Reviews

Lazy B: Growing Up on a Cattle Ranch in the American Southwest by Sandra Day O'Connor

thedelanster's review

informative reflective slow-paced

3.5

This book feels as boring and heartfelt as I would imagine growing up  on a farm surrounded by found family would be. 

diane13s's review

3.0

I'm enjoying the book for its historical accounts, but it's not presented in a way that I feel called back to continue reading. I'll hold onto it ... I very much enjoyed hearing the author speak in person about her childhood.

momey's review

5.0

I thought this was wonderful. i don't know why it doesn't have higher ratings. Its a collection of portraits of everyday people working a ranch in the early and mid century midwest . Its not romanticized or sentimental. It explained a lot about Sandra Day O'Connor, the supreme court justice and it made me sad that these 'kind' of people seem to have so much less influence. Conservatism seems to be fueled by hate now rather than pragmatic lifestyle choices

evamadera1's review

fast-paced

3.0

Once again, I did not get the book I expected. However, this book performed better than the one of O'Connor's that I read last month. While I enjoyed learning more about the ranch on which O'Connor grew up, the narrative felt oddly distant and more like a biography of a collection of people or a history of the ranch than the memoir style recollections that the subtitle purports it to be.

anderson65's review

1.0

1st woman appointed to Supreme Court

growing up on a New Mexico/Arizona ranch

did not finish---ho-hum...

jwisneski0208's review

5.0

This book will open your eyes to life on a cattle ranch during the first half of the 20th century. What's amazing is how the Day family made it through the Great Depression while maintaining a successful ranch.

marciesteinicke's review

4.0

I was pleasantly surprised by this book. My mother grew up on a ranch and so I loved the description of ranch life. It is a fairly simple read, with short chapters.

ngerharter's review

4.0

My jolabokaflod book this year (thanks Michelle!). A simply-written memoir about life on a cattle ranch. Reminded me of an earlier generation of "Its Head Came Off By Accident" by Muffy Mead-Ferro.
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Extreme Book Nerd Challenge 2019 - A nonfiction book

maylingkuo's review against another edition

3.0

This book read almost like historical fiction more than a memoir. I've actually been lucky enough to hear Justice Sandra Day O'Connor speak in person. As a result, I think I like the book more than I would otherwise because it's like I could hear her reading it. This memoir is written as if its dictated and you can actually tell that in the writing style, which is kind of a weird thing because it's a book. You want the language to be more readable then this book delivers. Another thing that's kind of strange about the Lazy B is that it's written by Sandra and Alan, yet all of his portions are written from the perspective of Sandra. I know that she is the more famous person, but it feels bizarre to hear his personal stories told through her eyes and I wish it was more of a partnership of authors. It is fascinating to read the background of such a famous person, especially because she had humble beginnings on a ranch. Clearly they weren't a poor family, but they certainly were resourceful, economical and lived through hard times. You really see where someone can develop work ethic strength and resolve to get the to the place that she did in life.

lenni's review against another edition

This was definitely Alan's book with Sandra's name slapped on it. Interesting cowboys-of-yore stories with no thread or personal reflection.