Half Broke Horses

Oh wowwww, this was one of those audiobooks that was so good I didn't want to get out of the car when I got to places. It's a “true-life novel,” written based on stories and memories of Walls's grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, who was a 100% badass lady. It's written in first person and she has such a strong voice, and I think listening to it read by the author brings it to life even more. Seriously a lovely, fun, moving read. (Or listen.)

I LOVED The Glass Castle, and was anxious to read Half Broke Horses by the same author. It was a good read, but the voice was one that didn't engage me as much as Jeannette Walls' previous work. I think it was because there was little dialogue, and even though the descriptions of place and events were wonderfully told, I was somewhat removed. Still, having said that, it's well worth the read, and I'm sure there are many readers who would disagree with me. Jeannette Walls' grandmother is a compelling character, and her story contributes to a greater understanding of what American women's lives were like in the early part of the twentieth century. Reading like other art forms is personal and subjective.

I LOVED Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, so it took no convincing for me to pick this one up. The book starts by saying that it's based on a true story, but I guess I didn't read the cover well enough because I didn't realize it was based on Wall's grandmother. It wasn't until the epilogue that I had the delight of recognizing Wall as the descendant of this colorful woman.

The story moseyed along - literally. It could've moved at a much faster clip, but then I'm not sure that would've been at all representative of the story and characters told.

All in all, I enjoyed the story (and the telling from the voice of Lily Casey, Wall's grandmother). Made me want to go back and read Glass Castle through the lens of a more complete family history.