Half Broke Horses

A True-Life Novel

By: Jeannette Walls

Narrated by: Jeannette Walls

Length: 7 hrs and 55 mins

Publisher's summary

2010 Audie Award Finalist for Narration by the Author

Jeannette Walls's memoir The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" ( Entertainment Weekly). Now, in Half Broke Horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person voice that is authentic, irresistible, and triumphant.

"Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did." So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls's no nonsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At 15, she left home to teach in a frontier town - riding 500 miles on her pony, alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car ("I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn't leave big piles of manure all over the place") and fly a plane. And, with her husband Jim, she ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette's memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in The Glass Castle.

Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds -- against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn't fit the mold. Rosemary Smith Walls always told Jeannette that she was like her grandmother, and in this true-life novel, Jeannette Walls channels that kindred spirit.

Half Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa or Beryl Markham's West with the Night. Destined to become a classic, it will transfix audiences everywhere.

©2009 Jeanette Walls (P)2009 Simon & Schuster

Critic reviews

"Lily Casey Smith is one astonishing woman...a half-broke horse herself who's clearly passed on her best traits to her granddaughter. Told in a natural, offhand voice that is utterly enthralling, this is essential reading for anyone who loves good fiction." ( Library Journal)

Excellent read

I love Jeannette Walls hearty style of writing and I love that she narrates her own stories. Worth the listen

Love it!

This book was amazing! I would listen to it again and again! Jeannette Walls is an incredible author! Highly Recommended!

Strong female main character to love

What did you love best about Half Broke Horses?

I really enjoyed this book. The narrantor did a great job of creating a scene with her voice and making you feel as if you were living through these times and the experiences of the characters. I really wanted to hear what happened with the main character, who was clearly not perfect, and made some bad decisions and had hard times, but kept moving forward.

Wonderful!

If you could sum up Half Broke Horses in three words, what would they be?

A fabulous book

Any additional comments?

Very, very good. Jeannette Walls is a beautiful reader. She portrayed her grandmother's life and a bit of her mother's life in a realistic, moving and exciting manner.

What we need vs. what we want...

Jeannette Walls is an excellent narrator and writer. Her choice to tell the story in first person, and her performance really do give the listener a front row seat to the life of her grandmother Lily.
I decided to listen to this book first, before Glass Castle, so the story would be sequential.
Lily is/was a definite force to be reckoned with!
She grew up poor, but with love and just enough opportunities to learn what she “needed,” and what was most important for her to be content with her life. She was also hearty physically, which helped her survive some natural misfortunes.
Lily had grit, determination and more gumption than most women of the early 19th century. Her sheer will carried her through several events that could easily sideline or destroy a person with a weaker constitution. She made generally good choices and was often fearless.
While I don’t agree with her rough parenting style, I do agree with the lessons she tried to instill in her children. I don’t know if I would fair so well without electricity and indoor plumbing, two modern conveniences I am so grateful for; but I do appreciate her efforts to teach us the difference between what we really need and what we want. Definitely worth your time and credit!

Fascinating !

I loved this book! It is well-narrated, interesting, and very entertaining ! A great light listen for the entire family.

Loved the story

I've listened to all three of her books, this one by far was my favorite. I loved that it was written in first person it made for a heart warming and inspirational story. Very well written! Loved the story!

GrEAt BooK

Loved this book I read the Glass Castle first and it was good then read Half Broke Horses. two excellent books 👍🏼

Reminds me of my Grandmother, God Love Her!

What a beautifully written story of the history of the emerging West. The struggles and joys of that time were truly a miracle in surviving Our Country's evolving determination to push through obstacles.
Good history lesson!🏇🏼

Story of Courage and Determination

From the very first story, you understand how smart, independent and self-sufficient Lily Casey Smith is. The down right fearlessness this woman must have possessed to go riding off on her horse as a teenager for weeks on end to become a school teacher is almost incomprehensible in today's day and age. Her strength and courage and perseverance are admirable and I loved the story of her facing down the Uncle in the Morman town. While Lily is the star of the book, I fell in love with her husband, Big Jim; he must have been some man.

This is an excellent listen and the author does a pretty good job of narrating. You can really hear her admiration for her Grandmother and you can kind of sense her journey of understanding and piecing together her own life story through the writing of this book. When I first started Half Broke Horses I had not heard of The Glass Castle, Ms. Walls' first book and personal memoir, but when I read about its focus on her chaotic childhood, I began to understand better what I had been "hearing" in the stories about Lily's daughter and the author's Mother, Rosemary.

If you loved the Little House on the Praire series as a child and/or if you enjoyed the fictional account of Tamsen Donner in Impatient with Desire, you will like this listen.