Broken Horses

I’ve followed Brandi’s music for well over a decade. She is to me what Elton and Joni are to her – my musical hero. I’ll admit that I didn’t know what to expect when I learned she had written a memoir. I didn’t expect to laugh out loud as much as I did. I didn’t expect it to be so damn….good. If you’re a super fan like I am, you will not be disappointed. In fact, I would bet you’ll fall more in love with her music and her heart after reading it. Just get the book and thank me later

Brandi burst into my consciousness (probably into so many others) with the premier of the Highwomen and release of If She Ever Leaves Me (love, love the song). I’ve consumed as much of her music and media since, so preordering the book was a no-brained. However, staying up reading each night this week until I fell asleep with the pages open on the cover was not expected. I had to force myself to go to sleep a couple of nights as I was engrossed. The entire book feels like one big conversation where you’re just invited into her life, a verbose back stage all-access pass. I could go on but I’ll just end with saying this is the best memoir I’ve ever read and the world most definitely is a better place for her light shining in it.

What begins as a story about a young, poor, gay woman making her way in the world of music quickly becomes the universal. Her level of self-awareness and radical honesty allows her to tell all of our story. This is our human experience: what it is and what it could be. Our reality and our potential. It is beautiful. I’m so happy she wrote this book, and I can’t wait to share it with my kids who will be better, more actualized people because of her words: those in her songs and those in this book. What a glorious read.

I’ve been a Brandi Carlile fan since Bear Creek. That album was phenomenal! As I’ve learned more about Brandi over the years, I find more inspiration and encouragement for pursuing my own art. She has challenged me to think outside of the Evangelical box in personal relationships, and in relating to non-binary people in my circle…which turns out to include my own kids. Broken Horses tells a lot more of Brandi’s story, and her raw and open style continues to challenge and encourage. I will be buying hard copies of this book to give to people.

Wow, what an amazing memoir! I didn’t even know there was a Brandi Carlile until I saw Benicio Bryant sing The Joke on America’s Got Talent. Haunted by the words and melody, I jumped on YouTube and found a singer whose songs put a mirror to my face while reminding me of our collective humanity. I wondered what inspired the music. Then came Broken Horses. Like her songs, Brandi’s memoir unabashedly reflects her humanity and like The Story, tells “how I got to where I am”. If she was my neighbor, I’d invite her over for coffee so we could talk awhile longer. If you have ever wondered who Brandi is and where the songs came from, this book is for you but be prepared to learn so much more.

Galaxyaudiobook Member Benefit

- Able to comment

- List watched audiobooks

- List favorite audiobooks

- Bookmark will only available for Galaxyaudiobook member