The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America

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Knowing she was about to lose her family farm and with nowhere to turn for help, Annie Wilkins places an ad in the paper for a sturdy horse. After seeing a few, she knew she’d met the perfect match in an older Morgan she named Tarzan. Along with her spunky dog Depeche Toi, Annie hit the road.

The tale is also nostalgic. Most chapters touch on the cultural history of mid-20th-century America and the postwar prosperity that transformed the U.S. You will read about; the hurrying to build interstate highways for the seven-million-dollar cars that were being produced, the brand new supermarkets that took over the General Stores, the brand new McDonalds restaurants, which forever changed how families eat when they travel. In addition, all of America fell in love with, “I Love Lucy” because owning a TV became the norm. Most importantly there is an emphasis on Americans helping strangers. Not sure if we could say that today. Annie did that too. She was living in extreme poverty which continued throughout her cross-country journey. It was surprising how she survived largely because of the kindness of strangers who took joy in the opportunity to help her, stable her horse and provide her food and sleeping accommodations. That was what America was like in the 1950's before TV taught us to distrust everybody after watching dozens of frightening crime shows. I was concerned about her pets, because she decided to make this cross country trek, seemingly without much forethought, and they had no choice but to follow her to follow her. However, I was impressed with the care she took of her animals. In August 1955, she reached Cheyenne, Wyoming, where she witnessed the annual Frontier Days, a renowned rodeo event. Wilkins’ travel wasn’t done as a form of protest or even a money-making grab, but simply because she wanted to and didn’t have many choices left to her after the loss of her land. It’s true that the trip did give her a degree of fame and that while she left with little money, she was helped along the way by strangers, some of whom have their own fascinating stories.

The media catches wind of her story and there are frequent parades and speeches in many small towns along the way. This one was meticulously researched, and I definitely enjoyed learning more about down-to-earth Annie Wilkins. Along the way, she made friends who offered her a place to lay her head at night, a place to sit and share a meal with someone, as well as water for Depeche Toi and Tarzan. She carried their kindness, as well as their stories, with her as she continued her journey, adding more stories of more people, their wisdom, their insights into places along the way, and even friends she should stop and stay with in her travels. As her journey came to the attention of a journalist, her journey became one that fascinated everyone. People would run out to greet her, cities would offer her a place to stay, she became a celebrity of sorts, and met a few people of note along her journey. She met a man named Andy and his wife Betsy in a tavern on her journey who asked if she was the woman riding her horse from Maine, and invited her to join them for dinner. The next morning when she went to get her horse, she found this man sketching Tarzan, Depeche Toi happily beside him. Later, she would find out just who he was, but in her rush, just looking to get on the road, it never occurred to her that this sketch could hold value for anyone but her. Trusting to her own toughness and will, she was convinced she would be fine as she was sure there was still a spirit of friendliness and empathy from the American people. Indeed, in so many cases her belief turned out to be true, as Annie was met with so many accolades and stayed and was cared for in so many homes across the roads she traveled, becoming a celebrity. Throughout her voyage, Annie, accompanied by Tarzan, Rex, and Depeche-Toi, braved challenges such as crossing snowy mountains, avoiding poisonous snakes, and surviving flash floods while traversing Idaho. All this to say, great book, true story, precious animals, a brave and positive-thinking old woman, and the country that I call home.

This is such a beautifully written and heartwarming true story of a spunky lady who, against all odds, rode a horse across America. Starting in Maine, her only wish was to see the Pacific Ocean, a wish she’d heard her mother make, but was sadly never able to attempt. Following her memorable journey to California, Annie Wilkins returned to her beloved home state of Maine. While she did visit her hometown of Minot, her permanent residence found a new place in Lincoln County town of Whitefield, Maine, where she resided with her dear friend, Mina Titus Sawyer. If you like nearly lost causes, horses, American travel, American trivia, history, and adventure, you must read this book. Although I will say that it drags in some places and it does not have a happy ending for all concerned, but it is still well worth your time. Annie Wilkins kept a diary of all her experiences on this trip, and in the mid-1960s, she teamed up with journalist Mina Titus Sawyer to write a book about her adventures. It was published in 1967 as “ The Last of the Saddle Tramps“ The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America – Elizabeth Letts

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She travels on a horse with a dog, and at some point she catches an attention of reporters and people start following her story. In Pennsylvania, Wilkins was put up by a kindly innkeeper in the town of Chadds Ford in the Brandywine River area. A famous resident of both Chadds Ford and of Maine, Andrew Wyeth, came by to meet the eccentric older woman and her horse and they got drunk together, according to the Chadds Ford Historical Society.

Well, great start to the story - and great idea, for Annie. She had no husband, children, or other living family members. All alone in the world she decided it was time to live her final dream despite all the nay-sayers and discouragers who try to keep people from living. She was a strong woman and she became stronger along the way. Annie Wilkins, a sixty-three-year-old Maine farmer, embarked on a challenging journey in 1954. Despite facing multiple hardships, including failed marriages, the recent loss of her brother and father, financial difficulties, and the loss of her farm, Annie had a dream to visit the Pacific Ocean before her life expectancy of two years, as confirmed by her doctor due to a recent recovery from pneumonia. Her desire to fulfill her late mother’s wish to see the Pacific Ocean also motivated her. She acquires a second horse to help carry the load and the quartet has quite a few adventures along the way – mountains to cross, flash flooding, road debris, and poison. I worried at several points if she and the horses would make it to California. She’s dressed in men’s clothing as it was unusual for a woman to travel alone in those days. She frequently was welcomed to spend the night at the local jail as was the custom at the time for the homeless and travelers. Annie Wilkins is a strong female character. In the 20th century, she doesn’t fit the norm. She is divorced twice and doesn’t attend church. She is not devout or docile. She is funny and bold. At the age of sixty-three, she decides to leave Maine and travel across the country to California without any modern day conveniences. Annie met some famous people and became famous herself, once her story was published as a human interest in local newspapers. She got numerous job offers and even an offer of marriage.As news of Annie’s remarkable journey spread across the United States, she often received police protection while traveling to different cities. Journalists sought her out for interviews in parking lots. Along the way, Annie found the best in people most of the time. She realized well into her journey that she wasn’t traveling alone, there were many people closely following her travels with hopes of her success. With her little dog, Depeche Toi and her horse Tarzan, they set off West with no map. Annie figured people along the journey would help them find their way west. The trio were able to spend the night in barns and homes of strangers, who often fed them and recommended other places to stay on their journey ahead.