Half Broke Horses a true life novel by Jeannette Walls: a review

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Wells is a true life novel about her maternal grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. A true life novel is biography with fictionalized information because it cannot be verified and the details are vague.

The book opens with 10 year old Lily in the fields with her younger brother, Buster, 9, and young sister, Helen, 7, when the trio is caught in the middle of a flash flood on their homestead along the Pecos River. Through insight and bravery, Lily is able to get her siblings in a tree where they stay all night and wait until the water subsides. He father, Adam Casey, is a dreamer with moneymaking schemes which don’t work out. Her mother, Daisy Mae, feels she is not made to live on a homestead and always talking about “our due.” After a tornado destroys their house, the family moves to the KC Ranch in Hondo Valley, Capitan Mountains, New Mexico. As Lily grows, she learns the rough life of breaking horses and begins her career early as a teacher since teachers were in short supply for the rural areas during WWI. She would hop from town to town, teaching as long as she was needed. The book ventures into her married life and motherhood and her ability to find ways to survive in the toughest economic times. 

Half broke Horses is an easy read and if you’ve read The Glass Castle, many details will be repeated especially when Ms. Walls’ mother enters the story. I enjoyed the book as a fictionalized version of her grandmother’s life. I enjoyed the parents’ descriptions about the Lord. Her mother said that if you want to see the love of the Lord, look at the sunrise. Her father would say if you want to see the wrath of the Lord, watch a tornado. I also had to laugh at the “foreshadowing” as the author writes about her mother. For instance, at Rosemary’s birth, the midwife is claimed to have said, “I see a wanderer.” There was one glaring typo that I found that really irritated me for the rest of the book. In an incident where Lily must whip Rosemary for disobedience, it is written “…then whipped off my belt and started hiding her” (page 211). I know the author meant hitting. I really dislikes typos, even my own. I think that a book being published would be more closely checked for typos. Overall, Half Broke Horses is an easy read with great details about life in the Southwest during the first half of the 20^th century. If you’re a fan of Jeannette Walls, you will enjoy this book.

“Most important thing in life is learning how to fall” –Adam Casey

Part 3: The long goodbye

One year later, she stood at the gravesite once again. She stands taller than she had before. A newer confidence held her head high. She reads the inscription and smiles. “Hi my loves. I’ve come to say goodbye. I will never understand how I lost you both but knowing you are together helps past the days until I can be reunited with you. Every day I have to learn how to say goodbye and I know it will take a lifetime. There’s no life for me here anymore that you are gone. Friends don’t know how to act around me so they no longer call or invite me places. I guess I understand that. I no longer fit in their world. They’ve found new friends with children their kids’ age. They have moved on and so must I. I know they still care for me but I’m a reminder that life doesn’t always work out like you hope and dream. I’m moving home to Mom’s. There’s a job opening there and it would be a fresh start that I know you would want me to take.”

She lays flowers down and lovingly caresses the granite. She got up, turning to walk away. At the office door, she sees the funeral director, she smiles and waves. He gives her a salute as if to say “I’ll take care of them.” She walks away with one final look at the gravestone. “Goodbye, my loves. I take your memory with me” she whispers as she turns around to start a new chapter in her life.

John Michael Harrison

March 3, 1988 - October 29, 2012

John Michael Harrison, Jr.

October 29, 2012

Father and Son together forever

Dedicated to all our loved ones who are gone but never forgotten! 

"If you were me and lived in... Portugal and Russia: new book reviews

Two new books in the “If you were me and you lived in…” series! I’m as excited about these books as I loved the book on Australia.

First, Portugal. The book teaches the reader about Portugal, its location general information about the country and its people. The largest city, Lisbon, the most common names for children and the common foods that Portuguese people eat like bacalhau (salted cod) and pastelis de nata (custard tart with cinnamon). The national symbol of Portugal is discussed. The Rooster of Barcelos is a very important symbol to the Portuguese people much like the American Eagle is to the U.S.

Second, Russia. The formal name is the Russia Federation. It has many different nationalities and ethnic groups and covers 9 different time zones! Its capital city is Moscow where the Red Square is located which is the main marketplace. The author discusses the signature clothes and other important aspects of Russian life and culture. I loved that the author pointed out a game that the children play a game called fipe but is basically hide and seek. It’s great for children to learn that children in other countries play as they do. All children play games and have fun in all counties.

