THINK
Books :)
During my time at Yampah, I have read and analyzed many amazing books through novel study. I love to read, so being interested was never an issue for me. :) Here are a just a few of my favorites.
Jeannette Walls's memoir The Glass Castle was "nothing short of spectacular" (Entertainment Weekly). Now, in Half Broke Horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a first-person voice that is authentic, irresistible, and triumphant.
"Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did." So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls's no nonsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town -- riding five hundred miles on her pony, alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car ("I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn't leave big piles of manure all over the place") and fly a plane. And, with her husband Jim, she ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette's memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in The Glass Castle.
Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds -- against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn't fit the mold. Rosemary Smith Walls always told Jeannette that she was like her grandmother, and in this true-life novel, Jeannette Walls channels that kindred spirit. Half Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa or Beryl Markham's West with the Night. Destined to become a classic, it will transfix audiences everywhere.
"Those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did." So begins the story of Lily Casey Smith, Jeannette Walls's no nonsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. By age six, Lily was helping her father break horses. At fifteen, she left home to teach in a frontier town -- riding five hundred miles on her pony, alone, to get to her job. She learned to drive a car ("I loved cars even more than I loved horses. They didn't need to be fed if they weren't working, and they didn't leave big piles of manure all over the place") and fly a plane. And, with her husband Jim, she ran a vast ranch in Arizona. She raised two children, one of whom is Jeannette's memorable mother, Rosemary Smith Walls, unforgettably portrayed in The Glass Castle.
Lily survived tornadoes, droughts, floods, the Great Depression, and the most heartbreaking personal tragedy. She bristled at prejudice of all kinds -- against women, Native Americans, and anyone else who didn't fit the mold. Rosemary Smith Walls always told Jeannette that she was like her grandmother, and in this true-life novel, Jeannette Walls channels that kindred spirit. Half Broke Horses is Laura Ingalls Wilder for adults, as riveting and dramatic as Isak Dinesen's Out of Africa or Beryl Markham's West with the Night. Destined to become a classic, it will transfix audiences everywhere.
RachaelWoodward
Independent Project
Summer 2011
Questions for Discussion
2. When Lily’s father dies, she and Rosemary drive his body from Tucson back to the ranch in West Texas. Rosemary is embarrassed to be seen driving with a corpse and ducks down in the car when they stop at a red light (pg. 198). “Life’s too short, honey,” Lily tells Rosemary, “to worry what other people think of you.” What does Lily’s reaction to this behavior show about her character? Does she give much credence to what other people think of her? What effect do you think her mother’s attitude had on Rosemary?
~ Lily’s reaction to this shows that she truly does not care what people think about her. It shows that Lily is strong and independent. She knows that people can only bring you down if you let them. I think that Lily’s attitude affected Rosemary in a slightly different way. I got the feeling that Rosemary at times didn’t care what people thought of her because she knew who she was, but then there were times she was embarrassed of her family, even though her family was part of who she was.
3. Following Helen’s suicide, Lily says, “When people kill themselves, they think they’re ending the pain, but all they're doing is passing it on to those they leave behind” (pg. 113). Do you agree with this statement?
~In all honesty, I do agree with that statement. From first hand experiences, I have had the exact same feelings many times. Feeling like the pain he felt was passed on to me when he left is a daily part of my life.
4. Lily seems willing to sacrifice everything to defend her principles and the rights of others. On more than one occasion, she is fired from a teaching position for refusing to back down from what she believes in. Do you applaud Lily’s moral conviction in these instances? Or did you hope that Lily would learn to compromise?
~In my opinion, I felt there was no need for Lily to compromise. In more than one instance, she reacted the way that I hope anyone with her morals would. When she was teaching the Mormon children about not only writing and arithmetic, but also nursing and teaching and the opportunities of the big city, she was teaching them about the real world, which is what the children’s parents were attempting to keep from them. When she was threatened by Uncle Eli and ended up firing next to his head to scare him away, she was protecting herself and her children, even though she was only doing what the state of Arizona had ordered her to do. She was only giving them a real education.
5. Lily has high expectations for her children, from sending them off to boarding school despite their protests to enforcing strict rules for keeping animals as pets. When Rosemary falls in love with a wild horse and asks her mother if she can keep it, Lily replies, “The last thing we need around here is another half-broke horse” (pg. 190). How might this statement apply to Lily’s children as well? Are Lily’s expectations of her children particularly high or rather a reflection of the times? Why do you think this phrase was chosen as the title of the book?
