Riding Lessons is the debut novel by Sara Gruen, author of Water for Elephants. It is the story of Annemarie Zimmer, a world-class equestrienne who has a terrible accident at 18 years old, resulting in the death of her beloved horse and severe injuries to herself. Her physical wounds heal, but her spirit never does, and 20 years later she finds herself jobless, divorced, at odds with her teenage daughter, and returning home to her family farm to be with her dying father.

This is the story of a long journey of personal healing, hitting rock bottom, and discovering a horse that slowly helps her find her love of life again.

Gruen is a wonderful writer. Here she skillfully portrays broken families and how they can sometimes heal. Anyone interested in horses will love this novel. It is a worthwhile read for everyone else as well.