Many Brave Fools by Susan Conley
Codependency, a compulsive behavior sometimes known as 'relationship addiction,' is often characterized by a dysfunctional, one-sided relationship that is emotionally destructive-even abusive. For years Susan Conley found herself trapped, married to an addict whose health, welfare, and safety she valued far above her own. Over time she watched as she lost contact with her own needs, desires, and sense of self. But then at forty-two, after yet another crisis came to an anticlimactic resolution that left nothing healed and little to hope for, she decided, having never so much as touched a horse, to take up riding. Here, with humor and honesty, Conley chronicles her experiences, sharing how her pledge to rediscover herself following her divorce was aided, abetted, and challenged by the horses in her life. 'They were as large a part of my recovery as were any of the self-help books I read, personal development workshops I did, and 12-step meetings I attended,' she writes. 'The struggle to heal the wounds of a dysfunctional marriage was actually made easier via the real wounds received from horseback riding.' Many Brave Fools explores the ways in which horses enriched Conley's life, and how the process of making herself into a rider also helped her become the person she most wanted to be: not the 'ex-wife of an addict,' but a responsive, confident, even courageous woman, entering the prime of her life.
An interesting read that really sheds light on co-dependency and how horses can help us to heal* Woman's Way Ireland *
This book is beautifully written. I felt I was with Conley every step of the way, experienced her delight at her equestrian achievement and her pride at having rid herself of her co-dependency on her husband. Horses help in so many ways, and that this experience could make such a change in her life is a wonderful testament to both her dedication to riding and to the wonderful horses who continue to fascinate us all. -- Louise Broderick
This book is beautifully written. I felt I was with Conley every step of the way, experienced her delight at her equestrian achievement and her pride at having rid herself of her co-dependency on her husband. Horses help in so many ways, and that this experience could make such a change in her life is a wonderful testament to both her dedication to riding and to the wonderful horses who continue to fascinate us all. -- Louise Broderick
Susan Conley is the author of The Foremost Good Fortune, which was a finalist for the Goodreads Choice Prize and won the Maine Literary Award for memoir. Her work has appeared in publications such as The New York Times Magazine, The Paris Review, and Ploughshares, among others. The MacDowell Colony, the Bread Loaf Writers' Conference, and the Massachusetts Arts Council have all given her fellowships. She is a cofounder of The Telling Room, a creative-writing lab in Portland, Maine, where she lives with her husband and two sons. She teaches at the University of Southern Maine's Stonecoast MFA writing program.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781570768873 |
| ISBN 10 | 1570768870 |
| Title | Many Brave Fools |
| Author | Susan Conley |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Trafalgar Square |
| Year published | 2019-03-06 |
| Number of pages | 224 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |