Half Broke Horses

It took me a long time to finally get around to reading Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls. Now I might have to reread her sequel, The Glass Castle: A Memoir. Half Broke Horses is actually a prequel even though it was written three years after her best-selling memoir. It recounts a partially fictionalized version of her maternal grandmother's life growing up in west Texas, New Mexico and Arizona during the early part of the 20th century.

Reading about the adventures of the feisty Lily Casey Smith, I couldn't help but to search for clues to help explain the odd lifestyle of Walls mother, Rose Mary Smith Walls.

Walls writes in a smooth authentic style that captures not only the courageous journey of a spirited woman but also the grit of the early American west.

The Glass Castle

LEXILE 1010

Just finished, in record time, reading The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls, and I loved it. This memoir held my interest so much that I even went online to investigate more about the author's life. Jeannette Walls is an MSNBC correspondent who endured a crazy childhood due to the quirky whims of her eccentric parents. Written in a matter-of-fact, non-judgmental but deeply moving manner, it's one of those books that makes you reflect on your own dysfunctional upbringing. While it's hard to imagine the deprivation and neglect suffered by Walls and her three siblings, the story does offer positive affirmations in its focus on self-reliance, resourcefulness, loyalty, and the importance placed on education. Thoroughly enjoyed and would highly recommend this book.