Sunny Gale

Hannah Brandt didn’t care for the life she had in her teenage years, having recently relocated to Nebraska and living with her mother and stepfather. Life on the farm was often harsh and her stepfather made her feel inferior on a daily basis. The appearance of a wild horse on the family property sparks something inside Hannah. She wants to get close to the horse and ride it, but this hope is tragically dashed when her stepfather callously kills the horse as an “act of mercy.”

Hannah wants to learn to ride a horse but believes her parents will never allow it. Her fortunes begin to change when she first meets cowboy Luke Mangum. Luke offers to teach Hannah how to ride and her parents acquiesce. There is an attraction between Luke and Hannah, despite a few year’s difference in age. The pair eventually marry and Luke gives Hannah a horse of her own to ride. The freedom Hannah feels while riding is invigorating.

However, Hannah is restless and craves more in life. She attends a bronc riding competition and tells Luke that she wants to compete. To Luke’s surprise, Hannah wins the competition. When asked her name, Hannah has now become Sunny Gale. This transformation leads to a rift between Sunny and her mother as well as Sunny and Luke. Gradually, Sunny Gale has become an established name in the Bronc riding circuit, competing in various competitions and performing well. Nevertheless, Bronc riding is dangerous and Sunny will experience this early and often during her career.

Years have passed and glory has faded when Sunny Gale begins. Fond memories are coupled with lingering regrets as Sunny reflects on her life in this laudable tale about a female pioneer. The transition of Hannah Brandt into Sunny Gale is a key component of the well-structured plot. Hannah feels confined in living with her parents, the farm life is often too dreary to contemplate. Horseback riding is not just transportation so much as an escape. When Hannah marries Luke, she does not want to confine herself and be subservient to Luke. Bronc riding and the possibility of becoming known appeal to Hannah, even though it may end her marriage to Luke. Hannah(Sunny) is an extremely interesting character as she lives by her own rules and aspires to be the best. Yet her desire to push herself to the limit comes at the cost of more than a few relationships. Sunny Gale is a story about a woman who bucked social conventions, asserted her independence, and sacrificed much to satisfy her dreams. Author Jamie Lisa Forbes has written a truly engaging novel.