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Unbroken
Ranching is a life of extremes, perhaps even more so on the high plains near Laramie, Wyoming. And no one knows that better than Gwen Swan, who married both her husband Will and his family ranch where she works hard beside the men and struggles to raise her two children.
Meg Braeburn, who has broken away from her family's ranch, expects unrelenting hard work when she takes a job on the place neighboring the Swans'. She and her son face an uncertain future, but she is determined to leave the past behind and make a good life for them. Gwen, who
understands the corrosive effects of isolation better than Meg, includes Meg in her family and community and wins Meg's gratitude and support.
But there is little time for reflection on anyone’s part as the wheel of the seasons grinds relentlessly onward bringing disasters and triumphs and a rough road for all concerned. The prodigal Swan son returns and relationships shift, old resentments resurface and friendships are strained and tested as everyone finds themselves struggling against the elements and each other to continue their way of life.
In this remarkable novel the author presents us with fully formed characters that ring as clear and true as the picture of ranch life she paints as a background for the universal struggles we all confront.
Meg Braeburn, who has broken away from her family's ranch, expects unrelenting hard work when she takes a job on the place neighboring the Swans'. She and her son face an uncertain future, but she is determined to leave the past behind and make a good life for them. Gwen, who
understands the corrosive effects of isolation better than Meg, includes Meg in her family and community and wins Meg's gratitude and support.
But there is little time for reflection on anyone’s part as the wheel of the seasons grinds relentlessly onward bringing disasters and triumphs and a rough road for all concerned. The prodigal Swan son returns and relationships shift, old resentments resurface and friendships are strained and tested as everyone finds themselves struggling against the elements and each other to continue their way of life.
In this remarkable novel the author presents us with fully formed characters that ring as clear and true as the picture of ranch life she paints as a background for the universal struggles we all confront.
Paperback
First published January 5, 2010
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About the author
Jamie Lisa Forbes
5 books55 followersJamie Lisa Forbes was raised on a ranch on the Little Laramie River thirty miles west of Laramie, Wyoming. Like many Wyoming children of her generation, she attended a one-room schoolhouse during her early school years.
She received a degree in Philosophy and English from the University of Colorado in 1977. She spent the next year and a half of her life in Israel, where she met her husband.
In January 1979, Ms. Forbes and her husband returned to the Little Laramie Valley where, for fifteen years, they ran the family ranch and raised two children.
The Forbes family ranch was sold in 1993 and Ms. Forbes then moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. She began writing her first novel, Unbroken, while in law school.
In 2011, Unbroken won the WILLA Literary Award for best outstanding fiction about women in the West.
Her short story collection, The Widow Smalls and Other Stories, published by Pronghorn Press in 2014, won the 2015 High Plains Book Awards, short story category.
Her second novel, Eden, was published in 2020. Her third novel, Sunny Gale, A Novel was published by Pronghorn Press in 2024.
She received a degree in Philosophy and English from the University of Colorado in 1977. She spent the next year and a half of her life in Israel, where she met her husband.
In January 1979, Ms. Forbes and her husband returned to the Little Laramie Valley where, for fifteen years, they ran the family ranch and raised two children.
The Forbes family ranch was sold in 1993 and Ms. Forbes then moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. She began writing her first novel, Unbroken, while in law school.
In 2011, Unbroken won the WILLA Literary Award for best outstanding fiction about women in the West.
Her short story collection, The Widow Smalls and Other Stories, published by Pronghorn Press in 2014, won the 2015 High Plains Book Awards, short story category.
Her second novel, Eden, was published in 2020. Her third novel, Sunny Gale, A Novel was published by Pronghorn Press in 2024.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
April 10, 2012
Harsh ranching life is the centerpiece for "Unbroken," a portrait of the daily struggles on the high plains of Wyoming. We first meet Gwen Swan, and from her perspective, see the back-breaking work of minding the home, the children, and helping on the ranch. Day in and day out, her world, along with that of her husband, Will, and father-in-law, John, revolves around the seasons and the tasks that must be completed.
I love this excerpt, which illustrates some of the struggle:
“As she washed the lunch dishes, it began. A rattling in the highest branches of the cottonwoods. A hissing in the tall grass along the riverbank. And in seconds, the wind was in full roar, shaking the trees with a fury. Gusts smacked the house in waves. From somewhere—where did that sound come from?—came the high whistling shriek.
