The Ride of Her Life

 

“The Ride of Her Life:  The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America” by Elizabeth Letts

Published by Ballantine Books

Finished 6/13/21 – 3/5 stars

This is the story of Annie Wilkins’ journey across the United States on horseback.  She was 63, had just lost her family farm in Maine, and was told that she only had a couple years to live with the current condition of her lungs.  With very limited funds, she packed up what she could onto her horse and hit the road with her trusty dog.  This was in the mid-50s with no internet or cell phones so she had to rely on gas station paper maps, word of mouth, and the kindness of others.  Oh, and she started out in November with hopes of getting to warmer weather before winter hit.  When traveling at 3 or 4 miles per hour and starting off in Maine, that wasn’t a very realistic thought.  But she also thought she’s be in warmer weather once she hit Pennsylvania…..still makes me chuckle.

The author tells Annie’s story based on interviews of a friend she met along the way, those whose families took her in, and all the news stories about her journey.  I found it to be well written and flowed well, however, I just found it to be a little slow at times.

Thank you to Ballantine Books and NetGalley for a copy of this book.