"Tails" of a Suburban Cowgirl, Adventures on the Road to Horsetown, USA by author Debra Speakes is the true story of a little girl, and later a woman, who dreams of a life with horses and so much more. The equestrian experiences set the stage for an inside look at the life this cowgirl lived and the sacrifices she made to fulfill her dreams to have horses.

I laughed and I cried as her experiences, so eloquently described, unfolding on the pages I couldn't turn fast enough. Warning! Once you start you won't want to put it down. It's as if every experience you can have with a horse is detailed and all of the humorous and touching moments come to life.

This book is a must read for every little girl wanting a horse of her own. Let her know what the experience is like before making the commitment. Can she love the horse enough to be there everyday to care for him. This cowgirl made plenty of sacrifices to have her horses, and continues to this day. But I'm sure her book will express the rewards as well.

LeeAnn Sharpe
Editor
Reviewed in "Mounted Shooters World News" www.mountedshootersworld.com

If "good things come in small packages," I think it's safe to claim that "good tales come in slim volumes" - at least, that's the case of the slim volume "Tails" of a Suburban Cowgirl, Adventures on the Road to Horsetown, USA.
Author Debra Speakes writes about her life with horses - "the true story of a little girl who dreams of a life with horses but must overcome the handicap of living in the suburbs with a non-horsey family."
Her tales reflect a myriad of equestrian experiences shared by you, me, and other friends: From children falling in love with horses depicted on television shows, to the kinds of adventures only horse-crazy and woefully ignorant adolescents and teenagers survive, to the mad, mad, mad world of adults trying to balance work, relationships, and finances with their love of horses.
Among these tales lie other experiences that are all too familiar: The increasing difficulty of horsekeeping in an increasingly urban world; the enormous gap in understanding between horsey and non-horsey friends and family; the trade-offs that are made between what our horses may need and what we want for ourselves.
I found myself laughing over episodes that could have been in my own autobiography, or those of my friends. And I was reminded, once again, of how strong the bond of common experience bridges the gap between author and reader. Great books do come in slim volumes!

Excerpt of review by Nan Meek, reprinted with permission from California Riding Magazine, June 2005 http://www.ridingmagazine.com/