Stephanie Grace, Whitson Unbridled Dreams

Unbridled Dreams

Stephanie Grace Whitson

Bethany House, Aug 2008, $13.99

ISBN: 9780764203275

All seventeen year old Irmagard Friedrich dreams of is riding a horse as Liberty Belle at the Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show. However, her mother insists Irmagard behave like a lady and attend Brownell finishing school.

On her journey east to attend school, her father arranges for Irmagard to slip away to audition for the Buffalo Bill gala. She obtains the position of Liberty Belle, horse-rider, but touring the country proves difficult as she expected accolades not mud. Meanwhile the troupe's superstar Shep Sterling tries to court Irmagard, but she ignores his attention as she focuses on being the best trick rider the Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West show has ever had, while knowing the estrangement of following her dream is causing with her mom.

Unbridled Dreams is a wonderful late ninetieth century Americana romance starring two likable lead characters and a strong support cast including the horses. The storyline is filled with subtle messages interwoven into the exciting often amusing plot. Besides the obvious believing in oneself to chase your dreams, parents should encourage their children to pursue their dreams (sort of Crosby Stills, Nash and Young's Teach Your Children blended with Kahlil Gibran's The Prophet in a western setting). Stephanie Grace Whitson provides her fans with a wonderful historical.

Harriet Klausner