Never Burn Your Moving Boxes: A True Tale of a Real-Life Cowboy Wife, a memoir by Jolyn Young, is a fun, fast-paced contemporary story of a young woman who had dreams of living a ranching lifestyle.
Jolyn’s dream came true when she was hired on at a Nevada ranch to work with horses and cattle on wide open rangeland. Along came a tall strong cowboy, Jim, who could do it all–ride a bronc and rope steers, often competing in rodeos. He was the real thing. They worked side by side, hard physical work, Jolyn learning the cowboy trade from a pro. Working together led to romance, marriage and within months, a baby.
Now a family, the Youngs moved with the seasons throughout the Southwest. Ranch housing was usually a run-down single-wide trailer, or a decrepit house in need of serious repair. Each time they moved, their new living arrangement needed scrubbing after the previous occupants neglect. Now with a little daughter and soon a son, Jolyn dealt with long distances to town, to medical care and supplies. Jim was often gone for weeks at a time when he worked the far reaches of rangeland, leaving Jolyn on her own to deal with domestic decisions and problems. As she would say, her lifestyle was now “Less colt wrangling and more kid wrangling as the years go by.” In the meantime Jolyn began writing magazine articles about her authentic country lifestyle, articles that have been well-received and added much needed funds to their budget.
I loved this memoir of marriage and motherhood on some of the most remote ranches in the American West. It’s a fun, honest, and not always pleasant view of the ranching lifestyle. I learned a new word, too: cavvy— a group of ranch horses. I admire the author’s ability to openly share her joys, sorrows, and the tough decisions she’s had to make along the way. I especially appreciate her humor and bravery in facing and accepting the downside of her nomadic lifestyle. Readers interested in ranching, particularly living in remote, wide open spaces, will enjoy this book.