The Ride of Her Life Book Review

The Ride of Her Life: the True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts is the feel-good travel/adventure story we all need now.

Thank you to the author for gifting me a review copy of The Ride of Her Life. This post contains affiliate links.

In the 1950s, long before survivalist reality TV shows became a thing, an unlikely farmer from Maine mounted her Morgan and rode to the Pacific, gaining a following along the way. Annie Wilkins, the sixty-something female “saddle tramp,” lacked a map of the entire US, had virtually no money and her horse was nervous about traffic.

Despite those “inconveniences,” Annie’s story concluded with a Hollywood ending–literally. She made an appearance on Art Linkletter’s show People Are Funny. Along the arduous path she attracted media attention and was interviewed for various newspapers and radio shows. People were drawn to her daring quest and unassuming manner. Without social media and a PR team, she became somewhat of a survivalist celebrity.

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Part history lesson on 1950s American culture, part epic equestrian travel narrative, The Ride of Her Life invites the reader in to the life of a risk-taking woman who can serve as a model for those of us possessing goals that seem irrational, impossible and scary. Annie’s tenacity and humility will endear her to your heart.

The main horse characters in The Ride of Her Life are a dependable Morgan named Tarzan, Rex, a stunning Tennessee Walker gifted to Annie mid-journey and King, a fancy parade horse, also a gift. And there is a spunky little dog, Depeche Toi, who joined the adventure.

A Quick Summary of The Ride of Her Life

In the mid 1950s, Annie Wilkins, a 63-year old farmer from Minot, Maine had recovered from pneumonia, but had difficulty breathing. A spot on Annie’s lung might have been tuberculosis or perhaps cancer. Her doctor urged her to, “Live restfully,” and informed her she had two to four years to live.

Headstrong and independent, Annie let the doctor’s advice go in one ear and out the other as she decided to head to California. On horseback. She didn’t even own a horse when she made the decision to ride across America.

Inspired by her late mother who would routinely say the family should quit the farm and head west to California, Annie longed to see the Pacific in her lifetime. Besides, how was she to “live restfully” trying to farm alone? Maine’s growing season was short and the weather unpredictable.

Armed with her sixth-grade education, sheer determination and a dash of optimism that things would work out, Annie set off on what would become an approximate 5,000 mile horseback journey across America.

She began her journey in November–not the most ideal month for enjoying camping out on a never-ending trail ride from East to West. She wore layers of men’s clothing, pockets stuffed with necessities. Her horse Tarzan’s saddle was adorned with twine segments that held a bedroll, a cast-iron fry pan, buckets and feed, and extra clothing. A clothesline served as a leash for her pup.

I don’t want to re-tell too much of this story because you will delight in experiencing it firsthand when you read The Ride of Her Life. I’m just trying to set the scene for you.

Click here to buy The Ride of Her Life.

Astonishing Aspects of The Ride of Her Life

There were many aspects to The Ride of Her Life that leapt off the pages as I read. First, Tarzan was a solid citizen of a horse, but not totally traffic safe. He was a bit anxious (can you blame him?) when cars whizzed past as the traveling trio made their way along the road. I have a pretty traffic safe horse and I still wear a riding helmet and safety vest (which I get weren’t available at that time to Annie, so I’m not judging–just marveling). It is amazing she made it to California in one piece despite a couple of falls.

Another thing that was wild to me is there were many occasions where Annie would spend the night in a small town jail. Not because she had broken any law, but because it was a place to be indoors and safe for the night. She might happen upon a police officer and ask to be escorted to the nearby jail. I hate camping, so I suppose a one-night stay in a cell might be better. But I’m not so sure. lol

I don’t want to give away too much, but when I landed on the page that told how Annie was near the area in northern California made famous by the ill-fated Donner Party, I shuddered and thought to myself, “Don’t go that direction! Wait out the winter!” 🙂

As Annie rode across our country, she was greeted with kindness and generosity at every turn. She was given horses not once, but twice! Yes, she encountered some difficult people, but for the most part, individuals, families and towns rolled out the red carpet for her. People who had formerly been strangers to Annie gave her shelter, meals, pastures and stalls for her horses, and sometimes money. She quite often found love and friendship with the people she happened upon.

A few years ago an Angeleno friend of mine traveled from California to the East Coast by car. I was shocked to hear, on the eve of her departure, a worried, “I just don’t know what will happen if I break down in middle America!” as though people in the heartland (I’m assuming people who think differently from her) were going to pose a threat. I remember saying something to the effect that if you have car trouble in the middle of nowhere, probably some Good Samaritan, perhaps a farmer, will come and help you.

I find it reassuring in this time when some friends, some family and some media outlets are shouting about how divided our country is that perhaps we’re more alike than one would think.

You might also enjoy my review of The Perfect Horse, by Elizabeth Letts.

Elizabeth Letts shares in the last chapter, “. . . Annie had trust. When she set off, she was sure she was going to find the same America she’d grown up believing in: A country made up of one giant set of neighbors. People who’d be happy to give you a helping hand People spread out far and wide. . . with different accents, and different favorite dishes, and different kinds of houses, people who lived with dust or traffic, snowstorms or tornadoes, on mountains or flatlands, in cities or small towns. People who liked Eisenhower or couldn’t stand him, people who were fundamentally decent and, deep down, the same.”

As Elizbeth researched to bring Annie’s book to life, she too made her way across the country, just not on horseback. And in her Author’s Note she assures us, “Annie’s America is still out there and it is ours.”

I am happy to hear it.

Question: What’s on your reading list right now? Have you read The Ride of Her Life or any other Elizabeth Letts books?

Thanks for reading and tally ho!

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