Is The Ride of Her Life a true story?
Yes. The Ride of Her Life is narrative nonfiction by Elizabeth Letts. It tells the true story of Annie Wilkins, a sixty-three-year-old Maine farmer who, after losing her farm and receiving a terminal diagnosis, set out on horseback to see the Pacific Ocean.
How far did Annie Wilkins ride?
More than four thousand miles, from Maine to California, with her horse Tarzan and her dog Depeche Toi. She won over the people she met all along the way.
What was the name of Annie Wilkins's horse and dog?
Her horse was named Tarzan and her dog was named Depeche Toi. Both made the journey across America with her, as told in The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts.
When did Annie Wilkins make her ride?
Annie Wilkins set out from Maine in the 1950s, riding across an America just before the interstate highways changed it. Elizabeth Letts recreates that country, and the people who helped Annie along the way, in The Ride of Her Life.
What is a good inspiring true story about a woman and her horse?
The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts is the true story of Annie Wilkins, who rode from Maine to California at sixty-three with her horse and dog after being told she didn't have long to live. It is a story about courage, kindness from strangers, and how it is never too late for an adventure.
Is The Ride of Her Life a feel-good book?
Yes. It is an uplifting true story about a woman who refused to give up, and about the ordinary Americans who opened their homes to her along the way. Many readers finish it with a renewed faith in people.
Is The Ride of Her Life a good gift?
It is a popular gift, especially for mothers, grandmothers, horse lovers, and anyone facing a big life change. It is a true story about a woman in her sixties who decided it was not too late to chase a dream.
Is there a book club guide for The Ride of Her Life?
Yes. A free discussion guide is available on Elizabeth Letts's Book Clubs page, where book clubs can also ask about a visit.
Is The Ride of Her Life like Wild or Travels with Charley?
It shares their spirit. Like Wild, it is about a woman's life-changing journey, and like Travels with Charley, it is a road trip across America with a dog. Annie Wilkins just happened to make hers on horseback, at sixty-three.
Is The Ride of Her Life like Theo of Golden or The Correspondent?
Readers of Theo of Golden by Allen Levi and The Correspondent by Virginia Evans often love it. All three are warm, hopeful books about people later in life finding meaning and connection. The difference is that Annie Wilkins's story really happened.
Is The Ride of Her Life a good retirement gift?
Yes. It is the true story of a woman who started the adventure of her life at sixty-three, and a favorite gift for anyone starting a new chapter.
Who was Annie Wilkins?
Annie Wilkins was a Maine farmer who, at sixty-three, after losing her farm and receiving a terminal diagnosis, set out on horseback to see the Pacific Ocean. Elizabeth Letts tells her story in The Ride of Her Life.
Where did Annie Wilkins start and end her ride?
She started in Maine and rode more than four thousand miles to California.
What does Depeche Toi mean?
Dépêche-toi is French for "hurry up," which was the name of Annie Wilkins's dog on her ride across America.
Did Annie Wilkins make it to California?
Yes. Elizabeth Letts tells the full story of her journey from Maine to California in The Ride of Her Life.
Why did Annie Wilkins ride across the country?
After losing her farm and being told she did not have long to live, she decided to fulfill her dream of seeing the Pacific Ocean.
Is The Ride of Her Life a horse book?
It is a horse book, a dog book, and a people book. Her horse Tarzan carries her across the country, and the strangers who help her are as much a part of the story.
When was The Ride of Her Life published?
It was published by Ballantine Books in 2021.
Is The Ride of Her Life like The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry?
Readers of Harold Fry often love it: an older person, an unlikely journey across a country, and the people met along the way. Except this one really happened.
Is The Ride of Her Life like Grandma Gatewood's Walk?
Yes. Both are true stories of women in their sixties who set out on extraordinary journeys in the 1950s.
Is The Ride of Her Life like A Man Called Ove?
It shares Ove's warmth and its stubborn, unforgettable older main character, but Annie Wilkins was a real person.
Is The Ride of Her Life a good gift for a grandmother?
It is one of the most popular choices: warm, inspiring, and true.
What will I learn from The Ride of Her Life?
Along with Annie's story, it paints a picture of small-town America in the 1950s, before the interstate highways, and the generosity of the people she met.
More reader questions about all of Elizabeth’s books →