Sixty-three Year Old Annie Wilkins was called many things, among them “Jackass Annie” and a tramp. She was living in Minot, Maine in 1954 in little better than a ramshackle farmhouse with no electricity, no running water, and heat only from a wood-burning cast iron stove. She had little schooling, not much money and was in poor health. What she did have was a a belief in her fellow man and a desire to see what was beyond Minot, Maine in the little time she thought she had left. With a newly purchased horse, her little dog and about $32 she set off for California. Within the pages of this book is the story of the people she meets and her journey to California.

Elizabeth Letts has written a wonderful, if somewhat wordy, book about this humble and admirable woman. It is an interesting story that takes you back to a gentler time when people looked out for one another and often opened their homes to those in need. There was a tremendous amount of detail in the story and my only criticism is that there are too many tangents.

The book is well researched (check out the incredible Bibliography) and very interesting. Thank you Ballantine Books, LibraryThing and NetGalley for a copy.

I TOTALLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALMOST EVERYONE!!!

I am in awe of this book, Annie Wilkins, and even the time period. The early 1950s, when America was still unafraid to trust, loved an adventure, and wasn't glued to electronic devices! TV still wasn't as popular as it would get later in that decade.

This was an adventure, as it says in the synopsis, of a 63-year-old woman, her horse (soon to be two horses), and her dog. When Annie finds out that she is losing her farm and perhaps her life she decided to see the coast. Now mind you, she lives in Maine -already on a coast right? Now she wants to see the West Coast before she dies. She takes what money she can make while sick, buys a horse packs up, and just--goes! No map, no GPS, nothing!

The history I learned in her travels was, well words just can't describe what I felt. I learned things I never knew I needed to know! I was thrilled to find out that she even traveled through my home state and believe me I am going to be doing some research about that.

If you like nearly lost causes, horses, American travel, American trivia, history, adventure, then you simply must read this book. I will say that it drags in some places and it does not have a happy ending for all concerned, but it is still well worth your time.

*ARC supplied by the publisher, the author, and NetGalley. With my humble thanks for being able to read this early-I will be going to buy my own copy and will be reading more by this author.

This is a five star true story of a woman who rode her horse across America in the 1950s, fulfilling her dying wish to see the Pacific Ocean.

Annie is ill and hears she only has a few years to live. So what does she do? She embarks on the adventure of a lifetime by riding her horse from Maine to California. An arduous journey for a 63 year old who is alone, but for her horse and dog.

This is Annie's adventure story, but is also a slice of history of America in the 1950s. There is great info about ice trucks, turnpikes, Disney-like downtowns, and so much more. She visits towns like Mayberry where she would sleep in several local jails and townspeople would volunteer to stable her horses; definitely an America of yesteryear.

I highly recommend this book for readers who enjoy books about adventurous women, horses, or America in the 1950s.

This book was so good, I ordered a copy for my mom who rode a Tennessee walking horse in a parade, just like Annie.

Of the many books I read each year there are maybe 6-8 that stand out as absolute winners, and this certainly is one of those. I knew nothing about the story about Annie and her cross country adventure that started in 1954 with her 2 beloved animals. Not only was the book interesting with the daily details of her horseback ride, but the history that was intertwined was so tastefully done.
From page 1 this book captured me and did not let up the entire way. I highly recommend that you add this book to your required reading list.

Annie Wilkins was a sixty-three year old twice divorced woman who was told she had about two to four years to live. So Annie made a rather brave and bold decision. She was determined to travel from her hometown of Minot, Maine to California. Her late mother always dreamed of traveling there one day. Annie decided the time was right to take on their shared dream of traveling west to the Pacific Ocean. This was the post war years in which the role of women was predominantly that of wife and mother. But Annie was independent and did not follow those traditional rules dictated by society. It was unthinkable during this time period for a woman to travel across country not by car or train but by an ex race horse, Tarzan, she recently purchased for that sole purpose. Her young dog, Depeche Toi, was also her traveling companion.

In November, 1954, after some deliberation Annie left behind all she knew, especially her home and family farm which had been in her family for generations. She was the last remaining member and could no longer maintain its upkeep by herself. Annie donned layers of men’s clothing, gathered almost everything she had and secured them to Tarzan. With about thirty two dollars left, she began her journey. Annie didn’t have a clue what she was up against. She didn’t have a map or flashlight, but she was persistent. Annie, always friendly and respectful, relied on the kindness of strangers to help her along the way. And they did.

I loved reading about this woman’s courageous journey and this time period in America’s history. This was a beautifully written and descriptive account about Annie’s incredible journey and overcoming the many obstacles she encountered. I also loved how everyday people, and a particular celebrity took an interest in her journey and her life- a life she lived her way.

With thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an early copy in return for an honest review.

