Reviews

I need to find more books written by Jeannette. The way she writes stirs and resonates within me so deeply and affects me as if I was in the story itself, way beyond any regular book would do. Like many people who have reviewed this book, [b:The Glass Castle|7445|The Glass Castle|Jeannette Walls|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1400930557s/7445.jpg|2944133] was terrific and deserves 6 stars, but this one wasn't able to raise the bar, although at the end of the story when Rex Walls came into play, it did manage to reach 5 stars. I feel bad comparing the two because they are both some of the best stories I have ever read. This is how genealogy should be written. Imagine if we could have stories like this family written about everyone's families. That'd be the neatest thing ever. It's hard for me to decide if it would be better to have read this book first and then the Glass Castle or read Glass Castle first, then Half Broke Horses. It's kinda fun doing the later because you can connect the dots going backwards and understand the future as the past unveils itself. You discover the why's of the Glass Castle which makes it exciting. For example, when the old grandma midwife that helped deliver RoseMary, she read her fortune and said that she'd be a Wanderer. That was stirring moment when I heard that part. I think that's the beauty of a true prequel.

Now let's continue my review:

This book reminded me so much of [b:These Is My Words: The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901|2641307|These Is My Words The Diary of Sarah Agnes Prine, 1881-1901|Nancy E. Turner|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348781154s/2641307.jpg|338512]. The setting in Texas and Arizona, the strong female lead character, and almost the same era too. Even Jim was pretty similar to Captain Jack Elliot. Although now that I think about it, The Captain seems like a hybrid of Jim and Rex Walls.

Lily. Wow, what an incredible woman. Traveling alone from New Mexico to Arizona on horseback at age 15. When she had that compound fracture in her arm and the dad was able to set it, did it just heal perfectly fine? I'm amazed that people could do that back in The Olden Days. Jeannette, Lily, and her mother, Rosemary, make pretty convincing arguments for what we can and can't live without. Even many modern medicines and doctors can be labeled as luxuries.

Yeah ironing is a waste of time. Especially if you're wearing a suit coat.

I love how different life was in just a short 100 year span. Literally, black and white because there wasn't color back in The Olden Days. It was fun to see the transition of her growing up in a sod house walking or riding horseback to living in a house with AC and running water and flying an airplane. The taming of America is the neatest thing. I would love to learn about how other countries got tamed, but we seem pretty unique here. Does every century produce such different changes? I can't wait until I get to Heaven and can watch The Great Film - All of Life's Seen and Unseen Moments Throughout History. Rated R.

And speaking of Heaven, religion seemed so crappy back then. Harsh and unforgiving for the most part. It seemed to fit a small majority of people and that was it. Makes me wonder if that is how a lot of people feel about religion today; harsh and unforgiving. Will our great-grandkids read stories about the early 21st Century and think similar things that we think about 1800's religions? How has religion not just been extinct yet? That's prolly a dumb question and similarly to asking why haven't we stopped eating food or seeking shelter.

I chuckled how some people were opposed of the idea of having a crapper in their house cuz they thought it was unsanitary. But it's an understandable point of view if you've been taking huge dumps out in the woods or in an outhouse your whole life then all of a sudden you're going in your home. As if in a few decades we'll be doing it in our beds (in a sanitary sort of way) and think that was nasty when it won't be.

"I only have one question...Why.Did.People.Settle.Arizona..hmm?" Really, why did that happen? It's one of the more unforgiving places to live being the obvious nature of a desert (a lot harder than other geographic classification regions) and with all poisonous and venomous flora and fauna. And to top it all off there isn't good topsoil here, either. Imagine if we just left it alone only for camping and lived someplace else. We'd save a fortune. It's neat how nature shows that there is going to be a hard winter coming based on the plants response or stimulus. (Is that the proper term?)

I loved Googling all the little towns that Lily had lived in. Some of them still looks the same as when she was there 80-100 years ago. I still want to know where her house is in Phoenix that they mentioned living in both books.

It was funny when she mad fun of the Brooklyn Broads. Did she ever go back and visit her parents? They mentioned it briefly when her dad was dying but I wonder how frequently she did.

I was a little surprised that people were anti-guns back then. Have schools always been dominated by Filthy Liberals. You'd think the pendulum would have shifted sometime.

Did Lily and Jim ultimately trust/like Rex Walls? Man if they had kept a good journal we could have learned a lot more. So Rosemary and Rex Walls were the real Half Broke Horses. That was nice touch, Jeannette.

My only complaint for the book was that it stopped talking about Lily's life after Rosemary and Rex Walls got married. If the book was about Lily then why didn't her story continue? Plus her death was kinda glossed over and not much was spoken about it. She got short-changed, darn it. Rex Walls wouldn't have allowed that to happen about his book. I want to hear a story about his parent's lives although we learned a bit from the Glass Castle. And he died years ago so Jeannette can't interview him.

Ughhhh I want more!!!!!!!!!!

Rex Walls is my favorite. And like I said before in the other review, I honestly think that deep down he is good, despite his very rough edges and select poor life choices. I loved getting to learn more about him and hear the voice that Jeannette uses for him. His colorful language is so dang funny. Still makes me wonder how differently Rosemary would have been if she married someone else, or how different Rex Walls would have been if he stopped drinking or his second daughter didn't die.

lisaliest's review against another edition

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adventurous inspiring fast-paced

4.0

I love how jeannette wall’s portraits her grandmother and her strength. She is proof that there have been - and will always be intelligent, strong women, no matter what stories society tells.

karingforbooks's review against another edition

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adventurous informative medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

There are some cool moments in this but it’s nothing special or memorable for me. Even with the time period, her internalized sexism, racism, and parenting were awful to read. The writing was fine but not great. It didn’t flow. I didn’t connect with any characters. I don’t understand why anybody would want to read this

babblefishgirl's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

floer009's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark informative inspiring sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

I was amazed at who she was and how she handled things. That being said, I liked her less as the book ended and I wouldn't want her for a parent or teacher.

corinnahogan's review against another edition

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adventurous funny hopeful inspiring medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I loved this book! Lily Casey is a very strong character and had a really interesting life. VERY different from my life, haha. Started off strong with her going on a month long trip by herself on horseback across Texas as a teenager. That alone is insane to me. I wasn’t planning on rereading The Glass Castle right after this, buuuuut I think I have to now.

The experience of reading this book is absolutely like reading a memoir, despite how this is described as a fact/fiction combo, due to lack of real documentation of Lily’s life. And, you know, the fact that this is written by another person. Regardless! Jeannette Walls is a great writer, you really feel like Lily is telling her own story. Totally recommend this book!

aterlesky's review against another edition

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adventurous funny informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

It was ok. Not as good as The Glass Castle, but ok. A fun read, with a few laughs coming from the crazy life of the stubborn, tough, and resourceful grandmother Walls.

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