53 pages • 1 hour read
Jeannette WallsHalf Broke Horses
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2008A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more. For select classroom titles, we also provide Teaching Guides with discussion and quiz questions to prompt student engagement.
Summary
Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Tools
BetaEssay Topics
Lily claimed she could teach any child. Why did she have such a hard time teaching her own daughter?
The title appears several times in the novel. What is the significance of the phrase “Half-Broke Horses”?
Lily’s father tells her, “The most important thing in life is learning how to fall.” Chronicle each of Lily’s falls and explain how her understanding of herself and life itself grows and changes with each fall.
How did the novel’s minor characters affect Lily’s life and choices? Choose three minor characters and discuss how they affected Lily on her journey.
Do children grow up to be their parents? Discuss the extent to which this happens in Half-Broke Horses.
How do daughters disappoint their mothers? Show how this happens with Lily and her mother, and then with Rosemary and Lily.
Lily Casey is a favorite heroine with many readers. What is it about her that makes her so likeable?
Many important people in Lily’s life die. How does Lily handle death and the stages of grief?
Analyze the relationship between Lily and Rosemary. In what ways was Rosemary like a wild horse that needed to be broken?
The Desert Southwest plays an important role in this story. How does the land affect the story and the characters?
Related Titles
By Jeannette Walls
