The Ride of Her Life: The True Story of a Woman, Her Horse, and Their Last-Chance Journey Across America

A farmer from Minot, Maine, Annie Wilkins (1891-1980) was born in Mechanic Falls, another small town in Maine. After a few years in New Hampshire, Annie grew up in Minot, where her family continued a long tradition of farming their land. Her grandfather passed the farm down to Annie, who kept working the land with her stepfather, whom she called Uncle Waldo. However, the US economy was shifting away from agrarian business, and Maine’s climate was harsh, so Annie could not make a good living. As a result, her life changed little with the advent of electricity, home plumbing, phones, televisions, and appliances; she lived a humble, traditional life in her small cabin without modern conveniences.

Annie’s bold decision to ignore her doctor’s advice to “live restfully” and instead ride her horse to California makes her a fascinating figure. The book portrays Annie as a resilient, hopeful person who transformed her life by persistently pursuing her goal, emphasizing her love for her animals by showing how her horses and her dog were her most treasured companions on her journey. The book conveys the impression that Annie’s unique combination of stubborn self-reliance and trust in others helped make her journey a success.

Among the first of Annie’s hosts while on the road, Jean Lane was a complete stranger to Annie who invited her in for lunch, and the two connected over their love of animals. As a sled dog breeder and racer, Jean had an affinity for dogs and, like Annie, loved horseback riding. In addition to giving her lunch, Jean generously fed Annie’s animals and sent her off with food for the road. The text depicts Jean as a kindhearted person whose love of animals and adventure overcame the generational and cultural differences between her and Annie:

Jean Lane was everything that Annie was not: young and educated, affluent and sophisticated. Yet, Annie sensed something in this woman. Under her conventional young-lady demeanor, there was an impulse to adventure, a sense of barely suppressed desire, a fire that drew her to trotters and sled dog racing, to fast paces, bone-cold days, an icy wind in her face (91).

The author’s description of Lane also adds to her characterization of Annie by emphasizing Annie’s love of animals and burgeoning desire for adventure, both of which helped her relate to Lane.

A reporter from Maine, Mina Sawyer contacted Annie during the early stages of her trip. Like Annie, Mina grew up in rural Maine, and her family likewise struggled to make ends meet. However, Mina had the good fortune of finishing her education and even attending college, then a rarity for women. A highly independent person, Mina adopted a daughter and offered a home to stray animals. Mina admired Annie’s ambition and asked her to correspond with her to write articles for the newspaper.

Mina’s interest in Annie was personal as well as professional, and they developed a close friendship through their correspondence. This relationship was symbiotic: Annie greatly benefited from the good press, which introduced her to many Americans and generated new opportunities for her while she traveled. Over time, Mina became an important figure in Annie’s life. She later helped Annie write her autobiography, The Last of the Saddle Tramps, about 12 years after her trip, further describing her travels. Their close friendship continued, and Annie even lived with Mina for several months while writing her book.

A couple from Pennsylvania, Millie and Carney Rose were eager to host Annie as she passed through their town. The Roses were passionate about animal welfare and had a menagerie of pets and livestock on their property. Millie, a “true animal whisperer” (125), loved helping animals. The text describes the Roses as generous and hospitable people. They insisted that Annie spend Christmas with them, which she greatly enjoyed. Annie felt a “deep connection” with the couple because of their love of animals and country life. The book describes the Roses as among the most memorable of all Annie’s hosts and notes that Annie was extremely grateful for their practical and moral support.

A couple from Charlotte, Kentucky, Mr. and Mrs. Richards met Annie as she passed through the town. They invited Annie over for lunch and then insisted on driving her to see the “prettiest sight in the world” (157). Annie agreed, and the couple drove her to a farm five miles out of town, where they surprised her with the gift of a horse, Rex. Valued at more than $800, Rex was an extravagant gift and was a great help to Annie, who could hardly bring herself to accept it: “These people were so kind. […] [S]he felt bad disappointing this couple who’d […] gone out of their way to help her find a horse, and who’d planned her meeting with Rex as a kind of celebration” (158). The book characterizes Mr. and Mrs. Richards as a generous and good-natured couple, and they thematically illustrate The Kindness of Strangers.

A Canadian American television personality, Linkletter hosted the TV shows House Party and People Are Funny. He played a significant role in the conclusion of Annie’s trip. After learning of her story, Linkletter traveled to Redding, California, where he heard she was staying. By then, Linkletter had become a household name because of his TV shows, but Annie had never heard of him. Nonetheless, Linkletter persuaded her to consider appearing on his talk show, People Are Funny, when she reached Los Angeles. Annie was generally perplexed about celebrity and media attention but agreed to appear on his show for an interview. He was convinced that American audiences would react positively to Annie for the same reason that they liked him: She was ordinary and authentic.

Linkletter’s invitation helped Annie gain good publicity, which she capitalized on 12 years later by writing her autobiography, The Last of the Saddle Tramps. However, his generosity did not end there: Linkletter bought Annie a new horse after Rex’s passing and gave her a large sum of money when she appeared on his show, which was a great help to Annie. The book’s anecdotes about Linkletter help explain how Annie managed the final weeks of her journey and how she survived financially after her trip was complete. In addition, Linkletter’s actions also add to the book’s exploration of hospitality because he went beyond his professional obligations to help Annie.