Half Broke Horses: A True-Life Novel

Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls is a vivid true-life novel inspired by the remarkable life of Walls’s grandmother, Lily Casey Smith. Strong-willed, practical, and fearless, Lily grew up breaking horses, riding across the frontier, teaching in a remote town, learning to drive and fly, and eventually helping run a ranch in Arizona.

Through Lily’s story, Walls captures a life shaped by hardship, independence, and grit. Lily survives tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, personal loss, and the limits placed on women in her time, while refusing to be easily broken. Her toughness and humour also offer deeper insight into the family history behind The Glass Castle.

A strong choice for readers of memoir-style fiction, women’s stories, western settings, family history, and books about resilience, Half Broke Horses is an inspiring and memorable read.

Paperback, Very Good