The Ride of Her Life - Elizabeth Letts - A Short Summary and Review

 The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last Chance Journey Across America - Elizabeth Letts - A Short Summary and Review

By: a.d. elliott | Take the Back Roads - Art and Other Odd Adventures

A Rite of Fancy Book Recommendation and Review

Annie Wilkins rides across America.

A short summary:

The Ride of Her Life tells the true story of Annie Wilkins, a 63-year-old Maine woman who set out in 1954 to ride horseback across the United States. With little money, failing health, and no clear plan beyond “keep going,” Annie mounted her horse and headed west, seeking warmth, purpose, and, quietly, a good end to her life.

Elizabeth Letts traces Annie’s journey mile by mile, capturing the generosity of strangers, the harshness of weather and terrain, and the physical toll of the road. Central to the story is Annie’s bond with her animals, especially Tarzan, who carried her through much of the journey. When Rex dies along the way, the loss is devastating, not just logistically, but emotionally. Annie mourns deeply, yet does not abandon the road.

The ride becomes more than a physical crossing of America; it is an act of endurance, grief, and quiet courage undertaken without spectacle or self-pity.

My favorite quote from the book:

"You can be so worried about the challenge in front of you that you fail to realize that you've been chipping away at it all along."

- Elizabeth Letts, The Ride of Her Life

Questions to ponder while reading:

What do you do when you don't know what to do anymore?

Would you be afraid?

My review:

This is an inspiring book, but not in an easy or sentimental way. The Ride of Her Life breaks the reader’s heart precisely because it refuses to romanticize hardship. Annie Wilkins is stubborn, lonely, generous, and deeply human. She keeps going not because she is fearless, but because stopping would mean surrendering the last thing she has left, agency.

Rex's death is one of the most painful moments in the book. It underscores the fragility of the journey and the depth of Annie’s attachment to the living companions who shared the road with her. That she continues afterward is not triumphalist; it is simply necessity, layered with grief.

What stayed with me most is how Annie faced death itself. She does not chase immortality or legacy. Instead, she chooses motion over despair, connection over bitterness, and dignity over fear. Elizabeth Letts tells this story with compassion and restraint, allowing Annie’s choices to speak for themselves.

This is a story about facing the end of life without turning away from it, and about how courage sometimes looks like putting one foot, or one hoof, in front of the other.

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About the Author
a.d. elliott is a wanderer, photographer, and storyteller traveling through life

She shares her journeys at Take the Back Roads, explores new reads at Rite of Fancy, and highlights U.S. military biographies at Everyday Patriot.

You can also browse her online photography gallery at shop.takethebackroads.com.

✨ #TakeTheBackRoads

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