~I think Lily’s statement applies to her children in the way that she doesn’t want her children to end up wanting to run for the rest of their lives or be stuck on the ranch because that’s all they know.She wants them to grow up and become something. She doesn’t want them to have to worry about relying in anyone else. I think she is worried about that simply because of some of the events that took place in her life before she married Jim, such as how much her father relied on her when she was younger, or her failed first marriage. In some ways, yes I think Lily’s expectations of her children are rather high, but then at times they seem to be right in line with the events that were happening. I think the phrase “Half Broke Horses” was chosen as the title for this book because that is what Lily tried to keep from happening throughout her life. She seemed somewhat afraid of that at times. By that, I mean the unruly, untamed side of life. Lily wanted either untamed or tamed, but never partially. To her, it was all or nothing.
6. When a group of Brooklyn ladies visits the ranch, Rosemary and Lily take them for a car ride they’ll never forget. Lily concludes their encounter by saying, “You ride, you got to know how to fall, and you drive, you got to know how to crash” (pg. 175). How does this statement apply to Lily’s life as a whole? What does she mean by knowing “how to fall”?
~This statement applies to Lily’s life as a whole because that is what she had been doing her whole life. Falling and getting back up again was part of who she was. To her, knowing “how to fall” meant knowing that it was going to hurt but bracing yourself for it, and then knowing how to get back up. Whether it be horses or life that knocked her down, Lily always got back up.
7. Discuss Lily’s husband Jim. How does his personality complement her strong nature?
~ Jim’s personality complements Lily’s strong nature because he wasn’t afraid to let her do her own thing while he did his, because he trusted she had a good head on her shoulders. Jim was a very laid back, take charge guy when needed, but let things roll how they would. He stepped in when Lily needed him to, but trusted that she had it under control until she asked for help. They did separate things, but everything they did was always somehow working together. For the better.
8. While attempting to prevent the ranch from flooding, Lily tells Rosemary, “Do the best you can...That's all anyone can do.” Her instructions are echoed by Jim's declaration: “We did a good job—good as we could” (pg. 152). Why do you think Lily and Jim have both adopted this philosophy? To which other instances in their lives are they likely to have applied this rationale?
~I think Lily and Jim have both adopted that philosophy because of things that had happened in their life where they couldn’t do anything but try their best and except it. Another instance in their lives where they likely applies that rationale was when Rosemary was going to marry Rex whether they approved or not. They just had to except that they tried their best and did as good as they could in raising her, and now they had to except the outcome.
9. Lily comes off as tough and resilient, but there are moments in this book of vast heartbreak, where you see her façade crack. How does Lily handle the death of her friend in Chicago? Her first husband’s duplicity? Her sister’s suicide? Her suspicions of Jim?
~When it came to every single one of those events, there was always the split second where you could tell she was hurting, but then Lily closed back up, put on her cowgirl face, and handled things as if they didn’t phase her. Lily was a very strong woman and she didn’t hold on to hurt. She kept her head up and pushed forward no matter the situation.
10. Walls calls Half Broke Horses a “true life novel.” In her author’s note, she explains why. Do you agree with this label? What do you think of the “true life” genre?
~ I do in fact, agree with the label, a “true life novel”. I agree because that is simply what it was. It was the true events of her grandmothers life, with a few minor changes to protect names and such. The “true life” genre to me is so…interesting. I love being able to get insight into someone else’s life. Who they are, who their family is, where they have been, how they lived, etc. It amazes me. “True life” is probably my favorite genre of writing.
11. “Helen’s beauty, as far as I was concerned, had been a curse, and I resolved that I would never tell Rosemary she was beautiful” (pg. 119). Examine Lily’s relationship with her daughter, Rosemary, and, in The Glass Castle, Rosemary’s relationship with Jeannette.
~Lily’s relationship with Rosemary was somewhat normal. They talked and bonded and hung out. They disagreed but Lily took care of Rosemary up until Rosemary didn’t want it anymore. But she also pushed Rosemary to the point where she didn’t want rules or regulations. That’s why I think Rosemary’s and Jeannette’s relationship is as strange and strained as it is. She doesn’t want her kids to grow up the way she did. She wants her kids to be free spirited people who do what they please. She wants her children to well…..have the personality of a half broke horse.
Questions for readers who have also read The Glass Castle:
2. “There was a big difference between needing things and wanting things—though a lot of people had trouble telling the two apart—and at the ranch, I could see, we’d have pretty much everything we’d need but precious little else” (pg. 134–5). How might this description refer to Lily’s life as a whole? What effect did growing up without much have on Rosemary Walls, whom we learn more about in The Glass Castle?