These books are great additions to the “If you were me and lived in…” series. I would highly recommend getting these books and others in the series. 

Both books are available on Amazon.com for $9.99 

Part 2: The memory

She sat on the couch in the dark, with one lone light on in the distance, as she held the pictures in her hands. Tears rolled down her face as she thought about the day her world turned upside down…

The day started like any other day. She woke up, excited for the new day. She had a doctor’s appointment in a couple hours and her husband was going to be there! She got up carefully as her growing belly slowed her down a great deal. As she walked to the bathroom, she saw their wedding photo. Her husband standing for proudly and handsomely in his Marine Corps dress uniform and herself smiling as brightly as her white wedding gown. It was the most perfect day and it continued to be perfect. She got pregnant shortly after her husband came home from deployment and he wasn’t leaving until after the baby was born. She closed her eyes in quick prayer, hopefully he’s not leaving until after.

After a quick shower, she dressed and was out the door. She checked her phone and had a text message from her husband. “Going be a little late. See you at the drs.” She nodded as she pulled the car out of the driveway and headed to the medical building. As she waited for her husband to join her in the waiting room, impatiently checking her phone and the time. Where was he? If he misses this, I’ll never forgive him! She thought angrily as she snapped her phone shut one last time.

“Taylor Harrison” the nurse calls her in. She stands up, looking over her shoulder. She sighs. He’s not coming. With slow steps, she follows the nurse to the exam room.

“How are we today?” the nurse asks as she takes vital signs.

“I’ve been better” she replies.

“Oh, something wrong?”

“Yeah, my husband was supposed to meet me here but he’s late.”

The nurse smiled sympathetically. “The doctor will be with you shortly” she said as she left the room.

She sat on the exam table, looking around the room. Suddenly, the room got colder than usual and she had a sense of something was very wrong. The door opened and her doctor walked in the room. He began his exam with small talk about how she was feeling, etc etc. Then he stopped. The expression on his face changed and terror gripped her heart in icing vice. She could hardly breathe.

“I’m going to send you over to labor and delivery for further examination” he finally speaks.

“Why? What’s going on?” she asks terrified.

“I can’t really tell here. I need better equipment that the office doesn’t have. I’ll have a nurse take you over there and I’ll be there as soon as I call the doctor on call.”

Before she knew it, she was being whisked to labor and deliver, being hooked up to machines and have an IV put in. She stared at the nurses with wide questioning eyes.

“Just a precaution, my dear” the nurse said as she patted her arm and left the arm.

There she was lying in a hospital bed. Her husband was nowhere to be found. He wasn’t answering his phone. No one was answering their phones. What was going on?

Suddenly, the room as a bustle of activity as doctors and nurses walked into the room, talking over each other as they worked. The doctor on call walked over to her and with a grave expression, she explained what was going on. All she heard as baby, distress, delivery. She began to cry. Her baby was being born tonight. Three months early and there was nothing else that could be done. She was alone. The only person she was able to get a hold of was her mother who lived 3,000 miles away. Her mom said she was on the first plane out but she wouldn’t get there in time…

Give your song a Voice: a beautiful book with a great message

Give Your Song a Voice by Kristin E. Schmidt and illustrated by Debra Rae Hare is a book about a young girl’s dream to give the music in her dream a voice. The story is told as a simple poem. The rhythms are simple and yet flow beautifully like listening to the lyrics of a song. A young girl has a dream and in her dream, she sees music as she wakes up, she realizes that she can’t let the beautiful music disappear. She then goes on a journey to find friends to play this beautiful music.

On her journey, she meets up with a trombone playing hippo, a drums banging chimpanzee, a gator playing the flute, an emu plucking the strings of a cello, a zebra playing the clarinet and a bull blowing the sax. Together, they form a band and put on a concert for the girl’s family and friends. After the concert, she realizes that everyone has something special in them. The little girl gathers her friends and gives them the message of the story: “A song has a no voice until you chose to share it.”

This book was sent to my daughter by my aunt who is friends with the author. I was excited to read it and my daughter loved listening to it. After reading it, I had to post a review about it. I loved this book. I love that it is in prose. I love poetry. The imagery is beautiful and the illustrations really bring the characters to life. I would recommend this book to all children. It has a great message and fun characters.

