I love to get stuck into a good fictional piece on horses, and I especially get excited when the story is factually correct. It’s really interesting to read over biographies from horse personalities, however. Beating the Odds, the Fall and Rise of Bev Buckingham tells the tale of top Tasmanian jockey, a fall that resulted in a loss of use of her arms and legs, and her battle to gain her independence and a future with horses.
Working with horses is physically demanding and time consuming. You do it for a love of the animal and lifestyle, not for money. Being passionate about your work and determined to improve will help you to earn a comfortable living however, as Bev Buckingham was able to do as an emerging jockey in Tasmania, Australia.
Beating the Odds looks at Bev’s life pre and post her fall and her journey after that devastating fall in a race. The story is to the point and provides a lot of inside information about what life is like for jockeys, strappers and trainers. The Buckingham family appears down to earth and easy to love. Bev’s fall was no doubt devastating for the family and her husband and friends, but being able to read about it from her point of view helps to make it just as devastating for the reader.
There are many negative events that occur in Bev’s life, but her determination to push on with life and succeed with an animal she loves shines through and leaves the reader rooting for her after her devastating fall. Beating the Odds is an informative and interesting read, in particular because it is a factual biography. Worth the read.
Author: Murray Mottram and Bev Buckingham
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3088230.Bev_Buckingham
Non Fiction – autobiography
In My Library? That it is!
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“The history of mankind is carried on the back of the horse.” – Author unknown
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The author is to be admired for her courage and perseverance. Thanks for sharing your review with us, Christine.