This saga of a writer done dirty resurrects the silenced voice of Sanora Babb, peerless author of midcentury American literature. In 1939, when John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath was published, it became an instant bestseller and a prevailing narrative in the nation's collective imagination of the era. But it also stopped the publication of another important novel, silencing a gifted writer who was more intimately connected to the true experiences of Dust Bowl migrants. In Riding Like the Wind, renowned biographer Iris Jamahl Dunkle revives the groundbreaking voice of Sanora Babb. Dunkle follows Babb from her impoverished childhood in eastern Colorado to California. There, she befriended the era's literati, including Ray Bradbury and Ralph Ellison; entered into an illegal marriage; and was blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee. It was Babb's field notes and oral histories of migrant farmworkers that Steinbeck relied on to write his novel. But this is not merely a saga of literary usurping; on her own merits, Babb's impact was profound. Her life and work feature heavily in Ken Burns's award-winning documentary The Dust Bowl and inspired Kristin Hannah in her bestseller The Four Winds. Riding Like the Wind reminds us with fresh awareness that the stories we know—and who tells them—can change the way we remember history.

In Nevada in 1861, a young Pony Express rider races for his life, pursued by seven Paiute warriors who are determined to drive white settlers out of their territory.

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • The story of Cynthia Ann Parker and the last days of the Comanche In 1836, when she was nine years old, Cynthia Ann Parker was kidnapped by Comanche Indians from her family's settlement. She grew up with them, mastered their ways, and married one of their leaders. Except for her brilliant blue eyes and golden mane, Cynthia Ann Parker was in every way a Comanche woman. They called her Naduah—Keeps Warm With Us. She rode a horse named Wind. This is her story, the story of a proud and innocent people whose lives pulsed with the very heartbeat of the land. It is the story of a way of life that is gone forever. It will thrill you, absorb you, touch your soul, and make you cry as you celebrate the beauty and mourn the end of the great Comanche nation.

In 1860, the first Pony Express rider set out on a trail from Missouri to California. With him, he carried a special delivery-the first mail ever carried by hand to the West. Over the next eleven days, he and many other riders would endure harsh weather, dangerous animals, and more, but nothing would diminish their unflagging determination and courage. Meticulously researched and gorgeously illustrated, Michael P. Spradlin and Layne Johnson's Off Like the Wind! brings to life an adventurous journey, full of suspense and excitement, that celebrates America's can-do attitude and pioneering spirit.

It all begins with balance. This is a simple truth about both cycling and life. There are many similarities between learning to ride a bike and living a happy and fulfilling life. Like Riding a Bike: A Cycle Logical Exploration of Life illuminates these similarities and provides insight into their potentials. This book is not one of great victories or epic tours, but of the experiences, thoughts, and reflections that are a part of both the world of cycling and the journey of life. Like Riding a Bike is an inspirational guide for personal understanding and development. It uses cycling experiences as a point of departure for life lessons. But the book is not just for active cyclists; it is accessible by anyone who travels through life with more than a passing interest. The lessons and themes are based in practical reality and extend far beyond cycling. Like Riding a Bike takes an innovative approach that differentiates it from other sports and personal growth books. First, it invites readers to actively participate in the learning process. Readers are encouraged to try the cycling experiences upon which the life lessons are based, not just to apply the lessons that are derived. How many other books enable readers to prove a point to themselves rather than just take the author’s word for it? The clearer the connection to the metaphor, the greater the value of the lesson. Another innovation of Like Riding a Bike is how cycling experiences are used. Most personal coaching or growth books start with someone’s ideas about the way things should be. The author then collects or creates stories that support those ideas. In contrast, the cycling elements of Like Riding a Bike are actual experiences that do not merely reflect key points, they generate the issues and lead to the lessons. The validity of each idea is derived from reality, not idealization. Virtually all books deal with growth as a linear process. But is life actually linear? A third innovation of Like Riding a Bike is that it recognizes the cyclical nature of learning and development. While each chapter presents different topics and lessons, there is an underlying logical structure and repetition of themes that cyclically builds to the conclusion. The presentation of Like Riding a Bike is a personal dialogue between the author and the reader. This is done to draw the reader into the ideas, discussions, and lessons, and to promote personal insight. Again, the manuscript encourages reader involvement. Life is a personal exploration. What makes this concept easier to learn and apply than a book that actually starts the process for the reader? Each chapter concludes with five questions for personal reflection. Like Riding a Bike is unique in many aspects, but most importantly it gives practical advice on techniques the reader can apply to develop and pursue his or her own vision for life. It presents life lessons from a fresh perspective and provides a process for personal development. It suggests answers, yet also encourages questions. Like Riding a Bike begins by setting a foundation with the key elements of balance, motion, and vision. The book then addresses the basic skills required to find balance and establish a context for growth. The reader is led through a process for personal development that includes building on existing skills, working variety into life, stepping back when necessary, and reaching out to others for help when needed. The second half of the book further develops the themes from the first half, beginning with a section dedicated to meeting challenges. Chapters in this section address anticipating obstacles, facing challenges, understanding the “price” of choices, and speaking up for yourself. The sec