~This description refers to Lily’s life as a whole because she was happy when she had everything she needed, but didn’t feel the like she had to have the things she wanted, even when she could have them. Growing up without much effected Rosemary in the way that she never felt the desire to have the things most people considered something they needed. She was content with little, because she had grown up with little. She was happy with her art and Rex. The way she saw it, she didn’t need anything else.
3. Both The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses open with a climactic event from the main character’s childhdood that has left a memorable impression on her. How do these retellings set the stage for what’s to come? Why do you think Walls chose to use them as the openings of both books?
~ I think Walls chose to open with climatic events from the main characters childhood, because both events showed how strong willed each child was, even at such a young age. I think the events set the stage nicely for what is to come, because the girls were strong and independent through everything else in their lives too.
Independent Project
Summer 2011
Questions for Discussion
- Jeannette Walls has said that she tried writing this book in the third person but that it didn’t work for her. Do you think you are closer to Lily because you get her story in her own voice? Did you “see” Lily Casey Smith as real? What is your response to the first person voice of the book?
2. When Lily’s father dies, she and Rosemary drive his body from Tucson back to the ranch in West Texas. Rosemary is embarrassed to be seen driving with a corpse and ducks down in the car when they stop at a red light (pg. 198). “Life’s too short, honey,” Lily tells Rosemary, “to worry what other people think of you.” What does Lily’s reaction to this behavior show about her character? Does she give much credence to what other people think of her? What effect do you think her mother’s attitude had on Rosemary?
~ Lily’s reaction to this shows that she truly does not care what people think about her. It shows that Lily is strong and independent. She knows that people can only bring you down if you let them. I think that Lily’s attitude affected Rosemary in a slightly different way. I got the feeling that Rosemary at times didn’t care what people thought of her because she knew who she was, but then there were times she was embarrassed of her family, even though her family was part of who she was.
3. Following Helen’s suicide, Lily says, “When people kill themselves, they think they’re ending the pain, but all they're doing is passing it on to those they leave behind” (pg. 113). Do you agree with this statement?
~In all honesty, I do agree with that statement. From first hand experiences, I have had the exact same feelings many times. Feeling like the pain he felt was passed on to me when he left is a daily part of my life.
4. Lily seems willing to sacrifice everything to defend her principles and the rights of others. On more than one occasion, she is fired from a teaching position for refusing to back down from what she believes in. Do you applaud Lily’s moral conviction in these instances? Or did you hope that Lily would learn to compromise?
~In my opinion, I felt there was no need for Lily to compromise. In more than one instance, she reacted the way that I hope anyone with her morals would. When she was teaching the Mormon children about not only writing and arithmetic, but also nursing and teaching and the opportunities of the big city, she was teaching them about the real world, which is what the children’s parents were attempting to keep from them. When she was threatened by Uncle Eli and ended up firing next to his head to scare him away, she was protecting herself and her children, even though she was only doing what the state of Arizona had ordered her to do. She was only giving them a real education.
5. Lily has high expectations for her children, from sending them off to boarding school despite their protests to enforcing strict rules for keeping animals as pets. When Rosemary falls in love with a wild horse and asks her mother if she can keep it, Lily replies, “The last thing we need around here is another half-broke horse” (pg. 190). How might this statement apply to Lily’s children as well? Are Lily’s expectations of her children particularly high or rather a reflection of the times? Why do you think this phrase was chosen as the title of the book?
~I think Lily’s statement applies to her children in the way that she doesn’t want her children to end up wanting to run for the rest of their lives or be stuck on the ranch because that’s all they know.She wants them to grow up and become something. She doesn’t want them to have to worry about relying in anyone else. I think she is worried about that simply because of some of the events that took place in her life before she married Jim, such as how much her father relied on her when she was younger, or her failed first marriage. In some ways, yes I think Lily’s expectations of her children are rather high, but then at times they seem to be right in line with the events that were happening. I think the phrase “Half Broke Horses” was chosen as the title for this book because that is what Lily tried to keep from happening throughout her life. She seemed somewhat afraid of that at times. By that, I mean the unruly, untamed side of life. Lily wanted either untamed or tamed, but never partially. To her, it was all or nothing.
6. When a group of Brooklyn ladies visits the ranch, Rosemary and Lily take them for a car ride they’ll never forget. Lily concludes their encounter by saying, “You ride, you got to know how to fall, and you drive, you got to know how to crash” (pg. 175). How does this statement apply to Lily’s life as a whole? What does she mean by knowing “how to fall”?
~This statement applies to Lily’s life as a whole because that is what she had been doing her whole life. Falling and getting back up again was part of who she was. To her, knowing “how to fall” meant knowing that it was going to hurt but bracing yourself for it, and then knowing how to get back up. Whether it be horses or life that knocked her down, Lily always got back up.
