Elizabeth Letts

This true story of feisty 62-year-old Maine woman who embarked on a horseback journey to California in 1954 tells the remarkable tale of Annie Wilkins, whose hardscrabble life on a remote farm was snatched away by a combination of bad weather, bad luck, bad harvest, and failing health. Unable to pay the taxes on the land that had been in her family for generations, and faced with the medical opinion that she had less than two years left to live, her options were few.

The one she chose was show more one no one could have seen coming -- she took the few dollars she could scrape together, bought a nondescript ex-riding-stable horse and set out for California, taking only what she could carry and accompanied by a pup of questionable lineage but charming personality.

Author Elizabeth Letts has re-told this remarkable story, based on Wilkins' own book about the journey, but enhanced by additional research into Wilkins' life and adding the perspective of 67 years.

The point of the book is not merely that this uneducated, unsophisticated woman, who seems to have had little comprehension of the true scale of the task she had set for herself, and even lacked decent maps to plan the trip, survived and succeeded. Equally important is that the journey occurred at a time in American history when the legacy of the wandering rider was not just disappearing but was being rendered impossible by the onset of the superhighway; more importantly, the era of easy hospitality for itinerant travelers was being replaced by caution, suspicion, and even hostility.

It seems utterly unbelievable that Wilkins could ride up a country lane, knock on the door of a strange farmhouse, and ask for a night's shelter in the barn for her animals and herself -- and almost always receive not only that, but an invitation to dinner and a layover if weather or health issues seemed to call for it.

Local -- and eventually, national -- news outlets picked up on the story, and during the later stages of the journey, Wilkins was often made the guest of whatever local Chamber of Commerce or booster organization saw the opportunity to get exposure for their community. Wilkins rode in the Cheyenne Frontier Days parade and appeared on national television with 1950s talk-show superstar Art Linkletter.

But she remained to the last just what she had always been -- a plainspoken, independent woman determined to make her own way. Her remarkable story is a look not only at the strength of the human spirit, but at an America that was vanishing even as she rode through it. show less

I loved this book. It was a fascinating look at the life of Maud Gage Baum and L Frank Baum, at the movie industry, at the long fight for women's rights on many level (rather timely for the "me too" movement with the treatment of Judy Garland in the male dominated business of movie making) and at the making of one of them most beloved movies of all time. It was very well written, engaging and kept me from getting a lot done over the past weekend. I have read Elizabeth Letts two recent show more non-fiction books about horses and wondered about her taking on a historical fiction novel and wasn't really surprised how much I loved it. She doesn't need to be writing about horses to keep me as a fan of her work. show less

When The Wizard of Oz was being made into a movie, L. Frank Baum's widow Maud took it upon herself to make sure that the movie honored her late husband's vision in the book - that the "heart" of Oz was present in the movie. I think most of us who have grown up watching the movie would agree that her efforts were successful. In writing about Maud Baum, Elizabeth Letts allows us to find the magic of Oz anew.

In writing about Frank and Maud's life together, Letts let's us see the magic that show more they, particularly Frank saw in their every day life, and shows us the many inspirations that came together to become Oz. In her Author's Note, Letts explains that many of the origins of Oz are well-documented, and her skill as a writer brings those scenes alive and allows her readers to experience the magic that Frank felt.

This backstory is told as Maud finagles her way onto the set of The Wizard of Oz at MGM studios. She's particularly concerned with the character of Dorothy, and her time with Judy Garland reassures her that the singer can bring the right blend of innocence and longing to the part. She must also confront the rampant sexism on the movie set, as Judy and other actresses are subject to sexual harassment. Here Letts allows Maud to recall her early life as the daughter of a prominent sufragette and her lifelong committment to women's equality, of which Frank was an ardent supporter. Feminism, suffrage, and Maud's inherent practicality married to Frank's sense of wonder all went into making Oz the magical place that it is in books, on stage and screen, and in our hearts. In bringing that alive, Letts has given fans of Oz a great gift. show less

Oh my! Can I give a book 10 stars?? I loved this one! More even than Laura Hillenbrand's Seabiscuit, I think, and that's saying a lot. This is the true story of Snowman, a plow horse rescued from going on the knacker's truck (literally at the last possible moment) who became a national sensation as the underdog horse who beat out all the expensively bred and trained fancy show horses to become showjumping's Horse of the Year. Twice! I was amazed. The book is not just a horse story, however, show more but a beautiful love affair between man and horse; a loving portrait of Harry de Leyer, the Dutch immigrant and World War II survivor who believed in hard work and self-sacrifice and in nurturing horses to their full potential; and a peek into the privileged but rapidly changing East Coast horse show world of the 1950's, where a self-trained unknown "professional" owner/trainer/rider/groom seemed vastly out of place and unlikely to challenge the snooty rich "amateur" riders from large fancy stables. Little did they know! I had heard of Snowman, vaguely, from mentions in the beloved C.W. Anderson horse books I always devoured as a kid, and in passing as I read about other jumpers. But I did not know anything about his story, and it was a pleasure to read such a well-written and extensively researched book on him. I learned a great deal about the showjumping world of the 1950's (Riding helmets? Who needs helmets! Scary thought) as well as Snowman's particular story. To achieve what he did in the show ring was phenomenal enough, but to then go home and be a placid lesson horse for hundreds of girls day in and day out, as well as a beloved family pet to Harry's six children, was extraordinary. I was moved by the beautiful language, kept in suspense during Snowman's intense jumpoffs against formidable opponents, and brought to tears at a key point near the end. And I was thrilled to hear that Harry de Leyer helped greatly in the making of the book, and is still training new riders today, at age 83!

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in horses, in rooting for the underdog (underhorse ;-) or in a fascinating look at America in the 1950's in general and the jumping/horse show world in particular. Having read in the book that a movie about Snowman was once in the planning stages but never got made, I sincerely hope that a Hollywood studio snaps this up soon and makes a film that does Harry and Snowman proud. If ever a story belonged on the big screen, this surely is it. Talk about heartwarming and dramatic! But READ THE BOOK! You won't be disappointed. (It goes on sale August 23; I was fortunate to read an advance copy for LibraryThing's Early Reviewers program.) show less