In Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel Jeannette Walls takes true biographical material from the life of her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith, and masterfully crafts it into a highly engaging, "true-life" novel. The colloquial and endearing first person narrative voice belongs to Lily herself. Thus an authentic, riveting tale of American life is spun, beginning with Lily's birth in a Texas homestead dugout in 1901 and weaving its way through her frontier life; through devastating acts of nature; a great depression; prejudice and intolerance against individualists, Native Americans and women; years of personal highs and lows, great joy and great tragedy. This smart approach puts the reader right on the pulsating heartbeat of this unusual and vibrant family ~ not only of her grandmother Lily, but also her spirited, half broke horse mother, Rosemary, first introduced to us in The Glass Castle: A Memoir. There is a beautiful, complementary overlapping of their stories, one which I found particularly captivating. Jeannette Walls' sensitive storytelling takes the reader closer and deeper into the soul of these unforgettable personalities of her special family.
Back to all reviews by this member
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
Back to all reviews of this book
Back to Book Reviews
Back to Book Details