One of my favorite kind of books to read is those with a strong sense of setting, and I truly felt transported back to 1950's America as we traveled with Annie from Maine to California. Having road tripped across the country a number of times I appreciated reading what it would have been like 30 years before I started traveling. Elizabeth Letts did a remarkable job with the research and wove all the information together into a beautiful narrative. Would definitely recommend for readers looking for armchair travel.

The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts is not only the true story of an amazing journey, but also a snapshot of America in the 1950s. As I followed Annie Wilkins from Maine to California, I was reminded of the rapid changes taking place during the early years of my childhood. I was so caught up in the journey that I hated to reach the end. This is one book that will definitely stay with me for a long time to come. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the invitation to read and review this book.

Way to go Annie! This travel memoir shows what a small town, hard working woman can do if she puts her mind to it. She learned to trust and rely on others where before she had only herself and her few family members. She made many friends along the journey from Maine to California in the 1950's. The World was a rapily advancing place and Annie stayed true to her simple upbringing. I loved how the author added local and national news items to explain how Annie's quest was impacting others and what it meant to the towns she was traveling through. Thank you to NetGalley, the Author Elizabeth Letts and the Publisher Ballantine Books / Random House for this Advanced Readers Copy.

This is the story about Annie Wilkins, a 63 year old woman from Maine, who was down on her luck, and health. Annie lived on a small farm which she had to give up when she wasn't able to pay the back taxes, and having been sick and in the hospital, her animals were also sold off. Once she was released with the Doctors orders to take it easy and giving her 2 to 4 year to live, Annie decides she wants to do something with her life. She makes enough money to buy herself an old Morgan racehorse named Tarzan and with her little dog, Depeche Toi, she decides to set off on a road trip in the early 1950's to ride from Maine to California.
This is a wonderful true story about a very courageous woman, who knew how she wanted to spend her last years, and the close bond she had with her animal companions along their journey.
Finding wonderful people in every state she went through and having become quite the celebrity as word got out about her travels, Annie and her animals were well taken care of on their journey.
She meets so many people that really want her to succeed, but she also had a lot of challenges along the way.
A great story of self reliance, being open to the unknown and having a great time discovering the United States on her way across it.
I highly recommend it for people who enjoy stories of people that take charge of their own life, love animals or just enjoy a fascinating journey.

The Ride of Her Life Elizabeth Letts
Story is about Annie and how she grew up and when everyone has left her she decides after a health emergency she needs to see the west coast.
She collects her clothing, wearing most of it, along with her horse, a Morgan, and a dog.
It's in the early 1950's and what fascinated me was that the police would meet her at the border of each town and escort her to the jail or a place where she could spend the night.
Back then the police allowed those without a home and just passing through to spend the night at the jail.
Love also the history of the times and about the specific areas that are just coming into play: turnpikes, cars and how they came about, who made them and why, etc.
Like how others along the way are allowing her to stay with them. A newspaper even wrote a story about her and it's gone viral and everybody wants to play a part in helping her get to the west coast.
Love hearing of the kids games created and the ones they played via Milton Bradley, game of life, etc.
Ice harvesting, we've seen this done at 1850's village we visit when touring locally.
Moving, emotional, touching story, tragic, purpose, brave and courageous.
Book contains chapters and also reference notes from diaries and personal notes from those who met her, author's note, dedication, acknowledgements and about the author.
Can't wait to read more from this author, so descriptive and detailed scenes and events of times long ago.
Received this book from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine Books via NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
#TheRideofHerLife #NetGalley

Rating: 3.5 stars rounded down to 3 stars

This was an interesting look at life in the 1950's, as Annie Wilkins transverses the US on horseback.
In this non-fiction book, Elizabeth Letts presents a lot, and varied information about how American society was changing in the 1950's. We follow along with 63 year-old Annie as she leaves her family farm in Maine on a quixotic quest to travel to California and see the Pacific Ocean. She sets out on her newly acquired Morgan horse, Tarzan, and with her beloved dog, Depeche Toi.

While reading this book I learned about America's transition from horses to cars, and the development of a new system of roads; economic changes that were widening great swaths of suburbia around large cities; how the insular use of cars started to change how neighborly folks were to each other and to strangers. It was a fascinating look at the life and times of this unlikely adventurer.

At times, the minute details of the trip dragged down the narrative to a plodding pace. I'm not sure what the answer would have been to 'pep' it up. Perhaps tighter editing would have helped. On the other hand, perhaps as a reader, I have just become used to travelling on the reading interstate instead of its byways. Maybe I needed to change my expectations about how quickly this book was transporting me.

I’d recommend this book to readers who would like a deep dive into historical and social issues of America in the 1950’s. I’d also recommend this for folks who would like a good story about an improbable adventure.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. These are my honest thoughts.

