Broken Rib Ranch

by Timothy Parsel

How does an ordinary guy who enjoys the conveniences of in-town living and the solitude of fishing on quiet Northern Michigan lakes, find himself building miles of fencing and improvising creative ways to haul water to dozens of horses in the midst of a blizzard—only to keep his wife happy? Timothy Parsel expected to live an ordinary existence of driving truck long-haul and coming home to Diana, his beautiful blue-eyed bride...instead, his life quickly transcended into an escalating chain of undesirable events that revolved around Diana's lifelong dream of horse ownership. Readers are crying and laughing with Parsel as he trades in his fishing pole for a pitchfork and posthole digger. Discover how "Broken Rib Ranch" broke several horses—but not the author.

229 pages, Paperback

First published January 3, 2014

Reviews

[Roxann · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the cover: How does an ordinary guy who enjoys the conveniences of in-town living and the solitude of fishing on quiet Northern Michigan lakes, find himself building miles of fencing and improvising creative ways to haul water to dozens of horses in the midst of a blizzard—only to keep his wife happy? Timothy Parsel expected to live an ordinary existence of driving truck long-haul and coming home to Diana, his beautiful blue-eyed bride...instead, his life quickly transcended into an escalating chain of undesirable events that revolved around Diana's lifelong dream of horse ownership. Readers are crying and laughing with Parsel as he trades in his fishing pole for a pitchfork and posthole digger.

I never owned a horse, but I always liked them. This book was a fast read for me. I found myself enjoying the stories the author shared about owning horses and all the problems that come with them. It was funny in places. I also enjoyed/liked the photos that were included in the book.

I received the book for free through Goodreads Giveaways.

[Rachel Sanders · Rating 5 out of 5]

I won this book off a give-away and was expecting to enjoy it. I would not label myself as a horse person per se but growing up many of my friends had horses and I spent a bit of my time around them so I can definitely relate to some of the mishaps described. This book surpassed the expectations I had of simply enjoying it. It was one of those books that I actively looked forward to reading once I got home. The writing was amazing, it was honest, easy to relate to (even if you are not a horse person) and the humour was subtle but appealed greatly to me. The story is of a husband who was slowly but surely dragged into the fantasy his wife has of owning a horse farm (and as many horses as she can possibly possess). If nothing else this book demonstrates the devotion a husband has to his wife and the lengths he will go to (at times not so willingly) to make her happy even though it is not what he envisioned his future to be. Great book! would highly recommend :) I'm looking forward to reading more work from Timothy Parsel.

[Armelle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book for free as a Goodreads First reads giveaway.

This is the memoir of a man who finds the woman of his dreams, marries her, and realizes that instead of dreaming about him, she dreams of owning horses. Lots and lots of horses - and Tim spends his married life a slave to her horsey dreams.

I wish I could say I loved this book, but I didn't. It's supposed to be a comical collection of memories, but the stories are only funny in the "boy I'm glad that's not me" kind of way. Tim spends an awful lot of the book describing his anger.

I realize he chose the "worst" stories of their long marriage, but I soon realized I was craving at least ONE memory that would make it sound like it was all worth it.

[Lace · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best memoirs I have ever read! This book is funny, at times charming, and down-right honest. I couldn't stop reading about the crazy endeavors with their sassy horses.
One of my favorite aspects of the book is that there are pictures of the horses and farm scattered about the book. It bugs me when books that have photographs are just stuck in the middle and you have to flip forward to see them.
I would recommend the book to anyone, especially married couples.

*I won this book via the goodreads first reads giveaway program.

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won the book Broken Rib Ranch. I am a horse lover, but have never owned a horse. I live on a farm, but realized I would not know how to properly care for a horse or properly train a horse and one horse would not be enough. After reading Timothy Parsel's memoir, I realize I made the right decision. Not all abandoned and abused horses are saved, but thanks to some great people, many horses can find better lives.
Today many people want to get back to the countryside, have a small farm with horses and other farm animals. Read Timothy Parsel's memoir first.

[Mary Dailey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how I love memoirs and this one has it all! It's hilarious, well-written, and I LOVED the photos in the book. It also opened my eyes that there are so many rescue horses in this country. I've seen the occasional news coverage about the problem. You will thoroughly enjoy this book, even if you've never even ridden a horse. Well done, Tim Parsel, and I hope you continue to write. I won this book in the Goodreads giveaway!

[Roseanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a book that I received for free through Goodreads First Reads. I am still working my way through this book but it is very well written. This is a collection of stories that I feel almost every horse person has experienced in some way through their life.

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book about a man's experience with horses mostly acquired by his wife. Bonus for me - set in Michigan and lots of locations were known to me. Sometimes laugh outloud funny. I hope he writes a sequel.

[Liralen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Parsel was never a horse guy, or even a farm guy. If he had his druthers, he'd spend his free time out on a boat or tinkering with old cars. But Parsel's wife wasn't going to be happy until she could satisfy her dream of keeping horses -- and if she wasn't happy, he wouldn't be either.

Parsel casts himself mostly as the beleaguered husband in his memoir, game enough but always trying to keep up. Over time, though, he develops competence with and even affection for the horses. (I'm only sorry that he and his wife aren't from somewhere rather farther south than Michigan, because I kept imagining stereotypical drawls and cowboy hats.)

For all that Parsel's not an experienced writer, he makes some good choices here -- sticking to his character casting, maintaining a fairly narrow focus, keeping things light. It would be interesting to see what he could do with the resources afforded by traditional publishing; the writing could use a bit of ironing out, but it has good bones.

I received a free copy of this book via a Goodreads giveaway.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a giveaway. First, I admire the author for writing this book while he worked a regular job and worked on his own horse farm. That required some amount of discipline. Second, I am amazed at how much physical work is involved in running any type of farm. I am not sure I could put forth all of the hard effort it takes to keep animals alive on a daily basis. This book gave a good depiction of just what it takes to do so. There was some humor also so the writing was interesting. There were places that could have used a bit more editing to be more succinct but in general the story held my attention. I did not know much about raising horses before reading this book so it was interesting to read about the day to day struggles. I also admire Tim and Diana for rescuing the horses, even though it seems to have been detrimental to their financial situation. If you have an interest in animals, I highly recommend this book.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book as a gift from the author- Thank you! I took a while to pick it up (the day to day life of a horse owner got in the way- go figure). I won't give a synopsis- other reviewers have covered it nicely. I thoroughly enjoyed this book- it accurately and humorously relates the huge amount of work that goes into horse ownership. Personally I board at a co-op barn, so I can at least take vacations, but also share in the work involved. The friendships can't be beat. BUT, I too, have a fantasy of a horse rescue, and I realize how much hard work that can be- as well as rewarding. (That said, I will NOT let my non- horsey husband read this book) Thanks for sharing the trials and tribulations -- I enjoyed the read tremendously, the writing was personable like a friend telling stories on the back porch, but a little uneven in a few spots. But overall I certainly recommend this book!

[Jannette Spann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Broken Rib Ranch
When Tim falls in love with Diana, he’ll do whatever it takes to win her heart. Even to the point of pretending to like horses. It works. After they marry, he’ll do whatever it takes to keep her happy. Broken Rib Ranch is the story of their lives together, woven around his wife’s love of horses. The writer’s dry sense of humor is what makes this memoir come to life.
Thinking about buying a horse? You should read this book. If you own horses, you can relate to the never ending work, frustrations, and troubles Tim encounters on a regular basis. Or if you’re like me and admire horses from a distance, then you’ll enjoy reading about the personal relationships this couple shared with the many horses they’ve owned over the years. Sit back and get ready to chuckle as you read Broken Rib Ranch.

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did win this book through a Goodreads contest. I am not a horse lover so it may have had a pat in me giving the book only 3 stars. I thought the book had some funny moments for sure, but I found myself disliking Diana, finding her to be very selfish. I had a very hard time getting through the book, I think it took me over three weeks to finally finish it, I found it to be a jumble and helter skelter.

[Karen Verkerke · Rating 5 out of 5]

A cover full of horses was the first thing that caught my attention about this book. I am a big animal lover myself (mostly dogs) but I found Tim's ordeal dealing with so many unruly horses to be very funny. His unique characters drew me into the story & compelled me to keep reading all the way to the end. I enjoyed all the photos of Tim working around the farm too.

[Robin Ferguson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book on many levels. First; it was written by a fellow classmate. Second; it takes place around Charlevoix, my home town. Third it's about horses. Finally; it is splendidly well written. Thanks Tim! Hope to see more from you.

[Gay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was very funny with all that Tim learns the hard way. It was very well written and a fast moving book. I love horses and would own as many as I could, so I can relate to Diana, but I think she needs to take responsibility for her actions and listen to others.

[Todd Rumsey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun lite story to enjoy the passing of time for horse family.