Book Review: Undomesticated Women
Book Description:
Welcome to our year of living compactly. My dog, Mister, and I took to the road pulling our A-frame trailer, the Rollin’ Rancho. I’m a traveling horse trainer/clinician, who became a non-essential worker during the COVID-19 lockdown. Then, in 2022, we bounced back. We were nomads looking for horse training adventure and liver treats. Work paid for the trip; it was part clinic tour, part travelogue, part squirrel hunt. But mostly an unapologetic celebration of sunsets, horses, RV parks, roadkill, diverse landscapes, and undomesticated women.
It’s a book made of made of adjectives and nouns, blue skies and tornado watches, resorts and reservations, open roads to the horizon, and one-lane dead-ends. We emerge from the truck in a cloud of dog hair and sunflower shells, like disoriented and scruffy rock stars in a GPS haze, not entirely lost or found.
This book isn’t about training, although there are horses in it. It’s a follow-up of Stable Relation, my first book, but my life changed in ways I would never have guessed, so don’t expect the usual sequel. Undomesticated Women is a travel memoir, a peek behind the curtains of what my job is like. I wanted to see this beautiful country, do some time travel, and explore thoughts and memories now that I’ve become a gray mare.
Mister would tell you it’s his memoir about being tasked with the unreasonable job of guarding me against a wild range of dangers. Like eating dinner late.
Welcome to our year of living compactly. My dog, Mister, and I took to the road pulling our A-frame trailer, the Rollin’ Rancho. I’m a traveling horse trainer/clinician, who became a non-essential worker during the COVID-19 lockdown. Then, in 2022, we bounced back. We were nomads looking for horse training adventure and liver treats. Work paid for the trip; it was part clinic tour, part travelogue, part squirrel hunt. But mostly an unapologetic celebration of sunsets, horses, RV parks, roadkill, diverse landscapes, and undomesticated women.
It’s a book made of made of adjectives and nouns, blue skies and tornado watches, resorts and reservations, open roads to the horizon, and one-lane dead-ends. We emerge from the truck in a cloud of dog hair and sunflower shells, like disoriented and scruffy rock stars in a GPS haze, not entirely lost or found.
This book isn’t about training, although there are horses in it. It’s a follow-up of Stable Relation, my first book, but my life changed in ways I would never have guessed, so don’t expect the usual sequel. Undomesticated Women is a travel memoir, a peek behind the curtains of what my job is like. I wanted to see this beautiful country, do some time travel, and explore thoughts and memories now that I’ve become a gray mare.
Mister would tell you it’s his memoir about being tasked with the unreasonable job of guarding me against a wild range of dangers. Like eating dinner late.
My Review
I did not know this book was sort of a sequel to Stable Relation as I have not read that book. I say "sort of sequel" because like the author states, this book does not read like a traditional sequel. I did enjoy reading this book. It kind of reminded me of Travels with Charley in Search of America by John Steinbeck.
Just Anna and Mister, her corgi. I loved Mister. As a fellow introvert, I could relate a lot to Anna and her reactions to situations. Yes, it is ok to say "no" when people want to talk or pet your dog. In a way, I felt like reading this book could also be kind of like a guide as to how to apply how dogs and horses react to situations in human life.
Animals are very intuitive to emotions and if we just are perspective to them, we can react better. Like body language and when we have our barriers up if someone is getting too close to our personal space. I did enjoy traveling with Anna and Mister and exploring the various places they went.
Just Anna and Mister, her corgi. I loved Mister. As a fellow introvert, I could relate a lot to Anna and her reactions to situations. Yes, it is ok to say "no" when people want to talk or pet your dog. In a way, I felt like reading this book could also be kind of like a guide as to how to apply how dogs and horses react to situations in human life.
Animals are very intuitive to emotions and if we just are perspective to them, we can react better. Like body language and when we have our barriers up if someone is getting too close to our personal space. I did enjoy traveling with Anna and Mister and exploring the various places they went.
