Riding Freedom Book

I totally loved this book! I didn't discover it was a true story until the final chapter. I thought a lot about how I admire those who can train horses without fear. They are smart animals, but they are huge! The final few chapters were set in Watsonville, CA - Jonathan and I lived there at the beginning of our marriage. It is so pretty there (and home to the world's largest grower of strawberries!) The author did a great job describing the land's beauty. It's the story of the first woman who voted. She was an orphan back east and ran away. She disguised herself as a boy so she could continue working as a stagecoach driver. She eventually lost the sight of one eye due to an accident, but continued to take people all over California during the gold rush. Nobody discovered her true identity as a woman until she passed away. She was only able to vote because people thought she was man. She had a lot of courage, but had to do what she needed in order to survive in a man's world.