Ankle High and Knee Deep:

Women Reflect On Western Rural Life

 

Personal glimpses into the earthy, humorous, and poignant world of modern rural women

Colicky horses, trucks high-centered in pastures, late nights spent in barns birthing calves–the trials and tribulations of farm and ranch life are as central to its experience as amber waves of grain and Sunday dinners at the ranch house. 

Ankle High and Knee Deep collects together essays about lessons learned by ranch women, cowgirls, and farmers about what they’ve learned while standing in or stepping out of “mud, manure, and other offal” in their day to day lives on the land. This collection of entertaining and inspirational voices offers unique perspectives on relationships, loss, love, marriage, and parenting and other universal issues.

These are contemporary accounts of women struggling to keep a lifestyle intact, recollections of childhoods spent in open spaces, and tales of overcoming obstacles–inspirational reading for city dwellers and country folk, alike. 

  • Paperback: 256 pages
  • Publisher: TwoDot; 1 edition (June 3, 2014)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0762792116
  • ISBN-13: 978-0762792115
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.8 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces 
amazon

Five Stars

LOVE this book.

Cheryl Jacques October 27, 2017
amazon

Five Stars

I have a story in this book.

Patricia G. Custer February 19, 2017
amazon

An excellent, engaging read

Ankle High and Knee Deep: Women Reflect on Western Rural Life is an engaging collection of essays written by ranch women, cowgirls, and farmers. The anthology, edited by Gail L. Jenner, offers a candid look at rural life, its tranquil beauty and its messiness. This anthology is about lessons learned, sometimes the hard way. Many of the essays reminisce about childhoods on a ranch or farm, sharing the joy of riding horseback in wide open spaces. Along with the joy comes the hard parts, the endless chores, the hardships, the doing without when that year’s crops or stock doesn’t bring the hoped-for price. Several stories delve into experiences with horses and how they become an integral part of rural lives. Through the years horses have been the constant source of pleasure as well as of necessity. The book is divided into sections: Fortitude, Horse Sense, Community, Self-Reliance, Memory, Resilience and Lessons. Ankle High and Knee Deep offers stories rich in inspirational experiences The collection isn’t all pleasant—real life never is. The stories shared are from the heart, memories and current experiences of life passed on from generation to generation. Toward the back of the book a section about the contributing authors and photographers reveals the lives of those who have participated in this fine collection. These brief biographies reinforce the heart of the book. Photographs throughout the book help the reader feel what the words portray. This is an excellent read written by women who have lived what they write about. I highly recommend this anthology of life in rural America.

Mary E. Trimble June 28, 2016
amazon

Four Stars

good

Judith Eastlick January 30, 2016
amazon

I read bits and pieces of thus book before wrapping it up and enjoyed what I read

I bought this book as a gift. I read bits and pieces of thus book before wrapping it up and enjoyed what I read.

Tamara Quigley February 2, 2015
amazon

Five Stars

These are stories written by women who have "been there, done that"

della Evans October 9, 2014
amazon

Country Women are the backbone of the USA

It is a joy to read this eclectic collection of stories and essays by fifty-four country women from the west. But you don't have to be from the west or even from rural America to enjoy this anthology. Ankle High, Knee Deep is organized into seven categories: Fortitude, Horse Sense, Community, Self-Reliance, Memory, Resilience and Lessons. Inspiring real life stories by these hard working, strong women pack each section, and overwhelm me with admiration and respect for them. I'm a Pennsylvania country girl; I grew up on a farm with horses, so it isn't surprising that the Horse Sense section is my favorite, though the other sections tie as close seconds. "Bugsy," the horse rescue story is riveting. Spring floods suddenly swell Colorado's Elk River and a horse is stranded. I was right there rooting for Bugsy's safe recovery. Palpitations and all! "Daddy's Girl" is a poignant essay about the cycle of life. It is also the name of the writer's horse. The writer states that those who live, work, and grow up with animals, learn the lessons of life, and death comes naturally. However, when her horse dies, she realizes that "our drive was defined by our hope to sustain life, and in the end, the failure to do so is simply against our nature." Every year we hear about the great fires of the west, but the Resilience section drives home the personal horrors of these news reports. The first-person descriptions take the reader to the scene of the fires. In "Watching my Hills": "The storm had moved in and just seemed to stop. Thunder rolled. Lightening came in rapid flashes that sought the earth. It seemed to suck the oxygen right out of your pores. Then to the north—two miles away—a strike. And almost immediately a blaze in the dark... One night several years ago, I counted thirteen blazes from my lookout post..." This is a book with appeal for everyone. As a country girl, I've read many books about city life to gain understanding of a life different from my own. If you have country roots, of course you'll love it. However, if you are citified, born and bred, you will appreciate your country cousins like never before. by Ann McCauley for Story Circle Book Reviews reviewing books by, for, and about women

Story Circle Book Reviews September 9, 2014
amazon

great read!

Entertaining and nostalgic, written by farm/ranch/country women....great read!

Cyd Krouse July 7, 2014
amazon

I bought the book for my wife and she loved it. I have been reading it and find ...

I bought the book for my wife and she loved it . I have been reading it and find it to be a great window into the lives of women in Agg.

David m. Bradford July 4, 2014
amazon

"Civilization" superb!

So far I've had time to read only one story, "Civilization," by Lin Brummels which I really liked for its droll narration and memorable images. I'm looking forward to reading the rest, hoping that they will be equally good. I'm really glad I decided to purchase my own copy and have requested that it be added to our local library.

Bonnie J. Andersen June 29, 2014
amazon

Wonderful, wonder-filled

What a wonderful collection of the wonders of life these women have lived. Reading it is like sitting at each of their kitchen tables and visiting over a cup of coffee.

PW Editor May 16, 2014

  • Country Women are the backbone of the USACountry Women are the backbone of the USAStory Circle Book Reviews

    It is a joy to read this eclectic collection of stories and essays by fifty-four country women from the west. But you don't have to be from the west or even from rural America to enjoy this anthology.

    Ankle High, Knee Deep is organized into seven categories: Fortitude, Horse Sense, Community, Self-Reliance, Memory, Resilience and Lessons. Inspiring real life stories by these hard working, strong women pack each section, and overwhelm me with admiration and respect for them.

    READ MORE

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