The Ride of Her Life - The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts
Hardcover, 319 pages
Last of the Saddle Tramps book fans will be delighted with this well-researched story of author Mesannie Wilkins' life, and her cross country horseback adventure in the 1950s.
When Mesannie compiled her memories, notes and diaries into her book chronicling the 7,000 mile journey. She didn't tell it ALL. There was adversity: divorces, an abusive husband with a criminal record. A stint in vaudeville. The "Uncle" Waldo that she lived with until his passing and her subsequent decision to make her cross country ride - was a hired hand, not a relative. She rode a donkey to her job at a shoe store; the whole town called her "Jackass Annie" and not in a fond way...
Thanks to Elizabeth Letts' superb research, we now get to learn the rest of the story about this remarkable woman. Seeing the details that were omitted from her own telling of the story (details that were likely deemed unpalatable for 1960's readers) make us appreciate all the more what an extraordinary character that Annie (Mesannie) Wilkins really was.
Every page is filled with detail and trivia, fleshed out only as a best-selling author can do. We discover that early on in the trip, there was a run-in with the Humane Society. Her horse was examined from ears to tail, as was her short-legged Spaniel Depeche-Toi. She weighed 170+ pounds, was carrying a lot of gear, and the horse was only 14 hands.
We learn more about what happened after the ride ended in California. Surprisingly, other than archived newspaper articles, almost no physical evidence remains from Annie's journey. She sold postcards along the way, stayed in numerous homes and every chapter describes events where photographs were taken. I've never seen any of these items for sale on ebay, or documented online anywhere. I'm hoping this book of Elizabeth's makes the best-seller list as her others have - maybe some memorabilia from this remarkable adventure will resurface again.
Printed in USA.
Includes FREE Rider's Prayer Bookmark
