Book Review: A Girl and Five Brave Horses by Sonora Carver
A Girl and Five Brave Horses
Author: Sonora Carver
Narrator: Laci Morgan
First Published: 1961
Audiobook: 6 hours 8 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: November 1-5, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
In the roaring ’20s, adventurous young Sonora Webster sees an exciting act that will change her life forever. Hooves pound as a horse gallops up the ramp of a 40-foot-tall tower. A girl in a sparkly swimsuit waits at the top, and at the last possible second, leaps on its back as they dive through the air, falling to a tank of water far below with thunderous applause.
Sonora is hooked. From that moment on, she is determined to BE that girl, despite the danger, and endeavors to join the diving horse troupe. This memoir follows her exciting career and life on the road as a traveling performer with W.F. Carver’s stunt show, even after she was blinded in an accident. Despite her lack of sight, she continued to dive for eleven years, becoming an inspiration to blind and disabled people who heard her story. Sonora’s life even inspired the beloved 1991 movie, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.
Full of twists and turns, humorous animal tales, moments of tragedy, and hope, listeners will enjoy this exciting true tale of a strong American woman finding her place in history during the Great Depression, with an unbreakable spirit and the help of her brave horse partners.
Jessica’s Review:
If you have seen the movie Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, then you know the very basic story about Sonora Carver. A Girl and Five Brave Horses is Sonora’s story in her own words. This is the story of a life of determination and strength despite the unexpected events that life can be the cause of.
The movie gives the basis of what happens in her life and Sonora’s memoir adds to it. At times the memoir was detailed and other times it isn’t. I wanted to know more about Sonora’s family (especially her relationship with her sister Arnette) and more on her relationship with Al, unfortunately which we don’t get. The movie leads you to believe that Al is much younger than he actually was: Al was about 20 years older than Sonora. The movie does not show that Arnette was a part of Sonora’s life during her horse diving. And for taking place during the Depression, we are not told how life was for those living during that time.
We do get details about Sonora’s treatment for her eyes and her adjustment into life without sight. Growing up and loving the film, I think I went in with big expectations for the memoir and I was disappointed. I feel we could have been given so much more than what we got. There were just details for some events and then other important events were just rushed through. Carver was from another time and maybe that was why we didn’t get as much details as we would get if this story happened now. This could be because Sonora is telling her story to someone else versus actually writing it.
I really don’t like giving a lower rating (3.5 stars) for a memoir, which is someone’s life, but there was so much more that could have been with this memoir than what we got.
Audiobook Review: The Unexpected Journey by Emma Heming Willis
The Unexpected Journey: Finding Strength, Hope, and Yourself on the Caregiving Path
Author: Emma Heming Willis
Narrator: Emma Heming Willis
Published: September 9, 2025
Audiobook: 8 hours 57 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 15-18, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
The day Emma Heming Willis’ husband, Bruce Willis, was diagnosed with frontotemporal dementia (FTD), all they were given was a pamphlet and told to check back in a few months. With no hope or direction, Emma walked out of that doctor’s appointment frozen with fear, confusion and a sense that her world had just fallen apart.
In fact, it had. Bruce and Emma had their story written, their future mapped out. Yet all those dreams crumbled with that diagnosis, and Emma felt alone and more isolated than ever. How would she care for her husband while parenting their young daughters?
At that devastating time, Emma just wanted someone who’d been through it to tell her, “This feels terrible right now. Your life is in shambles. But it’s going to be okay. Here are some things to think about and put in place so you cannot just survive but thrive.”
With The Unexpected Journey, Emma has written the book she wishes she’d been handed on the day of Bruce’s diagnosis: a supportive guide to navigating the complicated, heartbreaking, and transformative experience that is caregiving for your loved one. Weaving her personal journey as a care partner with the latest research and insights from the world’s top dementia, caregiving, and integrative experts she offers the guidance and wisdom caregivers everywhere so desperately need to hear, including:
- A diagnosis isn’t just a label, it’s a starting point. It helps you better understand your person’s behavior and respond with more clarity and compassion.
- Taking care of yourself is not optional; it’s mandatory. It will make you a better care partner. It’s not selfish, it’s self-preserving.
- You don’t have a choice about being on the dementia caregiving journey. But you do have a choice in terms of how you approach it and reframe it.
- Caregivers are human so you aren’t always going to be patient and selfless. You have challenges and struggle with conflicting emotions and that’s okay.
Ultimately, The Unexpected Journey shows you how to care for yourself while doing one of the hardest, most heartbreaking jobs in the world. Because if you don’t take care of yourself, you are not going to be able to look after anyone else—especially your loved one with dementia.
For anyone caregiving for a loved one with any form of dementia, and even for those caregiving for other conditions, The Unexpected Journey shows that you are not alone. As Emma writes, “I know that no two caregiving journeys are the same, but we are connected by the same unchosen thread. It’s not an easy path for you, your loved one or your family. But I’m here to let you know that you are not alone, and, in time, you will find your footing, and a way forward.”
