Unbridled Dreams

Irmagard Friedrich was living the life her mother wanted. She seemed destined to live the life of a proper lady with finishing school in her future. That all changes when Buffalo Bill comes to town and Irma leaves home to fulfill her life long dream of becoming a rider in his show. With a new name and a new life ahead of her, Liberty Belle travels across the country and becomes the center of attention of two possible suitors. It's more than she could have ever dreamed of. Who wouldn't want to star alongside Buffalo Bill and Annie Oakley as trick rider in the Wild West show? I enjoyed seeing a young female be independent and following her lifelong dream in a time where women were supposed to be submissive and genteel. Maybe it's because in the West people had to focus more on survival than putting on airs. Either way it's always nice to see when a woman can stand up for her own self. Irma is a likable character. The time period is one that is very popular and romanticized. Everyone loves the Old West and would like to relive that popular time period. I enjoyed seeing historical characters throughout the story. I've always loved reading about the Wild West shows. I wish I could have been around back them to see them. How exciting it must have been to watch the acts and see all the famous names in their glory days. The back story between Irma's parents is interesting as well although at times it detracts from her story. One could have written a book alone regarding her parents, as it is a story in itsself. My only complaint was that it took me a while to get into the book. It starts off a little slow with not a lot of action. Once Irma leaves to join the show, the story then picks up and is very fast paced. Horse fans will also enjoy this story as trick riding gets a good deal of mentioning throughout the book.

Whitson has written a winner, again. Her character, Irma, is a young woman of seventeen who has her sights on being a trick rider in the Wild West show of Buffalo Bill. Her mother, however, is dead set against it, preferring to make Irma a dainty, socially correct young society woman. The King of the Cowboys is a wonderful character who immediately takes a liking to young Irma, and tries very hard to ignore her because of their age difference and the status of her personality...spoiled rotten by her Dad. Dad is a mysterious character who Stephanie forms as both hero and bad guy, the reader does not really know this man until well into the book. He will, however, do just about anything his only child, Irma wants or asks, and he seems to have a very secretive side. Through a very clever "trip" to see the Wild West show, Irma's life takes a complete turn, leaving her mother in temporary horror and shock. However, other things are happening with the parents which threaten the family unit. Irma agrees to attend a fancy finishing school to please her mother, but can and will she give up the chance to show her stuff with the traveling riders? This book is gentle, Christ-centered, has many different characters with varied personalities, some the reader will love, others you want to kick in the seat of their pants. I do hope Whitson plans on a sequel to this wonderful book about the wild west and a young woman named Liberty Belle.

Irma is a spirited girl rebelling against the genteel life her mother wants for her. Join Buffalo Bill's Wild West show as a trick rider? Unthinkable! Yet there are family secrets behind her mother's concerns, secets that may tear the family apart in ways Irma - now the reckless Liberty Belle in the Wild West show - can't begin to imagine. This book has a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at that Wild West show, along with a memorable message about the blessings of forgiveness.

Growing up, I was absolutely obsessed with all things western. I loved cowboy stories, and practically devoured Louis L'Amour novels (long live the Sacketts!). When I started reading Christian fiction, I soon found that most books with a western setting fell squarely into the "prairie romance" category (which is all well and good, but they just aren't my cup of tea). I prefer a western-set tale that's a little grittier or more adventurous. Unbridled Dreams fits the bill perfectly, delivering an adventurous, romantic, whirlwind coming-of-age tale set against the colorful backdrop of Buffalo Bill's Wild West. By the late 19th century, the west was settled, but the "wild" west lived on in Cody's renowned traveling show. Seventeen-year-old Irma Friedrich has one burning desire - to realize her dream of becoming Liberty Belle, a trick riding Wild West star. However, her unorthodox dream is in direct opposition to her mother's desire for a ladylike daughter who could make an advantageous marriage. When Irma and her overly-indulgent father Otto go to extreme lengths to make Irma's dream come true, Irma must prove herself to the Wild West troupe and somehow repair her tense relationship with her mother without sacrificing her dreams. But when the star cowboy, Shep, begins to pay her extra special attention, to Irma's shock she begins to question her single-minded pursuit of stardom. Irma is a wonderful, richly drawn character. She's a teenager with a lot to learn about life, and her journey from a passionate, spoiled girl to a hard-working troupe member is richly detailed and her maturation is believable. Willa and Otto's marriage is beautifully portrayed with a sometimes painful realism. Whitson's portrait of marriage shows it to be hard, sacrificial work, but when God's at the center of the relationship, the rewards are breathtakingly worthwhile. The heart of the story is Irma's growth as an individual and in coming to terms with her mother. I suspect that a lot of mothers and daughters will be able to relate to Willa and Irma's relationship. Through her characters, Whitson confronts the reader with what happens when secrets are laid bare, communication is fractured, and pride brings painful but much needed lessons. Unbridled Dreams is a fast-paced, absorbing read that takes its wonderfully real characters on a journey of forgiveness, healing, and restoration. Highly recommended.

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 nineteenth century Americana romance starring two likable lead characters and a strong support cast including the horses. The story line 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