Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel

And you think you've got a tough life... (2010-03-07) : 4/5
This book wasn't quite as good as The Glass Castle but definitely worth reading. Perhaps it was because it was not Jeannette Walls's own story but her grandmother's. At the beginning it was a bit slow and seemed to be snippets of a relative's life handed down through the years but at some point I was really drawn into the story.

I think it's good for all of us to go back in time and see how hard life was just a hundred years ago. This book makes you appreciate the everyday conveniences that we take for granted. It truly was an amazing life that Lily Casey Smith led.

Also for the many who read The Glass Castle I think this book helps us understand Rosemary (the author's mother) better. Makes me wonder if certain characteristics skip generations. The very practical, hard-working, didactic mother (Lily Casey) has a daughter (Rosemary Walls) who is flighty, impractical, and irresponsible, who in turn has a child (the author Jeannette) who must fend for herself and is therefore very practical and hardworking like the grandmother.

Wonderful (2010-03-06) : 4/5
This book is a great read if you've read "Glass Castle" but would also be a great book on it's own. If you already read Glass Castle, then this book is a must, give you some amazing insight into the past of Jeannettes family, and why here mom is the way she is.

However, if you have never read Glass Castle you will still love this true life novel, a wonderfully written storey of how a young woman overcame so many obstacles to lead a very fulfilling life.

I did find this novel a bit of a slow start, but once I got into it, I couldn't put it down.
Half Broke Horses (2010-03-06) : 5/5
Very good book, well written! I have given copies to friends and comments have been good. I would recommend it!
A book to keep (2010-03-06) : 5/5
I loved this book. It was not, of course, as stellar as Walls The Glass Castle...which is one of the best books I've ever read. But, Half Broke Horses is a wonderful story, half true-half imagined of her grandmother. Unexpected, raw, gritty, its a 'want-to-get-home' to finish it book.
Paid for in January; still not received in March (2010-03-04) : 1/5
The title says it all. I have sent an email 4 days ago and am still waiting for a reply.