7. Discuss Lily’s husband Jim. How does his personality complement her strong nature?
~ Jim’s personality complements Lily’s strong nature because he wasn’t afraid to let her do her own thing while he did his, because he trusted she had a good head on her shoulders. Jim was a very laid back, take charge guy when needed, but let things roll how they would. He stepped in when Lily needed him to, but trusted that she had it under control until she asked for help. They did separate things, but everything they did was always somehow working together. For the better.
8. While attempting to prevent the ranch from flooding, Lily tells Rosemary, “Do the best you can...That's all anyone can do.” Her instructions are echoed by Jim's declaration: “We did a good job—good as we could” (pg. 152). Why do you think Lily and Jim have both adopted this philosophy? To which other instances in their lives are they likely to have applied this rationale?
~I think Lily and Jim have both adopted that philosophy because of things that had happened in their life where they couldn’t do anything but try their best and except it. Another instance in their lives where they likely applies that rationale was when Rosemary was going to marry Rex whether they approved or not. They just had to except that they tried their best and did as good as they could in raising her, and now they had to except the outcome.
9. Lily comes off as tough and resilient, but there are moments in this book of vast heartbreak, where you see her façade crack. How does Lily handle the death of her friend in Chicago? Her first husband’s duplicity? Her sister’s suicide? Her suspicions of Jim?
~When it came to every single one of those events, there was always the split second where you could tell she was hurting, but then Lily closed back up, put on her cowgirl face, and handled things as if they didn’t phase her. Lily was a very strong woman and she didn’t hold on to hurt. She kept her head up and pushed forward no matter the situation.
10. Walls calls Half Broke Horses a “true life novel.” In her author’s note, she explains why. Do you agree with this label? What do you think of the “true life” genre?
~ I do in fact, agree with the label, a “true life novel”. I agree because that is simply what it was. It was the true events of her grandmothers life, with a few minor changes to protect names and such. The “true life” genre to me is so…interesting. I love being able to get insight into someone else’s life. Who they are, who their family is, where they have been, how they lived, etc. It amazes me. “True life” is probably my favorite genre of writing.
11. “Helen’s beauty, as far as I was concerned, had been a curse, and I resolved that I would never tell Rosemary she was beautiful” (pg. 119). Examine Lily’s relationship with her daughter, Rosemary, and, in The Glass Castle, Rosemary’s relationship with Jeannette.
~Lily’s relationship with Rosemary was somewhat normal. They talked and bonded and hung out. They disagreed but Lily took care of Rosemary up until Rosemary didn’t want it anymore. But she also pushed Rosemary to the point where she didn’t want rules or regulations. That’s why I think Rosemary’s and Jeannette’s relationship is as strange and strained as it is. She doesn’t want her kids to grow up the way she did. She wants her kids to be free spirited people who do what they please. She wants her children to well…..have the personality of a half broke horse.
Questions for readers who have also read The Glass Castle:
- In Half Broke Horses, Lily’s father decides to bring her home from school so that he can use her tuition money to breed dogs. This instance of selfishness bears a close resemblance to Rex Walls’s behavior in The Glass Castle when he takes the money Jeannette’s sister has been saving to escape Welch, WV, and goes on a drinking binge. Over and over these men disappoint their children, and yet they are forgiven. Talk about the lack of bitterness in both of these books. How do the children rationalize their parents’ behavior?
2. “There was a big difference between needing things and wanting things—though a lot of people had trouble telling the two apart—and at the ranch, I could see, we’d have pretty much everything we’d need but precious little else” (pg. 134–5). How might this description refer to Lily’s life as a whole? What effect did growing up without much have on Rosemary Walls, whom we learn more about in The Glass Castle?
~This description refers to Lily’s life as a whole because she was happy when she had everything she needed, but didn’t feel the like she had to have the things she wanted, even when she could have them. Growing up without much effected Rosemary in the way that she never felt the desire to have the things most people considered something they needed. She was content with little, because she had grown up with little. She was happy with her art and Rex. The way she saw it, she didn’t need anything else.
3. Both The Glass Castle and Half Broke Horses open with a climactic event from the main character’s childhdood that has left a memorable impression on her. How do these retellings set the stage for what’s to come? Why do you think Walls chose to use them as the openings of both books?
~ I think Walls chose to open with climatic events from the main characters childhood, because both events showed how strong willed each child was, even at such a young age. I think the events set the stage nicely for what is to come, because the girls were strong and independent through everything else in their lives too.
Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.
For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story.