Half Broke Horses - A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls

 When I read the first page of this book, I sighed with pleasure. THIS is the kind of writing I've been yearning for! Interesting characters, insights, and engaging & exciting story. The first chapter about this amazing woman, Lily Casey Smith, immediately drew me in when she was caught in a flash flood and had to climb a tree to save her life. I loved the first-person narrative and her no-nonsense dealing with huge obstacles and seemingly impossible situations. She was brave. She was a problem-solver, she was direct and brazen. 

I knew Walls was a great writer from her first book, The Glass Castle. In it, she describes her childhood growing up with parents who were homeless and determined to stay that way. It is an incredible story, and her mother features prominently in the story. This book is about Walls' grandmother, the woman who raised her mother. Half Broke Horses also describes Walls' mother's childhood and we learn more about her unusual life and determined personality. Three generations of interesting, stubborn, courageous women and the forces that helped shape them come together in these two books. Both are enlightening and entertaining. I learned that the line between mental illness and sanity is very thin... There are only hints of the coming of mental illness in this book, however. 

The story of Casey's life is hard to believe. She was larger than life. She broke horses, even as a child, she taught school in very tough circumstances, she became a pilot, she raised two children, she asked for donations for gas on her travels, she fought for an education and did it piece-meal so she could be hired as a teacher, and she did it all during the Depression and under impoverished circumstances. This is the story of GRIT. When she was helping her husband manage the ranch, raising her children, and teaching school, I wondered if she slept at all. There is no mention of recreation of any kind. 

There is one troubling chapter about her encounter with early Mormons, which doesn't show them in the best light. And the granddaughter's knowledge of these and other events is surely limited, but still it all rings with truth. It's refreshing to read the story of a woman who fought back against so many of the dampers that society was putting on women at the time; yet it's not done in any sort of "cause" way. Lily seems to be the ultimate practical person who just used her own common sense to deal with obstacles. 

Another troubling aspect of the story is Lily's beating of her daughter, Rose Mary. It's told with a clear understanding of how she (Lily, the mother) was out of control. Yet she doesn't seem to wallow in guilt or shame about it. She doesn't dwell in remorse. She moves on quickly. This aspect of her personality called into question for me this mother's role in her daughter's later mental illness. And in the daughter's choice of husband who was clearly more of an adventurer and alcoholic than good family material... 

It's been awhile since I've read The Glass Castle, and I'd like to read it again now, knowing the history of the mother. Another enjoyable aspect of this book is Walls' descriptions of the difficulties of farming and raising cattle in arid areas of Texas and Arizona. The land and weather play a vital role in the challenges Lily faces. It's instructive to read about the way, for example, Lily's husband Jim deals with the water shortages. He figured out how to capture the water from the rain by building dams; something that wasn't typically thought of on private land. I really admired this character, Jim, for his quiet knowing ways with animals and nature in general, including human! 

All in all, this book is a keeper. 

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger

I loved this book. The story is beautifully told and the characters are intriguing. The story is told from a boy's point of view and his family is fascinating. His sister is a gifted poet and their relationship is a wonder to behold. The faith of their father is lyrically described and observed. It's such a beautiful read and somehow not preachy or overly religious. I liked it so well, I immediately ordered another one of his books. I hope I like it half as much.

The setting of the Badlands in North Dakota is also a fascinating part of the story. I need to research and see if the hot spots described are real or fiction!

The Pastures of Beyond by Dayton O. Hyde

I picked this paperback out of one of the "Little Library" boxes down the street in Bismarck. It has a wonderful painting of a cowboy on a bucking bronc on the cover, so I immediately thought I should pick it up for my dad. I'm glad I did!

This is the true story of a 13-year old from Michigan who goes out to Oregon to help his uncle run a ranch. It captures a rich time in history, beginning in the 1930s, when being an itinerant cowboy was a profession. He describes ranch life, cowboys, and rodeo life with admiration, humor, and clarity. The "yarns" told by both cowboys and Indians are funny and illustrate the humor of an era long gone.

It's not GREAT writing, but it's enjoyable. I could relate to the struggle of riding horses, the culture of the Indians, and the love of outdoors. At the end of the book, he describes how he founded the Wild Horse Sanctuary in South Dakota. This was fascinating to me, since I've been out there. No one was around, but I know that country a little.

This will go in the mail to WHK. And it will give us something new to talk about on our Sunday night calls.

Little Britches by Ralph Moody

I first heard this book as a sixth grader. My teacher, Mr. Rude, read it to us daily after lunch. I'll never forget crying with the rest of the class at the end! I also remember begging him to keep reading and not to stop at the end of just one chapter!

I often talked about this book with my children, and am not sure why I never sought it out to read to them! Somehow, Eli remembered this and found a copy through great difficulty, and gave it to me for my birthday several years ago. I read it then, and decided to read it again now. Just for the joy of it. For the reminder about how hard work and honesty and sacrifice lead to fulfillment.

It's also a great reminder about how trials and hard times can build faith, confidence, and character. I love the resilience of Ralph. Because I grew up with horses and ponies, I particularly enjoyed the parts about how Ralph grew to become a great horse person.

One thing that amazed me this time through was this: how did Ralph's mother know how to do all the things she did? His father was exceptional, too, and had great mechanical sense. But much of their gardening, farming, and food preparation was very sophisticated and required special know-how.  Where and how did they learn all of this? If this was "common knowledge" at the time, when and how did they share it? They relied on their neighbors, and I wonder if some of their learning happened with them? I guess this is something a little historical research would reveal...

It's still one of my favorite stories of all time. I think it's because Ralph's father reminds me so much of my own father. Very practical, very knowledgeable, and very mechanical. And not given to much praise! Still, like Ralph, I have always felt very loved.