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Chosen Forever: A Memoir
“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.
“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.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2008
43 people are currently reading
390 people want to read
About the author
Susan Richards
8 books87 followersSusan Richards has a BA in English from the University of Colorado and a Master of Social Work degree from Adelphi University. She lives in Olivebridge, New York, with three dogs, two cats, and four horses.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Librarian Note: There is more than one author by this name in the Goodreads database.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews
August 20, 2018
My mother, an amazing equestrian and lifelong lover of horses, gave me this book and I finally read it, two years after my mother's death. Although I had not read 'Chosen by a Horse, Richards' bestselling memoir, this follow-up touched me deeply, as Richards so eloquently describes her journey toward healing from anxiety and low self-esteem. That healing came from nature, animals and especially horses. I also appreciated her descriptions of New England as she toured the northeast on a book tour. Being an author myself, I could appreciate her fear and self-deprecating humor as she encountered the ups and downs of book readings and signings. A sweet memoir for animal lovers everywhere.
October 27, 2008
sequel to "Chosen By a Horse" - so I know it's going to be abslutely wonderful.
October 2008 - I finished this after some time. I so much related to this author - she is retirement age, which I am closing in on. So many of her thoughts about midlife and transitioning lifestyles were great insights for me. Her quotes found their way into my journal.
Probably would not recommend this to younger friends, unless they just wanted to hear "her" point of view - they are lovely stories.
~Mad
October 2008 - I finished this after some time. I so much related to this author - she is retirement age, which I am closing in on. So many of her thoughts about midlife and transitioning lifestyles were great insights for me. Her quotes found their way into my journal.
Probably would not recommend this to younger friends, unless they just wanted to hear "her" point of view - they are lovely stories.
~Mad
January 16, 2015
Lay Me Down is the horse that changed Susan Richards' life. This book is about her prior book, "Chosen by a Horse", the book tours she took, the feelings she had, falling in love and reaching retirement. I felt it was more of a self exploration than a memoir but was insightful and touching.
May 31, 2018
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.
July 21, 2010
I think I got this book becuase I thought it was her great memoir "Chosen Forever." However, it was just a long book about that book and how great it was. Oh, and she falls in love, but it's mostly about doing book tours and descriptions of book stores. It made me crazy wishing I was reading the real book rather than the book about the book. Grrr
November 19, 2019
I have three main beefs with this book. Maybe four.
Firstly—this book has little to nothing to do with Chosen by a Horse. Which would be fine, if it weren’t deliberately titled to invoke that book. I enjoyed that one, with some reservations. This one I did not. Which leads me to—
Secondly—this woman cannot be grateful for anything. She got her book blurbed on Oh!, but it was too small and didn’t have a picture. Her publisher sent her on a book tour, but the turnout wasn’t as good as Richards expected. It’s incredibly irritating to read about an author who wrote a book that was more successful than she could’ve imagined, but at the same time, was constantly griping about how things weren’t good enough. I realize this is probably a symptom of her anxiety, but I couldn’t get past the lack of self-awareness here.
Thirdly—she paints her relationship with Dennis Stock in a very romantic light, despite some glaring issues. He announces a major relationship step to everyone without talking to Richards first. He agrees with her about how to approach an event, and then wheedles her away from everything they agreed upon afterward. He has no apparent sense of personal boundaries, touching people’s faces whom he’s never met, and is just all-around an annoying human being. Richards portrays him as this daring, romantic man, but even then the reader can clearly trace controlling behaviors. Also, she decides at one point to stay with him because she sees two bald eagles flying together, because “it was a sign.” WHAT?