Give Your Song a Voice is available on Amazon.com for $12.99

Part 1: The cemetery at dusk

It was a cold, bitter day in November as the sunset on the cemetery, much colder than Southern California is used to. Various graves were decorated for Thanksgiving as family members came to remember their loved ones during the season of thanks. The brisk cold turned into a bitter wind as the sun set turning day into night. People didn’t stay around too long as the quickly changing weather made them hurry to find warmer surroundings.

But one lone woman stayed. She knelt on the ground in front of a newly placed headstone. Her eyes downcast closed almost as in prayer. He lips moving ever so slightly, the breeze carrying her words away. She was slender and young, too young to be in a cemetery. Her beautiful blonde hair fell forward in a cascade of gold, protecting her face from the bitter cold. She wore no jacket but she acted as if she couldn’t feel the falling temperatures. She kept her head bowed and leaned closer to the ground. You could have thought she was trying to lay down.

The funeral director was closing the office for the night. He locked the office door and as he turned to walk to his car, he saw her. With sympathetic eyes, he sighed. The young woman had come here every day for the past couple weeks. He changed course and walked over to her. Despite his nice suit, he knelt beside her in the grass and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “You know they wouldn’t want you here moping.”

The young woman looked up, her eyes glistening with tears and sighed, “I know. I don’t know what to do next.” She turned back to the headstone.

The director put a gentle arm around her, helped her to her feet and guided her to her nearby car. With gentle words, he reassured her that the answers were inside her. He knew all the comforting words. He had been in this business for many years and he saw all sorts of grief. But this young woman’s pain cut deep into his heart. He felt that his words were hallow and knew, at the moment, his words failed him.

“I wish I had more to help you, miss. But unfortunately, only time will give you the answers you seek,” he said as he opened her car door.

She nodded and closed the door. She watched the man walk to his car. She knew he was only trying to help. The words which were meant as comfort were hallow. Hallow as her heart. She knew that she would never be whole again. She already lost so much. How can she go on when what mattered most was gone.

She left the main gate and turned toward home. “Good night, sweet ones. Sleep tight. I’ll be back soon.” She whispered as she passed the cemetery. She let her brain go into autopilot as her memory drifted to that fateful day one month ago.

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls: a memoir of a different type of childhood

The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls is a memoir about her childhood and life with her parents. Her parents, Rex and Rose Mary Walls, were dreamers who set out to have a life beyond the dictates of society. Ms. Walls retells the adventures and missteps of her childhood.

The book opens with adult Jeannette seeing her homeless mother on the street, rummaging though the trash. Hoping that she’s not spotting, she runs back to her safe apartment. Ashamed that she ran from her mother, she opens up on how her mother ended up on the street. The Walls’ family’s life as they lived in various places of the southwest and eventually a small town in coal country of West Virginia. The Walls children go through various injuries that would seem extreme to anyone else but to her parents, they were battle scars of life and they would learn and survive. The family had the habit of picking up and leaving in the middle of the night. They lived like nomads, moving from place to place, only leaving when they got caught or were in danger of getting caught. Caught for what? Jeannette’s dad always told fantastical stories about why they had to run, mostly in entertain the children.

The Glass Castle is her father’s impossible dream. His dream of a big house in the desert with glass ceiling and walls with solar panels. Her father always had a “get rich quick” schemes. Her parents’ relationship was volatile fueled by alcohol and disappointment. As the children grow and learn to see their parents’ lives and lies for what they were. They find the strength within themselves to better themselves. Eventually all the children would make it to New York City. There, they would graduate high school, college and begins their careers. All the while their parents live their lives as they always have, on the edge of society, taking with little giving and making promises that cannot be delivered.

I enjoyed reading The Glass Castle, although there were sometimes I thought this can’t be possible but then I’ve heard stranger stories. Jeannette Walls’ story is told with brutal honest and love. As you read, you see the world through the wonderment of a 3 year old eyes to the critical eye of an adult. You get that the parents’ loved their children and they did their best in their education and their care. They just couldn’t or didn’t want to live the conventional life that everyone else did.

“Life is a drama full of tragedy and comedy. 

You should learn to enjoy the comic episodes a little more” 

–Rose Mary Walls