The newest book by Jeannette Walls, Half Broke Horses, is outstanding. While her first, The Glass Castle, was an autobiography, this one centers on her grandmother's life, though it is also written in the first person. Because of this, you may have the same issue I did at first. Throughout the book, I kept wondering whether the story really happened exactly as told.

Realistically, a lot of it is probably not totally true. It seems a bit like the game telephone, where the story gets more and more messed up as it is passed along. In addition, she didn't visit her grandmother very much (which was a detail in The Glass Castle). However, this small issue faded as I read the book, and I enjoyed it immensely.

The way Walls writes is genius. It's smart. She writes from an innocent perspective, telling exactly how things were (to her knowledge). Some are born with the gift of storytelling, and she certainly has it. Because of the consistent greatness I have seen in her writing, I now consider her one of my favorite authors. (J.K. Rowling, Laurie Halse Anderson, and Alice Hoffman are the others.) She by far tops the list, however.

If you are looking for a smart, exciting, fascinating story detailing the hardships of one incredibly strong woman, this is the book for you. The way Lily Casey, Walls' grandmother, handled the hurdles in her life is exhilarating and inspiring. Reading about her triumphant life makes me believe that anything is possible. This book showed me that hard work pays off.