A review by cdjdhj
Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel by Jeannette Walls

5.0

I think that Jeannette Walls is my current favorite author. I read her account of her own childhood, Glass Castle, a few months ago and loved it. I didn't really expect this first person,true-life novel of her grandmother's life to be as enthralling, but it was. Lily Casey Smith was Jeannette Wall's grandmother who was a strong, compelling woman grew up in Texas and New Mexico, but spent most of her adult life running a vast yet remote ranch in Arizona with her husband Jim, teaching in one-room school houses and raising two children, the author's mother and uncle. The stories from this book are fascinating - funny, sad and everything in between - as the reader learns the life lessons Lily Casey Smith learned from her amazing life experiences. The book is interesting, enjoyable, and highly readable, divided into short chapters each telling a story that plays into and sets the stage for the next. Excellent book. Highly recommended.