Reading guide for half broke horses by jeannette walls discussion guide for book clubs. Half broke horses summary from litcharts the creators of sparknotes. The main setting of half broke horses by jeannette walls is located in western texas. Half broke horses by jeannette walls basically had me from hello. You want to know why her mother, rose mary walls, turned out to be such a neglectful, bereft parent. Wall wrote half broke horses in 2009 and appears briefly at the end of the book as a baby to whom lily takes immediate liking. My students love how organized the handouts are and enjoy tracking. In addition to discussion lilys personality and behavior, there are many. This is the story of lily casey smith, jeannette wallss nononsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. Oct 06, 2008 half broke horses, jeannette walls half broke horses is a 2009 novel by jeannette walls detailing the life of her grandmother, lily casey smith. The casey family lived on high lonesome, a ranch in the heart of a difficult land. Why did she have such a hard time teaching her own daughter. Now, in half broke horses, she brings us the story of her grandmother, told in a. Rosemary and rex marry, and as they drive away from the wedding they look to lily and jim like a couple of halfbroke horses.
Jeannette walls is a true credit to the teachings of lily casey smith. Aug 27, 2009 jeannette walls, national bestselling author of the glass castle, discusses her new truelife novel, half broke horses, and thanks the independent booksellers across the country for their support. So begins the story of lily casey smith, jeannette wallss nononsense, resourceful, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. The suggested questions are intended to help your reading group find new and interesting angles and topics for your discussion. The author offers a novel based on the life of her grandmother, lily casey smith, who learned to break horses in childhood, journeyed 500 miles on a pony as a teen to become a teacher, and ran a vast ranch in arizona with her husband while raising two children, including rosemary smith walls, portrayed in the authors acclaimed the glass castle. Walls asserts that rose mary was more concerned with her artwork than motherhood, and rex was a charming alcoholic who proved a frequent disappointment to his children.
Lily is portrayed as a strong, spirited, and resourceful woman, who overcomes poverty and tragedy with the positive attitude that when god closes a window, he opens a door. Great supplemental information for school essays and projects. Discussion questions for half broke horses are listed. Jan 16, 2011 a new york times bestseller that hinges on horses and perseverance is the centre county reads book selection for 2011. Half broke is a best book club book for discussion, a horse trainers lifeaffirming memoir that offers insight into how horses and humans seek relationships to survive. Mar 03, 2020 half broke is a basket of revelations. Half broke is a recommended book by reading group choices. Half broke horses by jeannette walls 9781847398314 booktopia. In addition to discussion lilys personality and behavior, there are many other themes to discuss as evident in this reading guide. Half broke horses summary and study guide supersummary. Half broke horses is a laughoutloud lesson on learning to fall, a story about the human spirit, the courage of adventure, and the choices we make. Half broke horses by jeannette walls reading guidebook club. Half broke horses by jeannette walls is a work of fiction touted as being a true life novel.
A truelife novel topics for discussion jeannette walls this study guide consists of approximately 28 pages of chapter summaries, quotes, character analysis, themes, and more everything you need to sharpen your knowledge of half broke horses. Jeannette walls describes her book half broke horses as a truelife novel, as it describes the life of her reallife grandmother lily casey smith. Jeannette walls discusses half broke horses and thanks the. Lilys father tells her, the most important thing in life is learning how to fall. I believe that walls book was formed from discussions she had with her. She laments that rosemary is the one child she could never teach. Book club discussion guide half broke horses by jeanette walls those old cows knew trouble was coming before we did. This book takes place in all different parts of the usa such as west texas, red lake, santa fe, chicago and other locations in arizona. Author jeannette walls, the granddaughter of lily casey smith, wrote the book from lilys point of view.