“Gwen dried her hands and went to the living room window. Out in the meadow where they’d fed cows that morning, the wind wasn’t driving much snow. Just the dry loose powder across the top. No more drifting snow—until the next storm.
“But that sound. It could go on forever.”
Nearby on a neighboring ranch, alcoholic rancher Mather has hired a young single mom, Meg Braeburn. Years before, she fled her family home to be with her boyfriend, whom she married. But when the marriage fractures, she and her young son Jim must start over. She believes that ranching is in her blood, and despite the grueling workload, she seems to thrive on it.
We alternately see the brutality, the isolation, and the invigorating achievements of this life through the viewpoints of Gwen, Will, John, Meg, and each of the children. We also see how the connections between neighboring ranchers in these circumstances are vital for their survival.
When something happens to sever the fragile connections, everything changes. But the struggles continue, the well-drawn characters’ lives are tested again and again, and when tragedy strikes once more, the universal challenges that face all humans and help to forge the common bonds between them finally bring them full circle.
Throughout this beautifully written story, I pictured the scenes, the characters, and visualized it all as if I walked among them. Five stars.
I love this excerpt, which illustrates some of the struggle:
“As she washed the lunch dishes, it began. A rattling in the highest branches of the cottonwoods. A hissing in the tall grass along the riverbank. And in seconds, the wind was in full roar, shaking the trees with a fury. Gusts smacked the house in waves. From somewhere—where did that sound come from?—came the high whistling shriek.
“Gwen dried her hands and went to the living room window. Out in the meadow where they’d fed cows that morning, the wind wasn’t driving much snow. Just the dry loose powder across the top. No more drifting snow—until the next storm.
“But that sound. It could go on forever.”
Nearby on a neighboring ranch, alcoholic rancher Mather has hired a young single mom, Meg Braeburn. Years before, she fled her family home to be with her boyfriend, whom she married. But when the marriage fractures, she and her young son Jim must start over. She believes that ranching is in her blood, and despite the grueling workload, she seems to thrive on it.
We alternately see the brutality, the isolation, and the invigorating achievements of this life through the viewpoints of Gwen, Will, John, Meg, and each of the children. We also see how the connections between neighboring ranchers in these circumstances are vital for their survival.
When something happens to sever the fragile connections, everything changes. But the struggles continue, the well-drawn characters’ lives are tested again and again, and when tragedy strikes once more, the universal challenges that face all humans and help to forge the common bonds between them finally bring them full circle.
Throughout this beautifully written story, I pictured the scenes, the characters, and visualized it all as if I walked among them. Five stars.
September 13, 2025
Unbroken is author Jamie Lisa Forbes debut novel portraying ranch life in Wyoming and all the hardships families go through. The harsh Wyoming winter serves as the perfect backdrop for this story about farm life, family, friendship and heartache.
"The worst thing that can happen to you, Meg Braeburn, is to watch your dreams come true and then reckon with how shallow they were all along."
p.77, Unbroken
Heartache and pain play a role in the plot, but so do hope and strength. Author Jamie Lisa Forbes also does a fantastic job at describing life on the ranch. Everything from the births of calves to managing the livestock and living off the land was brought to life here.
"The worst thing that can happen to you, Meg Braeburn, is to watch your dreams come true and then reckon with how shallow they were all along."
p.77, Unbroken
Heartache and pain play a role in the plot, but so do hope and strength. Author Jamie Lisa Forbes also does a fantastic job at describing life on the ranch. Everything from the births of calves to managing the livestock and living off the land was brought to life here.
March 6, 2012
For a true to life depiction of a working ranch in Wyoming, this is the book to read. The people are as complex as the landscape...smooth and unchanging on the surface, but with conflicts that run deep.
August 14, 2014
what a tremendous story. I can honestly say Louie is one of the most amazing individuals and stories of growth I have ever read.
March 13, 2023
Many holes in the plot
Read this on kindle. There are many places where a transition is needed. Jumping from scene to scene without any indication is distracting. The plot is not plausible, and most scenes take place in a blinding snowstorm to the point where you wonder if the sun ever shines there.
Read this on kindle. There are many places where a transition is needed. Jumping from scene to scene without any indication is distracting. The plot is not plausible, and most scenes take place in a blinding snowstorm to the point where you wonder if the sun ever shines there.
May 12, 2017
read this book years ago but saw it on a list and wanted to rate it. A very difficult read but if he could live through that, I can read it. Heartbreaking and uplifting. Wonderful book. We should not forget!
