Not too long ago I was contacted by author Linda Ballou about reading Embrace of the Wild for review. Now I’m always up for reading another horse book! And this is especially so when I’ve enjoyed previous works by the requesting author.
You can check out my review of The Cowgirl Jumped over the Moon, also by Linda Ballou.
I just loved the look of the cover of Embrace of the Wild as soon as I saw it! And it depicts well, the focus of this story: travelling and seeing the sights of nature on horseback. But it goes so much deeper than that.
Isabella Bird is a woman that some may argue is past her prime. At an age when she should be married and raising children – as was expected in society – she is instead travelling away from the United Kingdom to a drier climate. Isabella has suffered from a spinal issue from a young age and spent most of her life in pain.
Embrace of the Wild by Linda Ballou
It isn’t until she is out exploring the island of Hawaii and forced to ride astride – instead of side saddle – that Isabella discovers a new sense of freedom. Free from pain and free to ride away from prejudices set upon her.
Embrace of the Wild beautifully explores the travels in the middle of Isabella’s life. Hawaii, horse riding, Colorado and the Rocky Mountains all feature heavily. It was a delight to read the descriptions that Linda provided of Isabella’s travels, the people she met and interacted with, the various horses that she rode and the sights she got to see.
Lots of rain, rivers and waterfalls, visiting a volcano. These are beautifully described alongside Isabella’s consistent travel on horseback to visit her various destinations. I really enjoyed her Hawaii trip, but just as much loved learning about Jim Nugent, who she was to meet later in the Rocky Mountains.
Embrace of the Wild is wonderfully descriptive, from outlining the weather that Isabella encountered, to the ease – or difficulty – of the mounts she rode, to the flowers and animals that were seen along the way and finally to the perilous climbs up a volcano and to the top of a mountain to see God’s glorious creation.
Embrace of the Wild features horses heavily and beautifully provides a story of a woman well known for her adventures back in the 1800s.
Author: Linda Ballou
Historical Fiction – based on the life of Isabella Bird
In My Library? As an ebook it is!
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Wha a lovely holiday gift. A writer thrives on positive feed back from readers especially from somoene as
knowlegaable as you. I am so pleased you enjoyed riding with Isabella. She was a corageous
woman who paved the way for moden women today. I hope I did her memory justice.
Thank you,
Linda