Book Review of “The Ride of Her Life” by Elizabeth Letts

I recently joined a book club, and July’s selection was The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts. It’s the true story of Annie Wilkins, a 63-year-old Maine woman who sets off on horseback across America in the 1950s with her dog, Depeche Toi.

Book cover of The Ride of Her Life by Elizabeth Letts, courtesy of Penguin Random House

The first thing that comes to mind when I think back on this book is how seamlessly the author weaves historical facts into the narrative. Every piece of history plays perfectly into the scene unfolding—from her references to Lincoln Logs to the various roads that were being paved at the time, or had yet to be paved. Though I am not a history buff and didn’t particularly enjoy the subject in school, it was fascinating to learn about the massive highway construction happening during Annie's journey in the mid-1950s. I thought it was particularly neat that she and her four-legged companions were the very first to travel on sections of the Ohio Turnpike.

Nowadays, I think we take our means of transportation for granted, so it's nice to be reminded that travel wasn't always as quick and easy as it is now. In fact, life itself seemed to move much slower even as recently as the 1980s and 1990s.

During our meeting, our book club discussed the incredible kindness of strangers along Annie’s journey, and how different things would have been for her had she been Black, or if someone were to attempt this journey on horseback today. Frankly, given the realities of the Jim Crow era, Annie’s identity as a white woman undoubtedly afforded her a level of safety and hospitality that a person of color simply wouldn't have been granted. A traveler of color attempting this cross-country journey in the 1950s would have faced immense danger, and their route would have unfortunately had to be mapped out strictly according to the Green Book.

Before picking up this book, most of us in the club had never heard of Annie or her journey from Maine to California on horseback, which honestly surprises me! Defying the expectations of women in that era, Annie was an unmarried woman traveling a great distance alone. If you ask me, she was a pioneer for the women’s rights movement all on her own, and she deserves to be much more well known.

Annie and Depeche Toi | Newspaper clipping is courtesy of newspapers.com

It's clear that Elizabeth Letts did an abundance of research before writing this biography. Given the way she writes and the language she uses, I can tell she was completely transported back in time while creating it. How fun that must have been! It makes me wonder if she went horseback riding on the days she sat down to write Annie’s story.

Had you heard of Annie before reading this book review? Have you read the book? I’d love to hear your thoughts!