Harriet Gibson was thrown into an unfamiliar lifestyle, when her world, consisting only of her mother and herself, became compromised. In a time when automobiles were scarce, many used livestock as means of transportation. Old and new crossed paths on a fateful day, resulting in several deaths and an exchange of hands regarding Harriet’s life. Now an orphan, Harriet is shipped off to the countryside, to live with the unsettling and strict Aunt Sarah. Harriet grows weary of the constant chores and subservient mannerisms she needs to display, so different from the life she acknowledged as home. Many times, Harriet and her aunt bicker over the littlest things, eventually causing a full-blown argument with screaming words of resentment. Harriet yearns for escape. However, her only chance at freedom is a seven-mile ride to school, available to her only if she is able to tame her young colt. As she trains the colt, Harriet discovers her the truth regarding her father and her uncle. Although adapting to country life, Harriet can’t help but desire a normal to her life of abnormal circumstances. Growing frustrated at the nonchalant attitude of the wild and untrained colt, among inconstant days of training that seem to work, she blames and assails the horse; the colt, feeling threatened, unleashes his unrestrained fury and his gallop,which Harriet was unprepared for and thrown completely off his back hanging on only by the bridle, causes blisters and burns all over Harriet’s body. Even while suffering from the wounds, Harriet empathizes with the colt, seeing her scared and young self in him. Over the novel, Harriet matures and accepts her mother’s passing and Aunt Sarah’s help and care, realizing that she tries her best to raise Harriet. A heartwarming story, written by Jessie Haas, Unbroken: A Novel describes the plight of a single girl, struggling to adapt in a world unfamiliar to her and her friends.