April 11, 2012
I don't read many books about life in the west, but the books I do read appeal to me. Something about learning about this tough way of life just brings me right into the book and into the plot. The women are tough, they have to be, it's the only way they can survive, at least from what I can gather. Unbroken is one of those books. It spans the period of several years, a lot of heartache and learning and some really tough women who still need someone to lean on when the going gets tough. It's a family saga of sorts, it's women's fiction of sorts, it's about ranching and it's about so much more. I don't even think I can capture in this review the essence of this book, but it captured my heart and mind for the better part of a day. I thought it was well worth my time and I was wishing it didn't have to end.
The main characters of Unbroken are Gwen and Meg. Both tough ranching women and both very different. Meg is skittish, she's been hurt. She's recently divorced, and she's raising her son on her own while making a go of a lifestyle that few women choose to do on their own. Gwen is married with two kids and a father-in-law and she's at a point that she's feeling a little resentful of ranch life and the toll it takes on her, her children and her marriage. Her friendship with Meg is a little forced at the beginning but over time the women become good friends. I liked getting to know both Gwen and Meg through the elements of ranching and parenting. It framed them and made them easy and interesting to get to know. I also liked seeing how they grew and changed around each other. How Meg admired Gwen and how Gwen admired Meg. Both thought the other was strong. It's always greener on the other side. How very true in life.
As far as the plot goes, Ms. Forbes doesn't waste time, the story speeds along through time, the cattle give birth, winter comes and goes, various people die (I will admit to crying from time-to-time) and the big plot events happen. And just when you think you have the story figured out, it takes a new turn and you learn to admire the characters even more. This isn't a laugh a minute story. It's tough, it's real, but that's what I liked about it. No punches are pulled, but I liked the resilience of the characters and how they don't give up even when it would have been easier. To me that was the great take-away value of the book, don't give up.
Unbroken was a very satisfying read for me. I had an afternoon of peace with my husband and children gone and I was still recovering from being sick and I just relished reading this book. I found myself putting off eating so I could read "just one more chapter" because I was so involved in the lives of the characters. Ms. Forbes has a way of drawing you into the lives of the characters and making you feel like you are there living and working beside them, being friends with them. It's wonderful and when the book is over you feel sad, because you want more of the story even though the story has come to it's conclusion. But you want more because you don't want to leave the characters. To me that is the mark of a good book, when the characters and the storyline stay with me after finishing. When I'm still thinking about something they said or did or wondering about a point the author was making or even applying something to my life. Unbroken has something for everyone. Descriptions of ranching life, romance, friendship, parenting, tough decisions and so much more. There is never a lull in the plot and I found it to be an amazing read.
The main characters of Unbroken are Gwen and Meg. Both tough ranching women and both very different. Meg is skittish, she's been hurt. She's recently divorced, and she's raising her son on her own while making a go of a lifestyle that few women choose to do on their own. Gwen is married with two kids and a father-in-law and she's at a point that she's feeling a little resentful of ranch life and the toll it takes on her, her children and her marriage. Her friendship with Meg is a little forced at the beginning but over time the women become good friends. I liked getting to know both Gwen and Meg through the elements of ranching and parenting. It framed them and made them easy and interesting to get to know. I also liked seeing how they grew and changed around each other. How Meg admired Gwen and how Gwen admired Meg. Both thought the other was strong. It's always greener on the other side. How very true in life.
As far as the plot goes, Ms. Forbes doesn't waste time, the story speeds along through time, the cattle give birth, winter comes and goes, various people die (I will admit to crying from time-to-time) and the big plot events happen. And just when you think you have the story figured out, it takes a new turn and you learn to admire the characters even more. This isn't a laugh a minute story. It's tough, it's real, but that's what I liked about it. No punches are pulled, but I liked the resilience of the characters and how they don't give up even when it would have been easier. To me that was the great take-away value of the book, don't give up.
Unbroken was a very satisfying read for me. I had an afternoon of peace with my husband and children gone and I was still recovering from being sick and I just relished reading this book. I found myself putting off eating so I could read "just one more chapter" because I was so involved in the lives of the characters. Ms. Forbes has a way of drawing you into the lives of the characters and making you feel like you are there living and working beside them, being friends with them. It's wonderful and when the book is over you feel sad, because you want more of the story even though the story has come to it's conclusion. But you want more because you don't want to leave the characters. To me that is the mark of a good book, when the characters and the storyline stay with me after finishing. When I'm still thinking about something they said or did or wondering about a point the author was making or even applying something to my life. Unbroken has something for everyone. Descriptions of ranching life, romance, friendship, parenting, tough decisions and so much more. There is never a lull in the plot and I found it to be an amazing read.