The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America by Elizabeth Letts

This well written book shows us the why sixty-three-year-old Annie Wilkins decided she had no choice but to make the naive decision to ride from her failing farm in Maine, to the state of California, in 1954. Annie had lost her family farm, was broke and her doctor said she was dying. She was too proud to go live in a charity home or with friends of her late family. So Annie buys an aged Morgan horse, loads her belongings on her and her horse, Tarzan, and starts out for California, with her dog, Depeche Toi. Sadly, Annie has no idea what she is asking of herself and her animals. It's really only through the kindness of strangers, and her never give up attitude, that Annie makes it to California in 1956. 

This story is full of the history of the places Annie has been and the places she travels through. We learn so much about our country as she makes her way across the United States. Annie met famous people along her route although she saw people as all the same so her only discomfort, when meeting people, was that she was dressed in dirty men's clothes, the garb of a tramp. Along the way, Annie gained fans and she would entertain individuals and groups with her stories of her past and her present. 

Annie's entire life was one of hardship and barely hanging on. That describes her trip too because, despite real offers of places to live, she always took to the road again, going after that dream of touching the Pacific Ocean. Annie's grit and determination was inspiring but her stubbornness was also dangerous and the story was often difficult for me to read. The author does a great job of allowing us to travel with Annie and to allow us to be on her long and perilous trip. 

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine and NetGalley for this ARC.

This is the true story of 63-year-old Maine farmer Annie Wilkins who in 1954 lost her farm, was broke and according to her doctor, dying.

No, she didn’t get her affairs in order, she bought a rundown horse and set out for California to see the ocean.

She wasn’t going to live off of charity or stuck in a home. She put on men’s jeans and in the middle of November, she headed south with her dog Depeche Toi and Tarzan the horse. It would be two years before she made it to California and in between, we get to see our country as it was then. She went through big cities, small towns, and met a lot of famous people. And while she had offers of a permanent home, she kept going.

She relied on the kindness of strangers and she became famous. In this time of so many bad neighbors, this was a hard story to read at times, but it was very inspiring.

NetGalley/ June 1s,t 2021 by Ballantine Books

The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America
By Elizabeth Letts
Ballantine Books (1 June 2021)

From the publisher:

In 1954, sixty-three-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, they 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 four thousand 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.

My thoughts:

Annie only needed to survive until she turned 65, then she could apply for social security and have a means of supporting herself. But what was she going to do until then? How, and where, would she live? Somehow, she had to find a way to get by for two more years. What should she do?
I don’t know what I would have done, but I like to think I would have done something as daring as what Annie did. She bought a horse, a few supplies, and took off across the country with her dog, Depeche Toi. Tarzan and Depeche Toi were her companions and best friends.
Naturally, the trip wasn’t without its complications. They certainly experienced their share of hardships along the way, but Annie was no stranger to adversity. Fortunately, they also experienced so much kindness. People fed her and gave her money, took care of her horses, and let her sleep in their homes. Though Annie found much of the United States quite different from her home in Maine, she found an America still friendly and welcoming to strangers and travelers. Would this be true today?

My favorite books as a child were horse and dog books. I read everything by Jim Kjelgaard, Marguerite Henry and Walter Farley at least twice. I still love a good horse book like this one, but it is so much more than that. This book is part historical travelogue, but is primarily a tale of friendship and adventure. It is a well-written, fascinating, and uplifting true account of a woman’s determination to make a future for herself on her own terms.
Thanks to NetGalley and Ballantine Books for the free ARC.

From the turn of the twentieth century to about 1960 every once in a while there was a story that appeared that seemed to grab everyone's attention across the nation and this is one of them. Annie Wilkins who grew up and spent most of her life in rural Maine is a lady who owned a family farm that she is going to lose to back taxes and who is diagnosed with a illness that the doctor gives her between two and four years to live. Annie is a no nonsense twice divorced hard working women with know family left and little to her name. She goes back to a time when her mother use to say " Hitch a horse to a buggy and head west out to California. I would love to see the Pacific Ocean. With nothing left that is what Annie decides to do but keep in mind that she has not been on a horse in thirty years and and she is in her early sixty's. So in 1954 she takes what little money she has buys a horse and brings her best friend her dog and heads out across the country. When i first started to read this book and you learn about her plan I had a little anxiety for her but it is truly amazing read how this group progress and the generosity of everyday people. Give this a read you will not be disappointed. Thank you to Netgalley and Random House publishing for an ARC for a fair and honest review.

The unbelievable true story of Annie Wilkins, who at the age of 63 made a cross-country trip from Maine to California by horseback is quite a gem of a story.

When Annie Wilkins is diagnosed by an undetermined lung disease and is given a finite time to live, with not much going for her in her home town, she makes a life changing decision to leave everything and take her horse and dog on a cross country journey. Through the many towns of America we are told a picturesque story of America in the 1960’s.

