Blythe's Book 4: Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls

The last three weeks have been my idea of heaven on Earth: I've read four books, tried at least three new recipes, slept in often, tried several new beers, and spent much time with family and friends. Ah, the holidays.

There were four books in particular that I had been eagerly awaiting, and this, my friends, is the fourth and final one: Half Broke Horses by Jeannette Walls. I wish I had finished with The Lacuna, seeing as I absolutely loved it, or even This is Where I Leave You, which had me laughing nonstop. Half Broke Horses was decent, but it didn't live up to the hype. The hype was self-created, so it was my own fault, but still.

Jeannette Walls' earlier memoir, The Glass Castle, still haunts me. I loved that book so much that I was beside myself when I heard she's written HBH, a "true life" novel. What is a true life novel, you ask? Basically, she takes the stories and remembrances of her mother and her family members and weaves them into a cohesive story-- adding in dialogue and details as needed, I'm assuming. HBH is the story of Jeannette's maternal grandmother, Lily Casey (Smith). Lily is a hardworking, tough as nails character-- a horsewoman, school teacher, taxi driver, mother, and pilot. She lives most of her life on ranches out West, and it is fascinating learning about how life was in the early 1900s in cattle country. If you've read The Glass Castle, you'll also find Half Broke Horses informative as a background story. Jeannette's mother, Rosemary, is one of the most memorable characters I've ever encountered, so coming to understanding from whence she came was motivation for reading this novel. I feel like I understand her much better now. UNFORTUNATELY, I just didn't like the novel that much. Walls' writing was really boring. Repetitive, uninspired, dull. I think she was trying to capture Lily's voice, but truth is, I want authors to write well. I don't go to restauarants so I can eat what I make at home, and I don't read books that are written the way anyone could write them. Walls uses the phrase "crumb-bum husband" at least five times. Who says that?! It was kind of like reading a Patrick Smith novel, for those of you who've read A Land Remembered, or any of his other works. You don't read a Smith novel because the language is beautiful, or because he knows how to turn a phrase; you read Smith's work because the storyline is compelling. If you choose to read Walls' Half Broke Horses, go in with the same mindset. You'll thank me.

Anyway, I think I might just try to cram one more book in this coming week so I can head back to the grind with memories of something a bit more tasty.