Fourth(ly?)—this is more a meandering memoir with no overarching premise. The first half is mostly about the success of Chosen by a Horse, the second half mostly about the relationship with Dennis. Interspersed throughout are anecdotes about the family she remembers, some animal stories, and just so much overthinking. Once again, this is probably a product of the author’s self-professed anxiety, but it made for a self-involved narrator who had no self-awareness and whose self-reflection was nothing short of irritating.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. There are charming moments, to be sure, but watching Richards repeat the same mistakes toward men (overthinking to the point she checks out of a relationship, being too accommodating, which at one point she shows how she broke away from that and then goes right back to doing it, making commitments with partners that she is ambivalent about) is so frustrating.
Tl;dr: Read Chosen by a Horse and stop there.
Firstly—this book has little to nothing to do with Chosen by a Horse. Which would be fine, if it weren’t deliberately titled to invoke that book. I enjoyed that one, with some reservations. This one I did not. Which leads me to—
Secondly—this woman cannot be grateful for anything. She got her book blurbed on Oh!, but it was too small and didn’t have a picture. Her publisher sent her on a book tour, but the turnout wasn’t as good as Richards expected. It’s incredibly irritating to read about an author who wrote a book that was more successful than she could’ve imagined, but at the same time, was constantly griping about how things weren’t good enough. I realize this is probably a symptom of her anxiety, but I couldn’t get past the lack of self-awareness here.
Thirdly—she paints her relationship with Dennis Stock in a very romantic light, despite some glaring issues. He announces a major relationship step to everyone without talking to Richards first. He agrees with her about how to approach an event, and then wheedles her away from everything they agreed upon afterward. He has no apparent sense of personal boundaries, touching people’s faces whom he’s never met, and is just all-around an annoying human being. Richards portrays him as this daring, romantic man, but even then the reader can clearly trace controlling behaviors. Also, she decides at one point to stay with him because she sees two bald eagles flying together, because “it was a sign.” WHAT?
Fourth(ly?)—this is more a meandering memoir with no overarching premise. The first half is mostly about the success of Chosen by a Horse, the second half mostly about the relationship with Dennis. Interspersed throughout are anecdotes about the family she remembers, some animal stories, and just so much overthinking. Once again, this is probably a product of the author’s self-professed anxiety, but it made for a self-involved narrator who had no self-awareness and whose self-reflection was nothing short of irritating.
I listened to this as an audiobook, and I couldn’t wait for it to be over. There are charming moments, to be sure, but watching Richards repeat the same mistakes toward men (overthinking to the point she checks out of a relationship, being too accommodating, which at one point she shows how she broke away from that and then goes right back to doing it, making commitments with partners that she is ambivalent about) is so frustrating.
Tl;dr: Read Chosen by a Horse and stop there.
December 30, 2025
This is a sequel memoir to the previous memoir, Chosen by a Horse, thus one being written about how that book has impacted her. I found that funny, so despite only marginally liking Chosen by a Horse, I thought I'd give this one a try as well. I actually enjoyed it a lot more. The updates on her life, and her publishing process were interesting. More importantly, I think this book does a better job showing her overcoming her personal struggles that she admits in this book, began with the horse, and was seen through here. It was a good read.
November 4, 2020
This was an okay reading (or listening) experience for me. It isn’t so much the story of her romance with the man she ended up marrying as it is the story of everything that happened after she published a book. I guess I was expecting more of a romance and I was slightly taken aback to find that it mostly wasn’t that, but it wasn’t a bad book. Just not was I was expecting and not super exciting.
May 14, 2022
I decided to read this book because I read her first book "Chosen by a Horse". That book was excellent. She was open and honest about how Lay-Me-Down changed her life and help her resolve her past.
This book was so repetitive. Everyone she meets makes her feel insecure and she has a need to go in-depth about the same thing every time she meets someone or makes a decision.
This book was so repetitive. Everyone she meets makes her feel insecure and she has a need to go in-depth about the same thing every time she meets someone or makes a decision.
October 16, 2025
This is a beautifully written memoir about family and what it means to find success in work and love later in life. It’s written with candor and humor. I laughed out loud at the description of a beautiful car ride through the Kancamagus Highway being interrupted by smoke pouring from the hood of the car.