BUY THE BOOK:
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Bookshop.org
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Amazon ~ B&N ~ BAM
Bookshop.org
add to goodreads
Meet the Author:
I’m an animal advocate, award-winning author, solo RV traveler, old-school feminist, dog companion, unabashed lover of sunsets, and professional horse trainer/clinician. I’m sixty-nine years old. I’ve done just about everything and done it well. No longer auditioning.
My books include:
Stable Relation, A memoir of one woman’s spirited journey home.
Relaxed & Forward: Relationship advice from your horse.
Barn Dance, Nickers, brays, bleats, howls, and quacks: Tales from the herd.
Horse Prayers, Poems from the prairie.
Going Steady, More relationship advice from your horse.
Horse. Woman. Poems from our lives.
Undomesticated Women: Anecdotal Evidence from the Road
I was born in Cavalier County, North Dakota, in 1954, the youngest daughter in a farm family. Now I live at Infinity Farm, on the flat, windy, treeless prairie of Colorado with a herd of reprobates, raconteurs, and our moral compass, Edgar Rice Burro. Previously, I was a self-employed goldsmith, showing one-of-a-kind artwork in galleries from coast to coast. My Denver studio and gallery was shared with generations of good dogs.
Early writing included a few screenplays, one of which was produced independently, and articles for several periodicals. Every Friday since 2010, I have posted an unconventional and popular blog about life on the farm and horse training. My unique perspective combines Calming Signals and Affirmative Training for a special method of understanding, training, and respecting animals.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
I’m an animal advocate, award-winning author, solo RV traveler, old-school feminist, dog companion, unabashed lover of sunsets, and professional horse trainer/clinician. I’m sixty-nine years old. I’ve done just about everything and done it well. No longer auditioning.
My books include:
Stable Relation, A memoir of one woman’s spirited journey home.
Relaxed & Forward: Relationship advice from your horse.
Barn Dance, Nickers, brays, bleats, howls, and quacks: Tales from the herd.
Horse Prayers, Poems from the prairie.
Going Steady, More relationship advice from your horse.
Horse. Woman. Poems from our lives.
Undomesticated Women: Anecdotal Evidence from the Road
I was born in Cavalier County, North Dakota, in 1954, the youngest daughter in a farm family. Now I live at Infinity Farm, on the flat, windy, treeless prairie of Colorado with a herd of reprobates, raconteurs, and our moral compass, Edgar Rice Burro. Previously, I was a self-employed goldsmith, showing one-of-a-kind artwork in galleries from coast to coast. My Denver studio and gallery was shared with generations of good dogs.
Early writing included a few screenplays, one of which was produced independently, and articles for several periodicals. Every Friday since 2010, I have posted an unconventional and popular blog about life on the farm and horse training. My unique perspective combines Calming Signals and Affirmative Training for a special method of understanding, training, and respecting animals.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
Tour Schedule:
Jan 15 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 16 - Leanne Bookstagram – book review
Jan 17 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
Jan 18 – My Reading Getaway – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 22 – @chaoshappinessbookmama – book review
Jan 23– fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 24 –Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Jan 25 – Celticlady's Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 25 - Gina Rae Mitchell - book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 30 – FUONLYKNEW – book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 31 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 1 – Liese's Blog – book spotlight
Feb 1 - Splashes of Joy - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 2 – Diane’s Book Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 15 – Cover Lover Book Review – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 16 - Leanne Bookstagram – book review
Jan 17 – Cheryl's Book Nook – book review / giveaway
Jan 18 – My Reading Getaway – book spotlight / author interview / giveaway
Jan 22 – @chaoshappinessbookmama – book review
Jan 23– fundinmental – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 24 –Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / giveaway
Jan 25 – Celticlady's Reviews – book spotlight / giveaway
Jan 25 - Gina Rae Mitchell - book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 30 – FUONLYKNEW – book review / guest post / giveaway
Jan 31 – Rockin' Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
Feb 1 – Liese's Blog – book spotlight
Feb 1 - Splashes of Joy - book spotlight / giveaway
Feb 2 – Diane’s Book Journal – book spotlight / giveaway
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