On a Hoof and a Prayer: Exploring Argentina at a Gallop [Paperback]

Polly Evans (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 29, 2008

The stampeding true story of one woman’s journey from timorous equestrian novice to wildly whooping cowgirl—a madcap ride through Argentina that will fascinate horse lovers, travelers, and armchair adventurers alike.

As a girl, Polly Evans dreamed about learning to ride—and in her mid-thirties the obsession returned. Determined to finally bite the bullet and saddle up, she set off for Argentina, home of the nomadic gaucho whose spirit still gallops across the plains. In this sprawling country, six-year-olds travel to school on horseback. How difficult could it be?

As she learns to sit astride a horse without falling off and befriends the marvelous creatures around her, Polly leaps into the sights and sounds of Argentina past and present: a hair-raising mystery involving Evita Perón becomes a parable about women, politics, and religion; a tango performance in Buenos Aires an occasion for both sorrow and rejoicing. From wine tasting in the Andes to exploring the legendary Perito Moreno Glacier, from investigating the myth of the gaucho to discovering her Welsh roots in Patagonia, Polly takes us along for an exhilarating, unforgettable ride as she finally lives out her dream—at a trot, a canter, and a gallop.

Editorial Reviews

Review

“A jolly romp of a read.” —Sunday Telegraph,UK

“Breezy, lighthearted.”—Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Polly Evans studied modern languages at Cambridge University, where she learned a little about Spanish and a little more about men. The hours of hard research she poured into these two subjects, plus a four-year stint at Hong Kong's largest weekly magazine, inspired her first three books, all available from Delta. Polly now lives in London, where she is at work on the tale of her attempts to learn to ride in horse-mad Argentina.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Delta (April 29, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0385341105
• ISBN-13: 978-0385341103
• Product Dimensions: 5.2 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,098,136 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Inconsequential, August 3, 2009

By 

Justin F. Gaynor - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On a Hoof and a Prayer: Exploring Argentina at a Gallop (Paperback)

I should start my review by saying that this book is a fine example of its type -- the breezy travelogue -- but if you prefer something meatier and more substantial, you're likely to be disappointed.

When I read books of this sort, my hope is that in return for the time spent reading, I'll come away with a better idea of the place being written about. While she did a credible job of describing some of the landscapes she encountered, if you're interested in people and culture, well, I have some bad news for you.

Example: During a brief visit to Buenas Aires, she encounters a group of "Mothers of the Disappeared" protesting in front of a government building. And she writes something like this: "Was the little girl pictured on her T-shirt one of the disappeared? How did it happen? How did she feel about it? What drives her to continue these protests thirty years after the event?"

Three pages later, she encounters *Grand*mothers of the disappeared, and again with the rhetorical questions: "Did she really hope to find her grandson? How could the government help her now? Did she feel haunted as she walked the streets, wondering if each young man she saw was her long-vanished relative?"

Good questions all. She's fluent in Spanish, so why didn't she ask them and let us know? What the heck kind of travel writer is too timid to speak to the people she finds interesting enough to describe?

I found it very frustrating, and would only give this book two stars, but other people might not care too much about that stuff so I'll give her one more. I mean, it wasn't horrible -- just shallow.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Like reading wet ramen--filling, but not memorable, August 17, 2008

By 

SamIam (South Dakota) - See all my reviews

This review is from: On a Hoof and a Prayer: Exploring Argentina at a Gallop (Paperback)

Polly has written a complete account of her travels; unfortunately, she has done so with unspectacular prose. Consequently, biblio amnesia frequently descends, leaving you asking yourself, "What did I just read? Was it important?" I wanted to like this book, and I certainly don't hate it. I just wish I'd encountered some truly memorable prose that I could take with me from this experience. Polly has some unique insights--she just needs to find a way to make her prose as vivid and inspiring as her travels.

4.0 out of 5 stars good trip prep, January 31, 2010

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C. Little - See all my reviews
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This review is from: On a Hoof and a Prayer : Around Argentina at a Gallop (Paperback)

Polly Evans is a great travel writer. I preferred the book about China, but this was good prep for our trip to Argentina.