April 2, 2012
I'm a sucker for family dramas. Unbroken by Jamie Lisa Forbes roped me in right away with her tale of ranch life in Wyoming.
Every day is the same for Gwen Swan. She's lost in a sea of cooking, cleaning, children and ranch life. Her daughter McKenna is a parent's dream compared to her rowdy son Rory. Her son Rory is always in trouble. She tries everything she can to get Rory on the right path. No matter how many times she preaches the value of good grades and manners, Rory still gets in trouble. Her husband Will doesn't think anything is wrong. In Will's mind, he will grow out of his bad behavior. Making him work the fields and raising cows will should straighten him out.
Gwen's father-in-law John is often the voice of reason. She sees John as a thorn in her side. She sees his words of wisdom as an attempt to usurp her parental authority. Sometimes the kids would rather be around their grandfather than Gwen. John just has a different approach. Having raised two boys, John can relate to Rory in a way that Gwen can't. Marriage to Will has hit a lull. Will is more wrapped up with the problems in his own head than his marriage. Following John's death, Will had the perfect opportunity to reconcile with his estranged brother Nick. But rather than embrace his brother, Will was more concerned with retaining ownership of the ranch. What about Gwen in all of this? She lets the family problems overtake her own happiness.
A friendship with Meg Braeburn, a fellow rancher and neighbor, offers Gwen a break from her routine. Like Gwen, Meg just seems to be going through the motions. She let love guide her life, but it only led to heartache. Meg's son Jim was the only bright spot of her failed marriage. Estranged from her parents, Meg tries her best to provide a normal life for Jim. Working as a ranch hand in town after town, Meg might have finally found a place to plant roots. Meg and Jim begin to feel like they are part of the Swan family. Before his death, John even took Meg under his wing, teaching her that's it's Ok to let her guard down. Meg is determined to prove that she is tough. She wants to prove she can hold her own in a male dominated profession. Often she is too stubborn to take help, but the Swans show Meg that she can.
Despite having more than most people, Meg and Gwen seem very lonely. Gwen has a husband to share her worries with, but Will is so self-absorbed it's hard for him to see what's wrong. Meg wants to have a loving relationship, but often thinks she is unworthy of it. Her marriage failed, and in Meg's mind she doesn't deserve a second chance. A betrayal of trust destroys Meg and Gwen's friendship, leaving both women back where they started. Can they trust another person again if it's just going to lead to heartache?
By the end of this book I was a little misty. The author went in a direction I wasn't expecting. You have to read it to get what I'm talking about. As a little side note, I have to say that this book gave me a great appreciation for ranch life. I personally don't eat beef, but I respect the amount of work it takes to raise and breed cattle. The book is a very emotional and powerful look into a way of life that few of us know about.
Rating: O.M.G. !!!
Note: I received a copy of the book as part of a blog tour with Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
Every day is the same for Gwen Swan. She's lost in a sea of cooking, cleaning, children and ranch life. Her daughter McKenna is a parent's dream compared to her rowdy son Rory. Her son Rory is always in trouble. She tries everything she can to get Rory on the right path. No matter how many times she preaches the value of good grades and manners, Rory still gets in trouble. Her husband Will doesn't think anything is wrong. In Will's mind, he will grow out of his bad behavior. Making him work the fields and raising cows will should straighten him out.
Gwen's father-in-law John is often the voice of reason. She sees John as a thorn in her side. She sees his words of wisdom as an attempt to usurp her parental authority. Sometimes the kids would rather be around their grandfather than Gwen. John just has a different approach. Having raised two boys, John can relate to Rory in a way that Gwen can't. Marriage to Will has hit a lull. Will is more wrapped up with the problems in his own head than his marriage. Following John's death, Will had the perfect opportunity to reconcile with his estranged brother Nick. But rather than embrace his brother, Will was more concerned with retaining ownership of the ranch. What about Gwen in all of this? She lets the family problems overtake her own happiness.