Love at first sight! That's what happens when Sister Bear sees the horses at Miss Toni's Riding School and Stable. Sister goes horse crazy! She dreams about horses. She writes stories about horses. She even finds a way to work horses into her math homework! Her dreams soon come true when she gets to take riding lessons with Old Bess, a sweet, slow mare. She may not be the fastest horse in the stable but when Old Bess veers off the beaten track, Sister is in for the ride of a lifetime!

Abandonment, bigamy, crib deaths, single mothers struggling to raise families - these are not new age phenomena. Mollie Tidwell knew them all as well as she knew her own family. But how well was that? In the late 1800’s these truths were swept under the parlor rug. Mollie Tidwell was born near Springfield, Illinois, an only child. When she was four her mother died and she was given away to the Indians. In summary this sounds a fearful thing but in reality it was Mollie’s rebirth. Surrounded by love she became a young women of promise whose only goal was to marry and find security and love in her own home. She came the full circle in adjusting to her different lives: from the white society; to Indian; to quarter-blood; to white. But, the Cherokee Indian teachings were the lasting influences for her. The story finally had to be written when a relative shared a memory that Mollie had told of her Grandfather who would ride a tall white horse to the edge of the Tidwell property for a secret visit. He would bring her an apple for a treat. The theme of this story? Mollie’s family became her possessions. When death tried to take them away she would not let them go. What she had to learn was that your children were a gift to be returned to God. Before she died she realized that she must forgive them for dying and release their earth bound spirits. It was a race against time for her.

During the westward settlement, for more than twenty years Apache tribes eluded both US and Mexican armies, and by 1886 an estimated 9,000 armed men were in pursuit. Roberts (Deborah: A Wilderness Narrative) presents a moving account of the end of the Indian Wars in the Southwest. He portrays the great Apache leaders—Cochise, Nana, Juh, Geronimo, the woman warrior Lozen—and U.S. generals George Crock and Nelson Miles. Drawing on contemporary American and Mexican sources, he weaves a somber story of treachery and misunderstanding. After Geronimo's surrender in 1886, the Apaches were sent to Florida, then to Alabama where many succumbed to malaria, tuberculosis and malnutrition and finally in 1894 to Oklahoma, remaining prisoners of war until 1913. The book is history at its most engrossing. —Publishers Weekly

Fern dreams of riding on a wild horse's back, as fleet as the wind. She makes pets of small animals and watches the bison herds as they pound over the endless grasses of the steppe. Chafing at the inequality of being female, she longs for the freedom her twin brother enjoys to run free in the wilderness. One day in early spring, Fern secretly rescues a young horse mired in the bog, names her Thunder, and tames her enough to ride. But the people of her tribe are distrustful of her bond with nature. Is she a witch? Fern's future looks bleak until a silent man in a rival tribe, known only as The Nameless One, teaches her about patience—and love. Susan Williams's lyrical prose makes this journey to prehistoric western Asia at once inspiring and heart wrenching.