Broken Horses

Broken Horses is Brandi Carlile's memoir chronicling her path from childhood in rural Washington state to becoming a Grammy-winning musician. The book spans her early years living in poverty, her experiences coming out as gay, and her rise in the music industry. Music remains at the core of this narrative, from Carlile's first performances at age 8 through her development as a songwriter and performer. The memoir includes stories about collaborations with other artists and behind-the-scenes moments from her career milestones. Faith, family relationships, and the craft of songwriting intertwine throughout the book, which incorporates photographs and handwritten song lyrics from Carlile's personal archives. Each chapter connects to specific songs from her discography. The memoir explores themes of authenticity, resilience, and finding one's voice - both literally and metaphorically. Through her personal story, Carlile examines the intersections of art, identity, and human connection.

Readers found Carlile's memoir raw and intimate, appreciating her openness about sexuality, faith, and family relationships. The audiobook version earned particular praise, with listeners noting how Carlile's music and narration enhanced the storytelling. Readers highlighted: - Detailed accounts of her musical journey - Stories about her relationship with Catherine - Background on song origins - Exploration of religious experiences Common criticisms: - Nonlinear timeline caused confusion - Some sections felt repetitive - Focus sometimes wandered from main narrative Ratings: Goodreads: 4.39/5 (24,000+ ratings) Amazon: 4.8/5 (5,800+ ratings) Audible: 4.9/5 (9,000+ ratings) Sample reader comments: "Her voice comes through exactly as she speaks and performs" - Goodreads reviewer "The audiobook is like a private concert in your living room" - Amazon reviewer "Too much jumping around in time" - Goodreads reviewer

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🎸 The memoir's title "Broken Horses" comes from Brandi Carlile's childhood experience of taming and healing injured horses, which became a metaphor for her own journey of self-discovery. 🎵 Despite being a Grammy-winning musician today, Carlile dropped out of high school and taught herself to sing by practicing yodeling, inspired by Patsy Cline's performances. 🏳️‍🌈 The book details Carlile's experience coming out at age 15 in a small, conservative town and the Baptist church's subsequent rejection of her, which profoundly influenced her music and activism. 📝 Carlile wrote the entire memoir by hand in spiral notebooks during the COVID-19 lockdown, refusing to use a computer or typing device. 🎤 The audiobook version features Carlile not only narrating but also performing new recordings of significant songs discussed in the memoir, creating a unique musical-literary experience.