Book Review: A Girl and Five Brave Horses by Sonora Carver
A Girl and Five Brave Horses
Author: Sonora Carver
Narrator: Laci Morgan
First Published: 1961
Audiobook: 6 hours 8 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: November 1-5, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 3.5 stars
Book Description:
In the roaring ’20s, adventurous young Sonora Webster sees an exciting act that will change her life forever. Hooves pound as a horse gallops up the ramp of a 40-foot-tall tower. A girl in a sparkly swimsuit waits at the top, and at the last possible second, leaps on its back as they dive through the air, falling to a tank of water far below with thunderous applause.
Sonora is hooked. From that moment on, she is determined to BE that girl, despite the danger, and endeavors to join the diving horse troupe. This memoir follows her exciting career and life on the road as a traveling performer with W.F. Carver’s stunt show, even after she was blinded in an accident. Despite her lack of sight, she continued to dive for eleven years, becoming an inspiration to blind and disabled people who heard her story. Sonora’s life even inspired the beloved 1991 movie, Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.
Full of twists and turns, humorous animal tales, moments of tragedy, and hope, listeners will enjoy this exciting true tale of a strong American woman finding her place in history during the Great Depression, with an unbreakable spirit and the help of her brave horse partners.
Jessica’s Review:
If you have seen the movie Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken, then you know the very basic story about Sonora Carver. A Girl and Five Brave Horses is Sonora’s story in her own words. This is the story of a life of determination and strength despite the unexpected events that life can be the cause of.
The movie gives the basis of what happens in her life and Sonora’s memoir adds to it. At times the memoir was detailed and other times it isn’t. I wanted to know more about Sonora’s family (especially her relationship with her sister Arnette) and more on her relationship with Al, unfortunately which we don’t get. The movie leads you to believe that Al is much younger than he actually was: Al was about 20 years older than Sonora. The movie does not show that Arnette was a part of Sonora’s life during her horse diving. And for taking place during the Depression, we are not told how life was for those living during that time.
We do get details about Sonora’s treatment for her eyes and her adjustment into life without sight. Growing up and loving the film, I think I went in with big expectations for the memoir and I was disappointed. I feel we could have been given so much more than what we got. There were just details for some events and then other important events were just rushed through. Carver was from another time and maybe that was why we didn’t get as much details as we would get if this story happened now. This could be because Sonora is telling her story to someone else versus actually writing it.
I really don’t like giving a lower rating (3.5 stars) for a memoir, which is someone’s life, but there was so much more that could have been with this memoir than what we got.
Audiobook Review: Sonora by Jenni L. Walsh
Sonora
Author: Jenni L. Walsh
Narrator: Piper Goodeve
Published: October 28, 2025
Audiobook: 10 hours 9 minutes
Reviewed By: Jessica
Dates Listened To: October 20-29, 2025
Jessica’s Rating: 5 stars
Book Description:
Inspired by a true story of one of the first female horse divers, Sonora explores a world of daring feats and extraordinary adventures set in the heyday of the American carnival scene. This book vividly captures the spirit of a brave woman who defied societal norms to follow her dreams, diving into the unknown with courage and resilience.
Sonora Webster is penniless but plucky, and despite the looming Great Depression, she follows her wanderlust, answering an advert to dive with horses. Little does she know that she is about to be thrust into a world teeming with danger, excitement, and fierce competition.
As Sonora delves into the cutthroat world of show business, complete with human cannonballs, trapeze aerial acts, and juggling bears, her undeniable talent and unwavering dedication propel her into the limelight, making her a sensation, and after marrying the show runner, her entire life becomes their act and their horses. But she soon learns that a diver–and her horse–are only as good as their last show, a show some are hellbent on shutting down. When a tragic accident changes her life forever, can Sonora muster the courage to climb the fifty-foot tower and dive again, risking her life to save the show and their horses from falling into the wrong hands?
Jessica’s Review:
If you grew up in the 1990s then you more than likely saw the Disney movie Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken. I watched it so many times growing up and I saw this audiobook about Sonora Carver and jumped on it. It is Historical Fiction and follows the same path as the movie, with differences as it is based closer on Carver’s actual life. Walsh used Carver’s memoir as a basis for this novel.
Listening to this novel, brought back so many pleasant memories of watching Wild Hearts Can’t be Broken. I did not realize that Sonora was from Waycross, Georgia until it was mentioned in the novel!
I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and knew the story because of the film, but still felt I learned some things. The narrator Piper Goodeve, captured Sonora perfectly! From a spunky teen at the beginning of the story to the determined woman that she became, beating the odds despite what happened to her. Listening to this novel and now knowing there is a biography written by Carver herself, I plan on listening to it as I got it on Audible and then rewatching Wild Hearts Can’t Be Broken.
**Be sure to listen to the author’s note at the end of the novel to learn more about Sonora’s life.
Thank you to Walsh for the enjoyable novel and bringing back the nostalgia I had for the film growing! And for piquing my interest in the biography! I will also be looking at what else she has written to read in the future!
Many thanks to the publisher Harper Muse Audiobooks for granting me an audiocopy to listen to and review. I really enjoyed it!
Purchase Links:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
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Cover Reveal: Don’t Forget the Crazy by Lucy Kaufman
Today I am helping in the cover reveal for Don’t Forget the Crazy by Lucy Kaufman. This is a short story at just 57 pages and is a dark psychological suspense short story about obsession, perfection, and the dangerous pressure of always being “the good girl.” I am intrigued by this one and if you are as well you will be able to read it on November 30th!
Short Story Description:
Her lists are life or death.
“If it’s on the list, I have to do it.”
Milli Morgan lives by her lists. Groceries, goals, organising her boss – nothing escapes being ticked off her ever-growing to-do lists. Order brings her comfort; control keeps the chaos at bay. Everyone can rely on Milli.
Until the day new items start appearing on her list in red ink.
At first, she blames stress. A prank. Someone playing mind-games. But one instruction on the list refuses to be erased and demands to be completed.
A command so terrible she would have to be crazy to tick it off.
Now….. What does the cover look like?????? Keep scrolling to find out!!
Almost there!!!
Here it is:
Pre-order Your Copy Here:
Amazon US
Amazon UK
About the Author:
Lucy Kaufman is an award-winning author, playwright, audio dramatist and poet. 40 of her plays have been performed professionally around the UK and Australia, to critical acclaim. She has lectured in Playwriting and Screenwriting for Pen to Print and Canterbury Christ Church University and is a mentor at The Writing Coach. Originally from London, she now lives by the sea with her husband, sons, dogs and cats.
Contact Lucy:
Instagram @kaufmanlucy
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