Jessica’s Review:
Don’t go into this book thinking you will learn about her life with Bruce Willis, The Unexpected Journey is a book written for those who have found themselves on the journey of Caregiving, whether expected or unexpected and this is why I wanted to listen to it. I am not on this journey but this book will definitely help those who find themselves in this situation.
We do get one chapter of how the couple met and their love story, but Willis’ love story continues down this path of being a caregiver for her husband along with caring for their young children. Willis seemingly wrote the book that she wished she had been able to read when all she was given was a pamphlet of some information at the beginning of their journey.
She acknowledges that she has more resources than most caregivers, but she shares her story of navigating loss, confusion, fear, love, and managing day-to-day life also while parenting. Willis gives information to help a caregiver reach what can be attainable for them. She gives research and advice from medical and wellness experts. This book would benefit caregivers of individuals with various diseases but specifically if ‘their person’ is suffering from FTD (frontotemporal dementia). ‘Their person’ is the term that Willis uses, and it is a good term to use.
Willis is very candid and upfront. She emphasizes the importance of how small things can add up. She also states that taking care of yourself first as a caregiver is extremely important. Many times a caregiver passes away before the one being cared for (their person) does. The author does mention this, but the chapters of the book are structured so that each one can be read independently, which results in some overlap of information. Again, this is for the person reading the book who is a caregiver, and one chapter may be more important in their specific journey.
Emma Heming Willis also narrated The Unexpected Journey and listening to it I felt the heart and soul she put into this book. She really wants to help other caregivers. This is an informative and heartfelt book that is a must read for caregivers. Thank you to Willis for writing what she feels will help others.
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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Audiobook Review: Sister Wife by Christine Brown Woolley
Sister Wife: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Finding Freedom
Author: Christine Brown Woolley
Narrator: Christine Brown Woolley
Published: September 2, 2025
Audiobook: 8 hours 43 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: September 2-5, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 4 stars
Book Description:
From TLC’s Sister Wives star Christine Brown Woolley, a groundbreaking and heartfelt memoir about living in a family like no other and finding the strength to leave Mormonism—and the only life she’s known—behind.
Christine Brown Woolley had always dreamed of having a picture-perfect family—beautiful children, an adoring husband, and of course, a sisterhood of wives to share him with. Raised in Utah by practicing polygamists, Christine knew her life was less than normal, but that didn’t stop her from loving the full house of her childhood any less.
Becoming Kody Brown’s third wife in 1994, Christine finally found the big, happy family she had hoped for. When TLC’s hit show Sister Wives premiered in 2010, Christine knew it was her chance to shine a light on the brighter side of polygamy—the helping hands, the lively discussions, and their unmatched devotion to each other. But the cameras also revealed a much darker truth.
Now, in this candid tell-all, Christine shares for the first time the journey that led her away from the Morman church and the bold path she is carving to live apart from all she has ever known. Moving, genuine, and insightful, this is a uniquely powerful tour de force of Christine’s journey toward and beyond her time in the spotlight as a sister wife.
Jessica’s Review:
I first watched some of Sister Wives years ago, and for some reason I decided to start it over and watch it in December of 2023. I am all caught up, and yes, I have a favorite former sister wife (Janelle all the way!) and a strong dislike for Kody. After finishing Christine’s memoir my opinion of Kody is this: He’s a total douche! Yes, this is Christine’s perspective of her life, but I mean, if you have seen the show, then you know: It’s like a ‘knife to the kidneys’!
I know that reality shows are not necessarily ‘real’, but there are some things mentioned in Woolley’s memoir that give a whole different perspective on the show. When I found out about the book, I knew I wanted to read or listen to it. Woolley narrates the memoir herself and it sounds just like how she speaks and it was like she was speaking to me.
Christine can be a bit ‘much’ at times on the show but she is who she is and you can take it or leave it. We find out the details about the falling out Christine had with Meri, and the closeness she gets with Janelle over time. She goes into the Mormon religion, polygamy, her background and her dislike for Warren Jeffs and the FLDS, which she was not a part of. She goes full throttle telling everything with no holding back. From her first kiss at the alter to the wedding night, to the lack of a sex life, to finally leaving Kody and the polygamist way of life. To starting over, and finding a love that she fully deserves with David Woolley. Christine has lived quite a life.
People are talking about the details of Christine and Kody’s sex life, and many other things that were believed from the show and confirmed with the memoir, but there were many other things that were not on the show: Yes, the sister wives did drink in Vegas. How early on Christine thought about leaving Kody, but never acted on it. And how much things changed early on once Robyn came into the picture. Things are definitely not how they appear on television! What I found shocking was Christine was at the beginnings of addiction to oxycodone, but realized it and was able to get off of it herself.
There was so much more I could say, but I will just say this: Read or listen to the memoir if you are a fan of the show! I really hope Meri and Janelle also write memoirs one day so we can hear their side of their lives!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK