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Reviewed by K.C. Finn for Readers' Favorite
Sky Ranch: Reared in the High Country is a work of non-fiction in the memoir, slice-of-life, and inspirational writing genres. It is best suited to mature adult readers as it contains adult situations and themes, including an explicit exploration of suicide. Penned by author Linda M. Lockwood, we follow young Linda as she moves to an isolated ranch in eastern Washington with her family. By age ten, she is managing ranch duties from herding sheep to protecting livestock. Her greatest challenge, however, is her mother's descent into schizophrenia, a condition Linda fears inheriting. At twenty-five, Linda marries and faces further trauma with her mother's suicide, a miscarriage, and her grandmother's death. Despite these hardships, she builds her own family and vows to uncover the roots of her mother's illness and its impact on her own life and potential future.
Author Linda M. Lockwood holds nothing back in crafting this profound and emotional read. The author’s raw, honest account of her childhood on a remote ranch is both rugged and captivating, painting vivid images of her adventures and challenges with evocative, atmospheric language that helps the audience feel they’re right there with her in the moment for some truly heartbreaking experiences. Her resilience and determination in the face of adversity are truly inspiring, especially her relentless pursuit of her dream to train horses, which balances some of the darker aspects of the memoir well. The portrayal of her mother's schizophrenia adds a poignant complexity to matters that helps readers to empathize deeply with Linda's fears and struggles but also sheds light on the importance of mental health support. The narrative is heart-wrenching when detailing her personal losses, yet it also shows the strength she derived from her upbringing. These moments are well-paced between descriptions of life on the ranch that are both nostalgic and enlightening, revealing a lifestyle that is both harsh and beautiful. Overall, Sky Ranch: Reared in the High Country is a deeply inspirational work that fans of well-penned, immersive memoirs will no doubt enjoy from cover to cover.
