Chosen Forever: a memoir

By Susan Richards

“Richards reflects on how rich life becomes when one travels her own best path. . . . Richards writes more courageously than she perhaps realizes, and each page of this uplifting book will touch a chord in everyone who enjoyed her first book.”-- Booklist

“Charismatic. . . Engaging writing by an honest self-explorer.”-- Kirkus Reviews

Praise for Chosen by a Horse:

“An inspired story of what family means, and what the loss of one can do to us, and for us.”—The Boston Globe

“An incredibly moving story, beautifully written and insightful.”—The Roanoke Times

“Two kindred spirits find each other in this beautifully written memoir.”—Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation

When Susan Richards adopted an abused horse rescued by the local SPCA, she didn’t know how Lay Me Down’s loving nature would touch her heart—and change her life.

Susan, a writing teacher, had lost her mother at the age of five and been abandoned by her father to uncaring relatives; she had endured an unhappy marriage ending in divorce and had self-medicated for anxiety and repressed anger with alcohol. For more than a decade, she aspired to be published, but it was only with the memoir she wrote to honor Lay Me Down that she achieved this goal.

The book led to a book tour, in the course of which Susan reconnected with family and friends. But even more joyously, at the second reading on her tour she met the man who had sold her his house twenty-four years earlier, a world-famous photographer, Dennis Stock. And they fell in love.


From the Hardcover edition.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: Jun 1, 2008
• ISBN: 9781569476864

Reviews for Chosen Forever

[liscarey · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Susan Richards rescued a horse named Lay Me Down, and changed her own life. Then, after Lay Me Down's death, she wrote a book about her, and did a book tour, and changed her life again. This is the story of that book tour, and if you think that's an unpromising topic, you're in for a delightful surprise.

Caring for Lay Me Down helped Susan Richards take the first real steps towards recovery from her emotionally isolated childhood, abusive marriage, and severe anxiety disorder. Writing about the experience took her further on her recovery, acknowledging her anger and beginning to forgive both herself and others.

In making the book tour for Chosen By a Horse, Richards does two important things: She reconnects with long-estranged family and friends, and she begins to truly get the better of her anxiety disorder. A third thing, even more important, she begins to accept herself as a worthy writer and interesting person,

A fourth thing. She meets, or rather meets again, renowned photographer Dennis Stock. She bought her farm from him twenty-four years ago, and at the time, she thought him arrogant. She apparently made no impression on him at all. Meeting again at one of Susan's first readings, at an animal shelter, they have rather a different effect on each other, and slowly begin a relationship.

This book isn't about the events; it's about Susan Richards' emotional and personal growth, and her amazing courage in being able to write about her feelings, behavior, and growth in stunning clarity. It's a revealing and rewarding story.

Highly recommended.

I borrowed this book from a friend.

[narilka · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I loved Chosen by a Horse when I read it a couple years ago, enough so that when I saw a second memoir by Susan Richards with horses on the cover I knew I had to pick it up. Unfortunately this is a case where I should have read the book blurb better. Instead of being about her horses this book is about the impact publishing her first book had on Susan's life and the book tour and life events that came after. It is a lovely little memoir, written with heart and a lot of self reflection, and provides a little insight into the life of a newly published author.

[hitchcockbe44 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I loved the previous book, Chosen by a Horse. I'm glad I read this book to finish the story. The only reason the first book got 5 stars and this one got 4, is that this book doesn't have nearly as much to do with horses as the first. I could still relate to Susan. However, I am not yet to the stage in my life, that Susan is in this book. Still and all, a really good read.

[lindyfoster · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Did not hold up to my expectations after her first book. It was okay.

[dlrichar · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sequel to Chosen by a Horse telling the success story of the author's publication of the first book. Includes anecdotes from her childhood as a foster child in her own extended family, from her book signing tour, and from her romance with photographer (now husband) Dennis Stock. Encouraging to writers who have received rejection letters.

[wintersrose · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Sequel to Chosen by a Horse telling the success story of the author's publication of the first book. Includes anecdotes from her childhood as a foster child in her own extended family, from her book signing tour, and from her romance with photographer (now husband) Dennis Stock. Encouraging to writers who have received rejection letters.