Play Book Tag discussion

Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer - 4 stars - My Review

Memoir of the author’s experience of competing in the Mongol Derby, a 1000km (621 mi) race on the steppe. Each competitor rides 25 semi-wild ponies over six to ten days. Each pony is examined by a veterinarian at each stage and penalties are assessed if its heartrate is too high. The author describes her competitors, the beauty of the landscape, the harsh conditions of the race, and her inner thoughts. She throws in a good dose of Mongolian history along the way. It is written in a poetic style, sprinkled with humor and drama. I quite enjoyed reading about this unique experience, while learning more about the host country.

I really enjoyed reading this and finding out about Mongolia, the race and the ponies.

At the beginning Lara annoyed me immensely, but eventually I came to appreciate her. I must say though that she was really unprepared.

Yes, she seemed like a typically teen - jumping in quickly without much forethought or planning. After struggling so much with this huge task, I think she matured quite a bit.

Her writing was much better than many memoirs I have read.