"Half Broke Horses" by Jeannette Walls

November 2010, Hosted by: Julie Sass

"Originally conceived as a biography based on family interviews and historical research, Walls found herself filling in too many blanks for Half Broke Horses to remain a work of nonfiction, so she assumed Smith's indomitable voice and set out to write a novelistic recreation of Smith's unconventional life. Most critics were captivated by Smith's earthy, straightforward style, despite the steady stream of repetitive axioms intermingled with her antics. Only the Washington Post seemed thoroughly disappointed, lamenting that "this book is no Glass Castle." Though Smith, "a gumption-packin' ranch gal whose pluck never quits" (New York Times), may not rise to the intensity of Walls's troubled, nomadic parents, Half Broke Horses nevertheless tells the heartwarming story of an irrepressible woman who carved her own destiny." (Bookmarks Magazine)

Hostess Notes:

• Reason chosen: "I read [Wall's first memoir] The Glass Castle and liked it."
• Beth and Kim liked that it was written in the first person. "It was like reading Lilly's diary."
• Women back then didn't talk about their emotions.
• "Lilly got slapped by reality many times," said Kim.
• Jim and Lilly worked well together.
• The Glass Castle is a true story about the author and her mother, Rosemary, daughter of Lilly and Jim.