By Leigh Ballard
Jeanette Walls’ book, Half Broke Horses, is the semi-fictionalized tale of her grandmother’s life and the role that horses played in her life, shaping her experiences. Walls’ grandmothe Lily came of age in the hardscrabble West of the early twentieth century. Her early life on a homestead in west Texas gave her a pragmatic, no-nonsense outlook on life, which allowed her to forge her way through some very interesting experiences. Walls compiles family oral history about Lily into a mostly-true narrative which leaves the reader proud of the woman’s gumption.
Out of necessity, Lily knew how to get things done, and that skill served her well throughout a life of good times and bad. As a very young child, Lily was in charge of breaking the horses on the family ranch. Her Dad taught her that “the most important thing in life is learning how to fall.” Knowing how to fall, both literally and figuratively, carried her through her life as a ranch wife, a bush pilot, a bootlegger, and through many outrageous adventures. She always knew how to pick herself up and move on.
Real horses are present throughout Lily’s story, since much of her life is spent living on working ranches. One horse in particular, Patches, plays a central role in her life. She broke Patches to ride. Patches carried her out into her first world experiences alone and stayed with her for many years. Observations and common wisdom about horse behavior pop up throughout the book, and various characters or chaotic circumstances are likened to “half broke horses.”
Walls received critical acclaim for her memoir The Glass Castle, in which she credits her grandmother with giving her the background with which to form her own sense of self. Anyone who appreciates strength of character and progressive thinking in a woman will appreciate this saga of a long and interesting life.
Jeanette Walls’ book, Half Broke Horses, is the semi-fictionalized tale of her grandmother’s life and the role that horses played in her life, shaping her experiences. Walls’ grandmothe Lily came of age in the hardscrabble West of the early twentieth century. Her early life on a homestead in west Texas gave her a pragmatic, no-nonsense outlook on life, which allowed her to forge her way through some very interesting experiences. Walls compiles family oral history about Lily into a mostly-true narrative which leaves the reader proud of the woman’s gumption.
Out of necessity, Lily knew how to get things done, and that skill served her well throughout a life of good times and bad. As a very young child, Lily was in charge of breaking the horses on the family ranch. Her Dad taught her that “the most important thing in life is learning how to fall.” Knowing how to fall, both literally and figuratively, carried her through her life as a ranch wife, a bush pilot, a bootlegger, and through many outrageous adventures. She always knew how to pick herself up and move on.
Real horses are present throughout Lily’s story, since much of her life is spent living on working ranches. One horse in particular, Patches, plays a central role in her life. She broke Patches to ride. Patches carried her out into her first world experiences alone and stayed with her for many years. Observations and common wisdom about horse behavior pop up throughout the book, and various characters or chaotic circumstances are likened to “half broke horses.”
Walls received critical acclaim for her memoir The Glass Castle, in which she credits her grandmother with giving her the background with which to form her own sense of self. Anyone who appreciates strength of character and progressive thinking in a woman will appreciate this saga of a long and interesting life.
