Crazy Woman

To me, Kate Horsley's CRAZY WOMAN centers on what happens to people who simply bite off more than they can chew. Or maybe are never taught to chew it in the first place. The novel's central character, Sara grows up with a drunken, abusive father, and a mother who refuses to acknowledge the problem. Unequipped to deal with men, Sara goes offf to college, where she meets a messed up young man who considers sex andsexuality evil. Still he marries Sara and takes her west to do missionary work. What follows is a gritty portrayl of Sara's mental breakdown in the desert and her return to something that might be considered normal. CRAZY WOMAN also explores the position of a person on the edge of society. To survive Sara hooks up with a band of Apaches that pull her in and push her out of their lives. I found myself connecting with Sara's struggles. We've all been half in and half out of groups at times. We've all been driven to wits' end about something and more or less recovered. CRAZY WOMAN is a story of a girl with romantic notions who grows up when she has to face harsh reality. Everybody in the world has had experience with that universal theme at some level. CRAZY WOMAN is thought provoking. It's not a fun read for a nice fall afternoon. It's something to sink your mental teath into and chew on.

I wasn't sure of what to expect with this book, but was struck by suprise. Once starting it, I simply couldn't put it down! Staying up all night for two nights should say something for this book. Sara fights to understand where she belongs in her world...her internal, imaginary one, the idealistic one her teaching school set her up with, the depressing one her father wished her into, the fantastic journey her mother wished for her, and the one with her new people (you'll just have to see, don't want to give it away). I think this book would be enjoyable to any person to read, man or woman, as the struggles Sara faces, we all face (secretely or not). I found my own self in her world, wondering in which one she would eventually find herself.

The story of the young "crazy" woman has stayed with me years after first reading this book. I have read it more than once and recommended it to friends who have all liked it. This young 19th-century girl feels that she must try harder to be "good" by the paternalistic rules of her world. She never feels that she is good enough. The reader follows her spiritual and intellectual growth--as she interacts with "Anglos," Mexicans, Native Americans, and supernatural beings. She perseveres through violence, physical hardships and dealings with ignorance, bigotry, and cruelty. It is a fascinating journey.

This book kept me glued to the couch until I turned the last page. It's more than a bit unusual, but three months after reading it, I still recommend it to my friends.