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

1. General Impressions

Gather initial thoughts and broad opinions about the book.

• Discuss your overall impressions of The Ride of Her Life? What aspects of it did you like most and least? How does it differ from other biographies you’ve read?
• How does the book compare to Elizabeth Letts’s other books, such as the novel Finding Dorothy? What does Letts’s background have in common with Annie Wilkins’s story?
• Discuss why Annie Wilkins chose to traverse the country on horseback despite her illness and the inherent dangers of modern roads and highways.

2. Personal Reflection and Connection

Encourage readers to connect the book’s themes and characters with their personal experiences.

• Reflect on any parts of The Ride of Her Life that evoked a strong emotional response (for example, instances involving accidents or exemplifying human kindness). Why did they elicit this response?
• Some readers have taken issue with Annie’s apparent disregard for the welfare of the animals she claimed to love deeply (her horse Tarzan; her dog, Depeche Toi; and later her second horse, Rex). Do you agree? If not, what makes Annie’s choices understandable?
• Discuss how the book’s themes (which center on resilience and hope in the face of extreme hardships,