A friendship with Meg Braeburn, a fellow rancher and neighbor, offers Gwen a break from her routine. Like Gwen, Meg just seems to be going through the motions. She let love guide her life, but it only led to heartache. Meg's son Jim was the only bright spot of her failed marriage. Estranged from her parents, Meg tries her best to provide a normal life for Jim. Working as a ranch hand in town after town, Meg might have finally found a place to plant roots. Meg and Jim begin to feel like they are part of the Swan family. Before his death, John even took Meg under his wing, teaching her that's it's Ok to let her guard down. Meg is determined to prove that she is tough. She wants to prove she can hold her own in a male dominated profession. Often she is too stubborn to take help, but the Swans show Meg that she can.
Despite having more than most people, Meg and Gwen seem very lonely. Gwen has a husband to share her worries with, but Will is so self-absorbed it's hard for him to see what's wrong. Meg wants to have a loving relationship, but often thinks she is unworthy of it. Her marriage failed, and in Meg's mind she doesn't deserve a second chance. A betrayal of trust destroys Meg and Gwen's friendship, leaving both women back where they started. Can they trust another person again if it's just going to lead to heartache?
By the end of this book I was a little misty. The author went in a direction I wasn't expecting. You have to read it to get what I'm talking about. As a little side note, I have to say that this book gave me a great appreciation for ranch life. I personally don't eat beef, but I respect the amount of work it takes to raise and breed cattle. The book is a very emotional and powerful look into a way of life that few of us know about.
Rating: O.M.G. !!!
Note: I received a copy of the book as part of a blog tour with Premier Virtual Author Book Tours
May 19, 2020
Jamie Lisa Forbes' exquisitely written debut work, "Unbroken", has a permanent place in my heart. The author's own early years on a Wyoming ranch add an insider's observations which enrich the story line and bring vivid, fully-fleshed life to the characters. Ranchers exist on two levels. One is the regulated life, controlled by government strictures and standards and by the fluctuations of the costs of owning and operating a working ranch. Then there is the blood and bone life, which is unending hard work meshed with human wants and needs and the heavy hand of the forces of nature. Family members are dependent upon each other for all things, and neighbors must negotiate with care issues of land and livestock. Women not only bear children, cook and keep house, but they work side by side with their men. They also endure endless seasons of punishing weather made even more bleak by an isolated existence. When Gwen Swan married her husband Will, she became caregiver to her husband and children, her widowed father-in-law, and the land and livestock which provides their means of living. Outwardly somewhat faded and frazzled, Gwen still retains some of the pride of the glory of her former rodeo queen days. She wants more than the daily drudge of her routine. Meg Braeburn is a capable ranch hand, raising a son on her own while her ex-husband spends his days in prison. When Meg left home to elope with the love of her young life, she left her family behind. Her failed marriage ended her romantic dreams, but she is a good and loving mother to her young son, Jim. She finds work on the ranch next to the one owned by the Swans. Her boss is a drinker and a skinflint, but Meg needs work and a place to live, so she takes on the job of running his cattle. As time goes by, Meg and the Swans become friends and work to help each other as needed. Gwen is grateful for female company, and Meg appreciates the family's interest in her own son. Will's father John is a boisterous man whose bullying tendencies are equaled by a tough tenderness. Will and his brother Nick have always had a competitive relationship, and Nick left the family ranch as young man and branched out on his own. As the years pass, relationships change and hearts seek out comfort where comfort may be found. Lives are forever altered and what was once taken for granted now becomes uncertain. The author's subtle storytelling places us right into the lives of these characters, sharing with them their tragedies and triumphs. In an intimate, involving manner we follow them through with their starts, stops, and restarts, and we want so much for them to find peaceful resolution. "Unbroken" is unforgettable.
Book Copy Gratis Author
Book Copy Gratis Author
January 13, 2012
I loved the realistic glimpse into life on a ranch, my father grew up on one and this book rings true to his shared experiences. The writing was not fantastic; it felt awkard at times. The telling though, kept me interested.
I despise stories that have you, the reader, rooting for the protagonists to be unfaithful to their spouse. This book didn't put the infidelity in any kind of light other that what it was and so often is, an act of loneliness, selfishness, without thought to who would be harmed by the act. It was real, messy, painful, and wrong.
Often I drive by a well kept farm or ranch and admire the beauty and the life, but I know and this book affirms that the chosen life of agriculture is, for most, one of exceptionally hard work, long days, and few monetary rewards, and those farms I admire as I drive down the highway-take a lot of work and money to be so clean and well cared for. I just had not idea how much it takes, this book illustrates it well.
