The Ride of Her Life

The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America

De: Elizabeth Letts

Narrado por: Elizabeth Letts, Tavia Gilbert

Duración: 10 h y 27 m

Resumen del Editor

The triumphant true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean, from the number-one New York Times best-selling author of The Perfect Horse and The Eighty-Dollar Champion

“The gift Elizabeth Letts has is that she makes you feel you are the one taking this trip. This is a book we can enjoy always but especially need now.” (Elizabeth Berg, author of The Story of Arthur Truluv)

In 1954, 63-year-old Maine farmer Annie Wilkins embarked on an impossible journey. She had no money and no family, she had just lost her farm, and her doctor had given her only two years to live. But Annie wanted to see the Pacific Ocean before she died. She ignored her doctor’s advice to move into the county charity home. Instead, she bought a cast-off brown gelding named Tarzan, donned men’s dungarees, and headed south in mid-November, hoping to beat the snow. Annie had little idea what to expect beyond her rural crossroads; she didn’t even have a map. But she did have her ex-racehorse, her faithful mutt, and her own unfailing belief that Americans would treat a stranger with kindness.

Annie, Tarzan, and her dog, Depeche Toi, rode straight into a world transformed by the rapid construction of modern highways. Between 1954 and 1956, the three travelers pushed through blizzards, forded rivers, climbed mountains, and clung to the narrow shoulder as cars whipped by them at terrifying speeds. Annie rode more than 4,000 miles, through America’s big cities and small towns. Along the way, she met ordinary people and celebrities - from Andrew Wyeth (who sketched Tarzan) to Art Linkletter and Groucho Marx. She received many offers - a permanent home at a riding stable in New Jersey, a job at a gas station in rural Kentucky, even a marriage proposal from a Wyoming rancher. In a decade when car ownership nearly tripled, when television’s influence was expanding fast, when homeowners began locking their doors, Annie and her four-footed companions inspired an outpouring of neighborliness in a rapidly changing world.

©2021 Elizabeth Letts (P)2021 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“Twenty pages of notes and a Bibliography attest to the serious and thorough research by the author who travelled ten thousand miles to research this story.... What is so appealing about this nutball adventure is that the reader is taken on a trip across the United States.” (New York Journal of Books)

“The gift Elizabeth Letts has is that she makes you feel you are the one taking this trip: selecting your route from a gas station map, enduring awful weather and accidents, hearing the creak of the saddle and the roar of the trucks that pass you by. Best of all, you are the one who sees not a country divided and mean-spirited, but rather one full of people eager to console, to care for, and to celebrate the spirit of a woman who would not give up. This is a book we can enjoy always but especially need now.” (Elizabeth Berg, author of The Story of Arthur Truluv)

“This poignant, inspiring story is not just about a woman choosing to live instead of die, but also about an America that no longer exists.” (Melanie Benjamin, author of The Children’s Blizzard)

Wonderful true story — one of my all time favorites

I absolutely love this audiobook. It’s so well written with descriptive language that you can picture everything in your mind just like you were there. As a horse owner and trail rider I appreciated the attention to detail. Narration was terrific. This was a fun adventure — one that every animal lover will enjoy.

Profoundly touching

Wow. Inspiring, heartwarming, heart aching, hope infusing. The history alone of the details chronicled of the changes our country was undergoing was exceptionally well researched and presented. The development of all the characters (both 2 and 4 footed) was masterful. And the stories and discoveries of Annie as she journeyed made her come alive. Riveting and a must read!

Brilliant

Entirely captivating on every level. ! I cannot say how much this beautiful story impacted me!
I said many tears much laughter listening to this beautiful store he is beautiful recounting of this woman’s life

Interesting, but not amazing

Great history of the change in American culture throughout the book, an impressive story that's pretty well-written. The language and pace just didn't grab me as some other recent reads did.

Great book about a women who loved her animals..

Great book about a strong woman who was courageous and fulfilled her dreams of crossing the entire country who loved her animals.

Narrator should have toned her reading down.

This was interesting but the author reading her book would have done well getting a better professional reader.

Must Listen

Compelling true story. Great narration. Captures the heart and imagination. Kept going back for more!

A remarkable story read by a gifted narrator

This story tells not just of a woman riding across the US but also of kind and caring times

The narrator is gifted and the last part of the book meant so much given her narration.

Thank you!

Fantastic story

it was well written, totally interesting and never dull .
thank you for writing this story

Moving!

I loved this story! What courage and strength look like - captured in a life’s journey! You had to root for Annie and her 4-footed companions!! And you also had to marvel at her accomplishment, which did not seem at all probable from the beginning! A lovely and captivating adventure!