After reading the glass castle, jeannette walls bestselling memoir of her dysfunctional, impoverished childhood, you cant help but have certain expectations of her latest book, halfbroke horses. Half broke horses summary from litcharts the creators of. Both horse enthusiasts andor those who simply enjoy a compelling read, half broke has a savory takeaway for both. Find books like half broke horses from the worlds largest community of readers. Kentucky is where the whole book starts and it is the first home of lily. She graduated from barnard college and was a journalist in new york city for twenty years. August 31, 2016 posted by diana elder book club, creating and. Half broke horses questions and answers discover the community of teachers, mentors and students just like you that can answer any question you might have on half broke horses. What is your response to the first person voice of the book. In ginger gaffneys half broke we see how horses, with their subtle interpersonal cues and incredible strength, help people to move beyond troubles and traumas and difficult pasts.
Reading guide for half broke horses by jeannette walls. This instance of selfishness bears a close resemblance to rex wallss behavior in the glass castle when he takes the money jeannettes sister has been saving to escape welch, wv, and goes on a drinking binge. A truelife novel kindle edition by walls, jeannette. Jeannette walls was born in phoenix, arizona, and grew up in the southwest and welch, west virginia. Half broke horses stands on sturdy legs of its ntinued. Do you think you are closer to lily because you get her story in her own voice. The book is told in the first person from the perspective of lily as she grows up in the harsh desert southwest. This instance of selfishness bears a close resemblance to rex wallss behavior in the glass castle when he takes the money jeannettes sister has been saving to escape welch, wv. Half broke horses book by jeannette walls official. Its subject is her maternal grandmother, lily, who was known as grandma smith in the glass castle and. All through time, horses have helped people to do their work, carry their loads, and make their journeys. Recommending new books each month to spark lively conversation. In that memoir, walls focused on the lives of herself and her. Half broke horses study guide from litcharts the creators.
Star patches big brown spotty previous question next question. In half broke horses, lilys father decides to bring her home from school so that he can use her tuition money to breed dogs. Suggested book and reading club discussion questions for half broke horses. In her quest for resolution, walls has forsaken nearly all ambiguity. Half broke horses and writing your own family stories. Jeannette walls is the daughter of rose mary formerly rosemary and rex wallsmaking half broke horses protagonist lily casey smith her maternal grandmother. A truelife novel by jeannette walls first published. In half broke horses, jeannette walls writes of a grandmother with. But where half broke horses was an engaging, feelgood story, the silver star is a less satisfying affair. Half broke horsesfills in those gaps, providing details of what led up to the story of the wallss family. Learn more about ginger gaffney, half broke, book signings and interviews at. The book proved a smash success, selling more than 2. Jeannette walls, author of half broke horses, first chronicled her familys history in her bestselling memoir, the glass castle. Half broke horses and writing your own family stories september book club selection.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc, phones or tablets. Walls lives in rural virginia with her husband, the writer john taylor. Theyre like having inclass notes for every discussion. Some of the discussion points that your group might want to explore include perseverance, grief, loss, convictions, parentchild relationships. The silver star by jeannette walls the boston globe. Half broke horses worksheets and activities this is absolutely the best teacher resource i have ever purchased.
By age six, lily was helping her father break horses. Study questions, project ideas and discussion topics based on important themes running throughout half broke horses. I do recommend half broke horses as a good read for book clubs. Half broke horses, jeannette walls half broke horses is a 2009 novel by jeannette walls detailing the life of her grandmother, lily casey smith. So begins the story of lily casey smith, in jeannette wallss magnificent, truelife novel based on her nononsense, resourceful, hard working, and spectacularly compelling grandmother. State college, pa half broke horses picked for centre. The selection half broke horses by jeannette walls has set the tone. This reading group guide for half broke horses includes an introduction, discussion questions, and ideas for enhancing your book club. I adore a good memoir and, even though this was part novelpart memoir, it read very much like an authentic first hand account of lily caseys life. I believe that walls book was formed from discussions she had with her mother, rose mary, about her.
Walls has reconciled with rose mary and lives with her in virginia, along with walls second husband. Half broke horses is the story of lily casey smiths life. What is the significance of the phrase halfbroke horses. She warms up to rex, who is in the air force, when he takes her flying. There are too many locations in this book to name all of them but the most common are. The main character of half broke horses is lily casey, the oldest of three children. Half broke horses by jeannette walls halifax public libraries. Goodreads members who liked half broke horses also liked. Book companion half broke horses is destined to become a classic. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading half broke horses.