While the characters are not well fleshed, they were efficiently fleshed. I knew the resentment of the daughter in law, the gaps in memory of his children growing up -of the grandfather, the exhaustion of the son, the frustration with "what do I do with this child", the jealously of the brother, and the regret of the impetuous choice of a young woman.
A book worth reading, informative, real, and without an ending with a pretty pink bow (which I generally prefer) but a bow with many facets of pain and color.
Mild language, no violence, some sex-not graphic.
I despise stories that have you, the reader, rooting for the protagonists to be unfaithful to their spouse. This book didn't put the infidelity in any kind of light other that what it was and so often is, an act of loneliness, selfishness, without thought to who would be harmed by the act. It was real, messy, painful, and wrong.
Often I drive by a well kept farm or ranch and admire the beauty and the life, but I know and this book affirms that the chosen life of agriculture is, for most, one of exceptionally hard work, long days, and few monetary rewards, and those farms I admire as I drive down the highway-take a lot of work and money to be so clean and well cared for. I just had not idea how much it takes, this book illustrates it well.
While the characters are not well fleshed, they were efficiently fleshed. I knew the resentment of the daughter in law, the gaps in memory of his children growing up -of the grandfather, the exhaustion of the son, the frustration with "what do I do with this child", the jealously of the brother, and the regret of the impetuous choice of a young woman.
A book worth reading, informative, real, and without an ending with a pretty pink bow (which I generally prefer) but a bow with many facets of pain and color.
Mild language, no violence, some sex-not graphic.
December 29, 2011
I was roped into the story by the lyrical poetic style of the author from page one.
To my surprise--I never thought I would be interested in reading about ranching life and wrangling cows--I couldn't put the book down until I'd read the last page.
The setting, Wyoming, is, obviously, a place with which the author is as intimate with as she is with her own arms and legs;a harsh and unforgiving place with the droughts of summer and the blizzards and ice storms of winter. Her poetic and moving descriptions of the changes of the landscape and the characters reflect both her love of and frustration with this unbreakable country.
The stoic characters have little time to think about anything other than getting the grinding and unending work of raising cattle done; however, Forbes is able through a simple gesture or brief dialogue to grow the characters true to the seeds of their becoming.
I recommend this very well-written novel to everyone. It left me with a sense of enrichment, of knowing and feeling more than before the reading. Truly one of the best books I've ever read.
To my surprise--I never thought I would be interested in reading about ranching life and wrangling cows--I couldn't put the book down until I'd read the last page.
The setting, Wyoming, is, obviously, a place with which the author is as intimate with as she is with her own arms and legs;a harsh and unforgiving place with the droughts of summer and the blizzards and ice storms of winter. Her poetic and moving descriptions of the changes of the landscape and the characters reflect both her love of and frustration with this unbreakable country.
The stoic characters have little time to think about anything other than getting the grinding and unending work of raising cattle done; however, Forbes is able through a simple gesture or brief dialogue to grow the characters true to the seeds of their becoming.
I recommend this very well-written novel to everyone. It left me with a sense of enrichment, of knowing and feeling more than before the reading. Truly one of the best books I've ever read.
May 30, 2012
Not sure what all the hoopla is about this book . . . it was interesting to glimpse ranching life and the messiness of life. The reader can feel the need for relationships, meaningful work, family, and forgiveness, not just in ranching life, but in any life. Still, it left me disappointed with the choices we often make in life and the challenges life in general gives us--wish we did better in dealing with things as humans in general. However, it did portray how very human we are.
November 22, 2012
I don't understand what all the 5 stars are for. I did not enjoy this book. I finished it out of obligation. I hated the characters. The ending made me angry. Waste of my time
November 8, 2013
Good story, interesting twists. I'll read this author again.
March 15, 2012
I must be finished with cows.
April 3, 2017
Unbroken by Jamie Lisa Forbes is a realistic portrayal of a life in ranching in the harsh world of the high plains of Wyoming. This book tells the story of Gwen Swan who is married to Will and their day to day life of hard work and complicated family relationships. Infidelity is part of this story and is well presented, not as a glamorous thing, but as a highly destructive act that is ultimately selfish. While Forbes has constructed characters that are well thought out, they are not completely fleshed out, but in this book that is okay. It works on a basic level; the writing seems to match the hard atmosphere, and maybe that was intentional or just the author's style. Unbroken is a book that takes on a hard way of life, examines it for what it is, and lets the reader into the private lives of the characters. Highly recommend for an unflinchingly real look at difficult living and working conditions, and the people that continue to endure.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews