Synopsis

When Hannah Brandt, who comes from a hardscrabble background in Ohio and Nebraska, first gets to ride a horse in 1895 at the age of 14, she realizes that there is no going back. . . Her destiny is to be a rodeo star and break new ground as a female bronco rider. She wins first place in a race at the Cheyenne Frontier Days rodeo at 18, and soon she’s known by a new name: Sunny Gale.

Her marriage to her first husband, Luke Mangum, ends in divorce and she’s taken in by the Pickering clan, who are rodeo royalty. After she marries Tad Pickering, her star continues to rise as she and her spouse amaze crowds with “Roman Riding,” each of them standing astride two galloping horses.

When tragedy occurs, Sunny quits the clan and moves on. . . She finds refuge in New Mexico with one-legged rancher Angus Laroche, who dispenses tough love. . . But her love life continues to be complicated, and the novel’s resolution sees her life come full circle, after a fashion.

This is a story of rodeos, marriages, sexism, and social mores—all churned together. . . A moving, memorable, and fully realized rodeo saga. Kirkus Reviews (starred)

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Praise

“is a captivating rodeo saga bound to leave a lasting impression..filled with unforgettable characters and compelling narratives. Prepare to embark on an exhilarating journey as you dive into the captivating world of rodeo, filled with heart-pounding excitement and profound emotions. Get ready for the gripping narrative to sweep you off your feet and be prepared to fully immerse yourself in the magic of Sunny Gale.”-Suzie Housley, Midwest Book Reviews

“Though some of Hannah’s issues are specific to her time period, her saga serves as a poignant, timeless reminder of the complexities that lie beneath the surface of seemingly glamorous pursuits. Those who have an interest in historical fiction and historic women’s rights will find this book enlightening. It’s an eye-opening read and an evocative mixture of fact and fiction.”-Michaela Gordoni, City Review

“The transition of Hannah Brandt into Sunny Gale is a key component of the well-structured plot. Horseback riding is not just transportation so much as an escape.

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.”-Philip Zozzaro, City Book Reviews Tulsa

”Sunny Gale is a wonderfully written story that is filled with action and wonderful family moments along the way as well as historical accuracy of the time period. Sunny is a very strong and interesting protagonist and shows that strength throughout the story.

Sunny Gale is exciting, well-written and developed, and will make the reader laugh and cry throughout. While this is the first book that I have read by this author, it will definitely not be the last. I was extremely impressed with the whole story and cannot wait to see what else is out there for my reading pleasure. I would highly recommend the story to all.

Quill says: Sunny Gale is a wonderful example of a story that will pull readers into a new world, in this case, one of rodeo riding and the entrance of women into the sport. With its wonderfully descriptive writing and historical accuracy, I am sure that it will be a great success and of interest to many.”-Kathy Stickles, Feathered Quill Book Reviews 

Excerpt

On top of the horse, she felt thrilled at her new height, amazed at how much more expansive her view was. The view brought a new sense of freedom. Luke had been right. Now a person could really get somewhere…if they could bust loose from their parents. Her gaze shot toward her house and, yes, Greta was there at the barn. No time to plan. She was going to have to take Tremain head on.

“Pick up the reins.”

“I don’t know how.”

He took her fingers and curled them through. “Like that. You got it? Give Old Atlas a nudge with your feet and take off.”

She bumped her feet against Atlas’ sides, but he didn’t budge.

“He’s too used to the other horse. I guess he’ll follow me up to your place.”

Luke started to move off and Atlas followed.

Even at a plod, Hannah had the sensation of gliding over the ground. It seemed her head would explode at so many feelings all at the same time—ecstasy at these new sensations of height and motion. And dread as the homestead and Tremain grew closer.

Through their slow ascent, Hannah watched Tremain chewing on his pipe, mulling over all the rules of modesty she had violated. First one would be that she was setting astride a horse with her bloomers showing.

It served them right, didn’t it?  How absurd it had been of Tremain and Francine to think they could haul out to this wind-blasted land and sprinkle it with all the trappings of civilized life. Couldn’t they see this land would slough it all off?

When the horses pulled up in front of him, Tremain growled, “Just what do you think you’re doing Hannah?”

Her hands curled around the saddle horn. She decided she was not getting off.  “You remember Luke, don’t you?”

Luke held out his hand but Tremain didn’t take it.

“I remember him but I can’t think why he’s here today.”

Luke spoke up. “I saw her the other day at her teacher’s. I offered to lend her the horse. Until she could get her own.”

“I thank you. I know you meant well. But that’s not a saddle for a young woman to sit in.”

“Side saddles aren’t used out here. I’ve seen plenty of girls and women, ride just like this. We don’t ride for a hobby. People ride for work. Or to get somewhere. She’ll be a lot more comfortable—and safer, too—in this saddle.”

Tremain rocked back and forth on his heels as he considered. If those words had come from Hannah, he would have unleashed a torrent of ridicule. But filtered through this young stranger who seemed so at ease in the land, they wore the mantle of authority. Hannah looked down to hide her grin. She was going to get to keep Atlas after all.

“What if she falls off?” Tremain asked.

“Then she’ll learn to get back on.”

“We’ll see what her mother says,” said Tremain, and he turned toward the house.

“That was wonderful, Luke. I couldn’t believe all those things you said. They’ve got to let me keep ’im now.”

“You’re welcome. But you do need to learn to ride. Think you want to learn some now?”

“If you’ll teach me.”

He dismounted and opened the corral gate.

“Get Atlas in here.”

Once again, she couldn’t make Atlas move. “I’m not helping you this time. Take the bottom half of your reins and slap his rump.”

“But that’ll hurt him.”

“He’ll be fine. You’ve got to let him know you’re his boss. You can’t let him decide when he’s going.”

She slapped Atlas with the reins, and he took one step.

“Harder.”

“I don’t want to hurt you, Atlas,” she said and slapped him again. It worked this time. She glowed at the forward movement she’d produced on her own.

“You do that a couple more times and you won’t need to do it anymore.”

Luke shut the gate behind her, made her tie up the reins and attached his rope to the horse’s halter.  He wanted her to know how to sit when the horse walked, trotted, loped. Shoulders back, heels down, gaze forward over the horse’s ears. She suffered through trot. Too bouncy.

“Hold on to the horn, grab with your thighs,” he shouted.

She couldn’t seem to coordinate it all. But then Luke launched her into a lope and her heart felt as if it had sprouted wings. Round and round they circled to motion that felt like soaring. She threw her head back to laugh, but what came out sounded more like a cry of joy, the same cry the falcons made as they glided on the updrafts high above. To move this way was to feel the wildness of the land pulse up from the ground, through the horse’s hooves, up through the saddle to her core and then up and out her throat.

“Do you want to stop?”

“No!”

Round and round they went—she couldn’t get enough of it—until Luke let the horse slow to a trot and Hannah’s exhilaration drained away into awareness that the day was closing, the first star already poking out from the dusk. The cessation of motion brought her back to herself, to the corral, to Luke, to Tremain and her mother at the rail. Francine looked as if she’d been hit by a bolt of lightning.

Guest Review by Nora

“Watching them and their reflections, it seemed to Hannah that they sought reassurance—I’m still here. Once their glasses were in front of them, they never looked up again.”

And outstanding story about a woman who breaks ground in career rodeo. ‘Sunny Gale,’ by Jaime Lisa Forbes gets off to a heartbreaking start right away.

In 1895, in the plains of Nebraska, Hannah Brandt is already beginning to transform. The event that kicks this off is the killing of a horse. Hannah begins trying to befriend a wild filly that lives near her parents farm. She does so in secret, knowing that her step-father, Tremain, will not like her wasting the family’s precious, meager resources on the horse. But Hannah is fourteen, and in the way of all teenage girls throughout history, she is defiant.

Hannah soon learns the hard way that she was right to care for the horse in secret, as Tremain soon finds out that she is feeding it and shoots it dead. Devastated but determined not to let her dream of learning to ride a horse die, Hannah meets a local boy named Luke and convinces him to teach her to ride.

Luke and Hannah get to know each other better and eventually marry, but when Hannah decides that she wishes to make a living riding in the rodeo, Luke is disgusted by the idea. He does not want his wife to be a rodeo woman. He wants her to stay at home and care for their daughter. Hannah rebels, changing her name to Sunny Gale and becoming the first rodeo women that Nebraska has ever seen.

‘Sunny Gale,’ is a story about fighting against stereotypes and defying people’s expectations of what you should be. I learned a lot about rodeo from reading this book, and highly enjoyed the story! Five stars!

About the Author

Award winning author, Jamie Lisa Forbes was raised on a ranch in the Little Laramie Valley near Laramie, Wyoming. She attended the University of Colorado where she obtained degrees in English and philosophy. After fourteen months living in Israel, she returned to her family’s ranch where she lived for another fifteen years.

In 1994, she moved to Greensboro, North Carolina. In 2001, she graduated from the University of North Carolina School of Law and began her North Carolina law practice.

Her first novel, Unbroken, won the WILLA Literary Award for Contemporary Fiction in 2011. Her collection of short stories, The Widow Smalls and Other Stories, won the High Plains Book Awards for a short story collection in 2015.

Her novel about life in rural North Carolina entitled Eden was published in 2020.

Ms. Forbes continues to live—and write—in North Carolina.

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