CHOSEN FOREVER
A Memoir
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 an unhappy marriage ending in divorce and had self-medicated for anxiety (and grief and repressed anger) with alcohol. For more than a decade she had aspired to be a published writer but it was only with the memoir she wrote to honor Lay Me Down that she achieved this goal.
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 an unhappy marriage ending in divorce and had self-medicated for anxiety (and grief and repressed anger) with alcohol. For more than a decade she had aspired to be a published writer 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 with whom she had severed relations. 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.
- Soho Press
- Hardcover
- June 2008
- 288 Pages
- 9781569474921
Buy the Book
$23.00
About Susan Richards
Susan Richards lives in Bearsville, New York with her husband Dennis Stock and their 4 dogs and one cat.
Praise
“An inspired story of what family means, and what the loss of one can to do to us, and for us.”
—Boston Globe
“An incredibly moving story, beautifully written and insightful.” —Roanoke Times
“Two kindred spirits find each other in this beautifully written memoir.” —Temple Grandin, author of Animals in Translation
Susan Richards lives in Bearsville, New York with her husband Dennis Stock and their 4 dogs and one cat.
Discussion Questions
Is perseverance as important as inspiration to a would-be writer? Discuss.
Can a woman inspire love if she thinks she’s unattractive?
Do you think that the more than twenty-year age difference between Susan and Dennis should have prevented them from marrying?
How do animals differ from humans as catalysts for change?
The advantages of wealth are myriad. What are the disadvantages?
What makes “home” different from anywhere else?
What are the challenges older couples face when trying to integrate their lives?
Has a seemingly random “sign” ever helped you make a decision?
What accounts for the current popularity of memoirs? What do people want from a memoir?
Are the loss of a child and the loss of a pet equal?
Did you learn things about the inside of the publishing world that surprised you? Did you think that publishers and writers all made a lot of money right away?