Elizabeth Letts does not shy away from any topic in this book from, racial issues, life saving tactics, to capturing quintessential Main Street America. This book read more like a novel than non-fiction. This is book is usually outside my wheelhouse, but I really found myself entrenched in Annie’s journey and was rooting for.

A very easy, enjoyable read, that is perfect for this time of year.

Thank you NetGalley and Ballantine Books for an Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. I did not connect with this book as it was more history lesson than story and I was in the mood for a story. It was informative and interesting but I read it in bits and pieces and never was able to feel an infinity with the story.

Do yourself a favor right now. Go buy a copy of this book and take this journey with Annie Wilkins. I’ll wait. What, you want to know more? You don’t trust me?

Annie Letts was in 1954 a 63 year old single woman, broke, homeless because she lost her Maine farm to $54 and change in a tax sale, sick and given maybe two to four years to live, and did I say she was 63? Annie did have a few choices. She could live with a relative or she could move into an old age home, she could wait to die or she could buy a horse and along with her dog, walk to California because she always wanted to see the Pacific Ocean. You can’t make this stuff up.

Annie took the $54 and change that she got for her farm and bought Tarzan, a Morgan horse, tied a string around her dog Depeche Toi’s neck and start walking. It didn’t take too long for Depeche Toi to figure out getting tangled in Tarzan’s legs was a hassle and it didn’t take long for Tarzan to adopt both Annie and Depeche Toi. One smart horse, he.

This journey wouldn’t make sense to anyone. She had what money was left from buying Tarzan and wore layers of clothes to stay warm and not have to carry them, a few blankets, some food and writing material in her saddle bags. Annie’s plan was to work along the way to pay for her room and board for Tarzan in stables. What she didn’t expect was the kindness of strangers.

This woman didn’t trot or gallop or canter her horse. They walked. Alone. A good day was maybe ten miles. Mostly they traveled along roadways that were for the most part rural or at least barely citified, the super highway system still in blueprints on desks. Still traffic and weather could cause Tarzan to be very skittish of fast cars and trucks and mishaps did occur. As truckers noticed her they would radio to each other and watch out for her, giving her advice on places to stop when she had to camp, advising her to stay close to the road so they could see her as they passed and sometimes rescued her when she needed help.

What Annie wasn’t planning on but was the newspaper publicity that alerted towns along her route that she was on her way and the kindnesses granted to her when she arrived. This was during a time when people didn’t lock their doors and would invite a lone woman to come inside for the night, feed her and stable for the horse. Her offers to pay were pushed aside. She was nursed to health more than once by giving doctors, her animals tended to by country vets, nourished with warm beds and full meals, she sold her note cards for 10 cents to make some money to continue her journey. She forded rivers, climbed mountains, walked through deserts, withstood snow storms and met countless giving, generous people. Could anyone ever make a journey like this now without sponsorship? Without a pace car, a bodyguard? Annie never considered this to be necessary. She was simply, very simply, walking to California so she could feel the warmth and see the Pacific Ocean.

We are along for the ride, taking this journey with her, seeing 1950’s America from the side of the road.
NOW, go ahead, go buy this book and relish every single page as I did.

Part travelogue, part quest, THE RIDE OF HER LIFE tells a tale of an older woman riding horseback with her dog from Maine to California in 1955. She became a sensation through the wire service reporting, and all along her way, folks helped her achieve her goal of seeing the Pacific Ocean before she died. I loved the idea of this book but not the narrative style. Author Elizabeth Letts loses too much plot by meandering through demographic and lifestyle issues of MidCentury rural America. The details of that changed landscape just became too much; I wanted to know about Annie, our protagonist, not so much about auto history or whatever particular point needed to be made. It just became too much and overwhelmed our modest heroine. I received my copy from the publisher through NetGalley.

I'm so glad I had the opportunity to read an advance copy of this book. It's not my usual type of book, but I'm very happy that I took the time to read it. As a New Englander who was born in the year Annie's trip began, I found it fascinating to see how much life has changed since then. Of course, she began in a remote part of Maine that didn't have modern conveniences like running water and electricity, so her life before this trip was quite different from many Americans even at that time. I was amazed at how little money she began with after selling her family farm, and how she managed financially during the trip. I was impressed by both her ambitious and arduous trip and the generosity and kindness of many of the people she encountered. It helps restore one's faith in humanity. I enjoyed learning about how different travel was in the 1950s and the history of the places she visited. I was surprised by how much new information the author provided about places where I've already traveled.

One doesn't need to be a "horse person" to like this book. People who enjoy traveling in the United States, as well as armchair travelers, will appreciate this book. I highly recommend this inspiring book which brings to life recent history.