Category: Children Publisher: Monday Creek Publishing
ISBN-10: 069287898X
Type: Non-Fiction
Pages: 142
Copyright: May 13, 2017
ISBN-13: 9780692878989
Price: $4.99 (eBook)
Could a disabled girl and a failed racehorse become champions? Deanie's true story.If you love horses and someone who has been counted out becoming a winner in every way, you will love this book. 13 literary awards
What if you grew up on a horse farm and your single passion was to become a champion rider? This problem is, you were born with a disability. This happened to Deanie. Doctors told her parents she'd never walk, let alone ride. What happened next? What did Deanie's dad do that changed her life? Could a failed racehorse and a handicapped girl become a winning team? This is the author's true story. If you love horses and someone who has been counted out becoming a winner in every way, you will love this book.
Excerpt
Have you ever really wanted to be able to do something, but you came across a roadblock of some kind? Maybe you’re afraid of new things, or maybe you have a physical challenge. Are you going to follow your dream, or are you going to push it aside without even trying? You must make a difficult choice.
Instead of taking the easy street, I changed my whole life by choosing new experiences.
Professional Reviews
A book about true grit
May 16, 2017
By Theodore J. Cohen
This review is from: My Life at Sweetbrier: A Life Changed by Horses (Kindle Edition)
Most of us, parent or not, can’t imagine having a child that didn’t crawl until three-years of age, much less one who failed to walk until age four. But that was the early life of author Deanie Humphrys-Dunne, who, delivered two months premature, weighed only three pounds at birth. It took years before doctors finally were able to diagnose her condition: cerebral palsy. Fortunately for her, Ms. Humphrys-Dunne’s father, “a determined person” (that’s an understatement!) made the decision that what the doctor said wasn’t going to stand in his daughter’s way: he was going to teach his little girl how to ride a horse!
And teach her he did. As chronicled in “My Life at Sweetbrier”—a ‘can do’ story if ever there were on—the reader will learn of the struggles and the tears, the disappointments and setbacks, and finally, the joys and the triumphs that mark those among us with the courage to ‘play the hand we are dealt’ and live life on OUR terms.
It’s been said: life isn’t for sissies. Nothing demonstrates this more than what Deanie, with the help of her parents, has accomplished. Critical to the story, as you will learn, is the Humphreys’ farm, Sweetbrier, which includes a sprawling yellow Victorian-style house (built near the end of the 19th century) together with stables and a riding ring. It’s there where Deanie not only learned to ride, but also, to jump horses. Especially rewarding is her story about the jumping contest between Deanie’s pony, Doey, and a horse named Sunny.
Whether or not your life has been touched by adversity, you and your children will enjoy this heartwarming story. As well, there isn’t a person I know who couldn’t learn something about overcoming the obstacles thrown in our paths by simply reading the Deanie Humphrys-Dunne’s new book.
I give it FIVE STARS all the way.
A Remarkable True Story
A Remarkable True Story, May 13, 2017
By Sarah Reviews
This review is from: My Life at Sweetbrier: A Life Changed by Horses (Paperback)
Deanie Humphrys-Dunne is a champion. Deanie won numerous Championship Horse Shows and nowadays continues to win hearts by sharing her experience and encouraging the young to aim high.
Had little Deanie Humphrys been satisfied with just observing her sisters and other girls partake in horse show competitions, no one would have faulted her. After all, Deanie was diagnosed early in life with cerebral palsy and was not even expected to walk. Yet the remarkable Deanie defied her doctors and their predictions! Determination, incredible willpower, and perseverance as well as an amazingly supportive family, propelled young Deanie to amazing success.
“My Life at Sweetbrier: A Life Changed by Horses” is a touching, inspirational, and uplifting true story beautifully told by the heroine herself. Highly recommended for children of all ages.
One Step at a time....
May 16, 2017
By Barbara Mojica
This review is from: My Life at Sweetbrier: A Life Changed by Horses (Paperback)
This book is an inspiring autobiography that will be a source of hope and model of perseverance for anyone who has a physical handicap. The author was born with cerebral palsy; she did not take her first steps until the age of four. One dream kept her moving forward; she loved horses and wanted to ride. Her father bought a horse farm in Easton, Connecticut and encouraged his daughter to overcome all obstacles to achieve that dream. Deanie grew up in this rambling yellow Victorian house surrounded by sweetbriar roses. She faced many setbacks, including her physical disabilities and a disastrous fire. Despite all of these, Deanie persevered until she became a champion.
Middle-grade students who have faced handicaps or bullying will find solace and hope in this tale. The author introduces her readers to a loving family and the tender relationships between the family and their horses. Recommend the series for any reader age eight and over.
Parents of special needs children and special education teachers might want to consider this book as a read aloud.
I received an advanced review copy of this book and voluntarily chose to review with my honest opinion for no compensation.
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Reviews for "My Life at Sweetbrier-A Life Changed by Horses"
A compelling testimony to the life-transforming ripple effects of love, support and determination!, May 16, 2017
By Yosef Lapid
This review is from: My Life at Sweetbrier: A Life Changed by Horses (Kindle Edition)
The powerful message of this masterfully written and beautifully illustrated autobiographical book is to always stay positive, never lose hope, and always try your best. This is the inspirational story of a determined little girl who adopted such a courageous “can do” attitude. But it is much more than that. It is also the story of a loving father and a supportive family who also adopted the potent “can do!” antidote to adversity. The book is in fact, a compelling testimony to the life-transforming ripple effects of love, support and determination. A must-read for readers of all ages!
Although your excerpt is too short to get any assessment of the book, I admire anyone who can write inspiring children's books that have good lessons in life.
While I believe that certain disabilities can be helped by riding horses, my experience was the opposite. I was a rough-and-tumble kid who could take on almost any challenge and riding horses was something I took to naturally. In addition, I have always had tremendous balance, saving me from many precarious situations.
Unfortunately, my hands and arms were paralyzed during spinal surgery when I was 20. Fortunately, I could walk, but my legs were affected enough that with my arms the way they were, I could not run.
While I was recovering, my mother suggested that we go for an evening trail ride at a nearby farm. I could still hold on to the reins with my atrophied hands and keep my feet firmly in the stirrups, but I rode in fear the whole time riding an old swayback mare deemed safest for me to ride. My fear was that I would fall off and further injure my neck because I could not put my arms out to break my fall.
Finally, when attending a 1980s conference in Austin, I used the word “handicapped” in front of a woman in a handbuilt flat wood wheelchair and she admonished me because the word meant, “cap in hand.” I have been an advocate for removing that word from usage ever since. If you're going to use it for your books, be sure that you give your children a little history of where it came from.
