In describing the road conditions, towns, and people, including celebrities, Wilkins encountered on her four-thousand-mile journey, Letts creates a nostalgic travelogue and a vibrant history of life in 1950s America. Thanks to deeply sourced research and her own travels along Wilkins’ route, Letts vividly portrays an audacious woman whose optimism, courage, and good humor are to be marveled at and admired. Upbeat and touching, Wilkins’ story is the perfect pandemic escapist read.
Another uplifting story of horses and determination ... As Letts delves into the postwar prosperity that transformed the U.S. into a land of cars and endless highways, she celebrates the dying tradition of the 'American tramp or hobo' that Wilkins, the self-christened "Last of the Saddle Tramps," represented. A heartwarming and nostalgic book to appeal to horse lovers and fans of the author’s previous books.
Letts inspires in this miraculous true story of one woman’s trek from Maine to California on horseback ... Letts’s attention to detail and clear admiration of her 'funny, quirky, and bold' subject light up the narrative and make it hard to put down. This story has it all: bravery, determination, and a whole lot of heart.
