I had a read a review somewhere of Elizabeth Letts' latest book, The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America. (#1,018), and decided it sounded interesting. That isn't the half of this amazing true story of Annie Wilkins.
Her journey began in 1954 as she decided to ride from her home in Minot, Maine to California. She was in her early sixties, recovering from a severe illness in her isolated farmhouse with no electricity, running water or heat other than her wood-burning stove. Her uncle had died from the same illness and she was just about to lose her farm for the back taxes. Her only companion was her beloved dog, Depeche Toi, little "Hurry Up". She had no reason to stay in Maine, but there was a bit of wanderlust in her family. Why not set out to see the shores of California? She just needed to find the right horse at the right price.
How she managed to achieve in goal makes for utterly fascinating reading, especially if you are familiar with any of the roads she traveled on with Tarzan, her sturdy Morgan horse, Rex, her Tennessee Walking Horse gifted to her along the way, and of course, the intrepid Depeche Toi. She was a news phenomenon in her day, so why is it that her story today is mostly unknown? It won't be after Elizabeth Letts inspiring book makes its way onto bookshelves across the country. Highly recommended portrait of an everyday woman beating the odds with her courage, determination and faith in the basic goodness of Americans.
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