Broken Horses

A Memoir

By: Brandi Carlile

Narrated by: Brandi Carlile

Length: 10 hrs and 3 mins

Publisher's summary

Number-one New York Times best seller

The critically acclaimed singer-songwriter, producer, and six-time Grammy winner opens up about a life shaped by music in this candid, heartfelt, and intimate story.

“One of the great memoirs of our time...a gift from Brandi’s soul.” (Glennon Doyle)

“Brandi’s story is about perseverance, humor, forgiveness, and manifestation. I absolutely loved it.” (Elton John)

“Broken Horses led me right into Brandi’s heart, and my own.” (Brené Brown)

Brandi Carlile was born into a musically gifted, impoverished family on the outskirts of Seattle and grew up in a constant state of change, moving from house to house, trailer to trailer, 14 times in as many years. Though imperfect in every way, her dysfunctional childhood was as beautiful as it was strange, and as nurturing as it was difficult. At the age of five, Brandi contracted bacterial meningitis, which almost took her life, leaving an indelible mark on her formative years and altering her journey into young adulthood.

As an openly gay teenager, Brandi grappled with the tension between her sexuality and her faith when her pastor publicly refused to baptize her on the day of the ceremony. Shockingly, her small town rallied around Brandi in support and set her on a path to salvation where the rest of the misfits and rejects find it: through twisted, joyful, weird, and wonderful music.

In Broken Horses, Brandi Carlile takes listeners through the events of her life that shaped her very raw art - from her start at a local singing competition where she performed Elton John’s “Honky Cat” in a bedazzled white polyester suit, to her first break opening for Dave Matthews Band, to many sleepless tours over 15 years and six studio albums, all while raising two children with her wife, Catherine Shepherd. This hard-won success led her to collaborations with personal heroes like Elton John, Dolly Parton, Mavis Staples, Pearl Jam, Tanya Tucker, and Joni Mitchell, as well as her peers in the supergroup The Highwomen, and ultimately to the Grammy stage, where she converted millions of viewers into instant fans.

Evocative and piercingly honest, Broken Horses is at once an examination of faith through the eyes of a person rejected by the church’s basic tenets and a meditation on the moments and lyrics that have shaped the life of a creative mind, a brilliant artist, and a genuine empath on a mission to give back.

Carlile recorded new stripped-down, solo renditions of more than 30 of the songs featured in the book, including her own and songs from artists who’ve inspired her, from Dolly Parton to Elton John, Leonard Cohen and more, available exclusively on the audiobook:

“I Don’t Hurt Anymore” by Hank Snow
“Coat of Many Colors” by Dolly Parton
“Ride on Out” by Brandi Carlile
“Honky Cat” by Elton John and Bernie Taupin
“Philadelphia” by Neil Young
“Happy” by Brandi Carlile
“That Year” by Brandi Carlile
“Hallelujah” by Leonard Cohen
“Eye of the Needle” by Brandi Carlile
“Turpentine” by Brandi Carlile
“Wasted” by Brandi Carlile
“The Story” by Brandi Carlile
“Closer to You” by Brandi Carlile
“Caroline” by Brandi Carlile
“Josephine” by Brandi Carlile
“Sugartooth” by Brandi Carlile
“Looking Out” by Brandi Carlile
“Beginning to Feel the Years” by Brandi Carlile
“Love Songs” by Brandi Carlile
“I Will” by Brandi Carlile
“I Belong to You” by Brandi Carlile

©2021 Random House Audio (P)2021 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“A vulnerable document.... The resilience of her sense of self, through poverty and fame, is transcendent. One of her great strengths as an artist is a willingness to stare herself straight in the face and not flinch.” (Amanda Hess, The New York Times)

“[Carlile is] perceptive, vulnerable, humble, funny and above all else, a good storyteller. She’d already proven her storytelling chops as a lyricist and she proves them once again in these pages. She knows how to use a few words to make a big impact.... Readers walk away feeling like they know the real Carlile.” (Associated Press)

“Intimate...Carlile's story is too big to fit in a song..... The memoir covers it all with conversational ease.... This pulls the veil back in a way [Carlile] hadn’t done before.” (Vulture)

Excellent!

More than worth your money! Brandi is a great storyteller! It's as if you're sitting by a campfire with her, listening to her tell these stories and sing her songs. She comes across as probably the most real, genuine person I have ever encountered and I know I will never miss a concert when she's passing through when things open up again!

Inspirational and personal

This book on Audible was especially great as Brandi has sprinkled in special song recordings after each chapter. Through this book you learn the incredible accomplishments that Brandi personally has had, some of her challenges, and ultimately the impact her hero’s have had on her career.

Deserves a 7th Grammy for this

Incredibly moving. Brandi deserves a 7th Grammy (Best Spoken Word) for this audiobook next year.

Best memoir ever

This is easily the best storytelling (alongside amazing acoustic songs) I’ve ever encountered. I love memoirs and this is one of the best I’ve ever read let alone listened too. It’s a MUST. Add to your wishlist right now.

Loved this book

I absolutely loved getting to know Brandi better. I have always loved her music. It was awesome to hear her voice tell her story. I loved the acoustic songs through out and at the end. It was like having a private acoustic concert. So personal and precious.

I was skeptical, but it's really good

Let me start by saying that I love Brandi Carlile's music. I've loved her since before it was cool. Still, I was skeptical of this book. I'm critical of autobiographies - it's easy for them to feel kind of like humble bragging or be poorly written (not every celebrity can be a great writer) or sound nothing like the author because there's been so much editing. I always end up coming away from those autobiographies liking the author a tad less. This book had none of those problems. Brandi has an interesting life story and does a good job telling it. The music is a fun bonus and there's a lot of it throughout the book. (By the way, if you find it distracting interspersed with the story, feel free to skip through it, it's all gathered into one chapter at the end so you won't miss hearing the songs.) The only part I was iffy on was the lead up to the Joni Mitchell stuff... It got a little hero-worshippy without the humor that accompanied the similar parts about Elton John. Whether you're familiar with Brandi's music or not, this is a worthwhile read.

The best Audible experience.

Loved this, Brandi Carlile shines and radiates her incredible energy, optimism and shared humanity. Unbelievable presentation of her story and music.

wish I could rate it 20 stars!

captivated reading from beginning to end. The music is an amazing extension of the memoir.

Breathe it in

I did not know who Brandi Carlile was before I downloaded this book. I had to Google most of the people she named. I had to listen to different songs and artists of whom she spoke.
Listening to her story, her voice, her perspective, her thought process, and her energy was good for my soul.

The Best!

Broken Horses is by far the BEST Audible purchase I’ve ever made. To hear Brandi Carlile tell her incredible life story and to get an album’s worth of her music to beat. Wow, just wow. Fantastic.