This week's book is Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel
by Jeannette Wells. Wells is the same author that brought us the wonderful The Glass Castle: A Memoir
. Half Broke Horses is the story or Wells' grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. She has written in the first person narrative through the voice of Lily. The book starts off with a very young Lily saving her younger sister and brother from a flash flood by hauling them up a tree and keeping them there all night, and it ends with the birth of her granddaughter, the author, Jeannette Wells. Through Lily's voice we experience WW1, The Great Depression, and WW2. Lily is a horse woman, cattle rancher, pilot, bootlegger, and school teacher, all while raising two children. I almost didn't finish Half Broke Horses because of the way Lily treats her children and the children she teaches. She has no problem beatin' the tar of them. I tend to be tenderhearted toward children. I don't even like to raise my voice at my own. But my mom, who read the book before I did, told me to stick it out, and I'm glad I did. It turned out to be a really great book. I would highly recommend Half Broke Horses. Now I want to read The Glass Castle again.
Irrelevant fact-The whole time I was reading the ranching parts of the book I couldn't help but picture scenes from The Pioneer Woman which is just plain ridiculous. Lily was hard and leathery and kinda mean. Ree, the pioneer woman, is just as pretty and sweet as the day is long. I guess the cattle looked the same. I mean, how different can a herd of cows look? And Lily's husband, Jim Smith, and Ree's husband, Marlboro Man, are both big, hard working cowboys, gettin all sweaty working horses and cattle and mending fences in their chaps.......whew! I got a little overheated there for a minute. Maybe it's not so ridiculous after all. I don't know. What do I know from cowboys? All I can tell you is that Half Broke Horses is a wonderful book. Run out and read it. Now.
Wendy
