by Julie Banner
#1 New York Times best-selling author Elizabeth Letts has perfected the art of writing extraordinary stories about seemingly ordinary people. Her most recent book, The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America, is no exception. Letts magically guides readers on a harrowing journey as she weaves American culture into this beautifully written, true story.
The Ride of Her Life begins in 1954 in rural Maine when our real-life heroine, Annie Wilkens, is given just a few years to live. To fulfill her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean, Annie sells her family farm for $54 to finance her trek across the United States on horseback. Undeterred by the seemingly impossible challenge, this 62-year-old "saddle tramp" packed her sparse belongings along with Tarzan, an aged Morgan horse, and Depeche Toi, her short four-legged mutt, to embark on an epic ride. Their voyage across the rapidly changing American landscape—a world about to be "obliterated by the coming car-centric world"—is truly incredible. Adhering to her father's motto, "Keep going and you'll get there" proved to be Annie's best compass.
If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together. –African Proverb
Thanks to Annie's peaceful nature and the novelty of her mission, relying on strangers' kindness proved easier than she expected. Her affable, pioneer spirit reminded people of a gentler time but, in the more than 4,000 miles they traveled, the group saw their fair share of danger. Annie's loyal crew protected her from harm.
This motley crew never met a stranger. From celebrities like artist Andrew Wyeth to regular townspeople bearing casseroles, Annie's brood charmed them all. To her delight, in Tennessee, they were gifted an additional traveling companion—a sporty Tennessee Walking Horse called Rex.
"And isn't this just how life is anyway? You could plan, but you couldn't control much, except your own two feet and which way you choose to point them." –Annie Wilkens
Letts faithful portrayal of Annie Wilkens' unflappable spirit is as educational as it is inspirational. A metaphor for life, this book is not to be missed!
Join us at the National Sporting Library & Museum on September 25, 2024, for Cocktails & Conversation with Elizabeth Letts. Letts' will discuss The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America.
Letts also published the #1 New York Times bestseller The Eighty-Dollar Champion and The Perfect Horse, which won the 2017 PEN Center USA Literary Award for research nonfiction.
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