all its characters."; "Unexpectedly compelling, despite its simplicity, the story of Lily Casey is interesting and engaging. Walls has given her grandmother a unique voice - part true, part fictionalized. It is the actions of her grandmother that I admire most - a woman who made a lot of her tough circumstances. An excellently written page-turner."