June 18, 2022
I have always loved horses and listening to this memoir I went through most of the things that this author did and I learned a lot from my horse, dogs & cats over the years and this has helped me also move ahead with my life like the author.
March 21, 2025
A courageous and persevering story of facing life's obstacles
This is the third book written by Susan Richards that I have read. I grew up with horses. I look for books and movies about horses.
This is the third book written by Susan Richards that I have read. I grew up with horses. I look for books and movies about horses.
April 2, 2019
This was a lush, beautifully written memoir that was, in spots, very thought provoking. The author's upbringing certainly made me appreciate my family.
May 30, 2019
The father she never had?
This is a stream-of-consciousness autobiography pegged onto book tour stops in which the author raises more questions than she answers.
This is a stream-of-consciousness autobiography pegged onto book tour stops in which the author raises more questions than she answers.
October 3, 2019
Sweet book, read Chosen by a Horse first.
May 22, 2020
A very sweet read...love her books!!
June 17, 2021
Enjoyed the subject matter but wow, is she insecure. It reminded me a little of one of Valerie Bertinelli's books because instead of appreciating things, Valerie just whines about how fat she thinks she is.
January 18, 2025
Honest & insightful. Proof that it’s never too late to find your happy 😊
January 25, 2012
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.
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.
September 15, 2015
Chosen Forever is based on horses in which I love horses my self. It also continues from the story chosen by a horse. It also talks about healing relationships with horses.
As the story is more about a memoir as it also focus on the same characters as in the story chosen forever. In this story ,She points him out to her friend and says that if she were to ever date again, she'd want the man she dated to look just like him. Later, she finds out he’s actually not married to the woman he’s with; she’s just a friend. Richards is later introduced to him.In her mid-fifties, Richards has pretty much given up on finding a man to share her life with. She has three adoring dogs and a cat to share her bed with. What more could she ask for.
It is a very good story as Richards talks about her fears and trimphs. The way she describes her pets which includes her horses and cats. Richards also has beautiful names for them also. Great Book.
As the story is more about a memoir as it also focus on the same characters as in the story chosen forever. In this story ,She points him out to her friend and says that if she were to ever date again, she'd want the man she dated to look just like him. Later, she finds out he’s actually not married to the woman he’s with; she’s just a friend. Richards is later introduced to him.In her mid-fifties, Richards has pretty much given up on finding a man to share her life with. She has three adoring dogs and a cat to share her bed with. What more could she ask for.
It is a very good story as Richards talks about her fears and trimphs. The way she describes her pets which includes her horses and cats. Richards also has beautiful names for them also. Great Book.
September 17, 2016
I loved Chosen By A Horse, and couldn't understand why Saddled later showed up next to it at the library, but not this one. Now I do -- despite the cover, it's not about horses at all, it's about the book tour and what life was like after being published, like many quick sequels to bestselling memoirs. It's interesting detail, just not as memorable, though cute dogs/dog stories abound and I was pleasantly charmed by her apparently fated-to-be relationship with Dennis (a surprisingly famous photographer, it turns out). He comes across as a bit of an odd duck, someone I would not be comfortable around at all, but it seemed to work well for her.
March 17, 2011
Susan Richards is a writer, but no one appreciates her, but she just wrote a book called 'Chosen by a horse', and that book makes her really famous, in the chapter that I am reading now, she is going through a lot of readings, and interviews, but the story is actually about a horse, a book, and 'finding love', Susan Richards was really tired for doing the reading session, she even have a reading tour, but there was this man, who she met along time ago, and she just saw him, saw him in her reading session, who is this man? Find out more in this book!
Susan Richards
Susan Richards
November 9, 2009
I like Susan Richards because she's almost as anxiety-prone as I am. This is her take on a book tour that was never supposed to happen, and how it reconnected her with many friends and family members from her past. If there is one thing I would change, it would be that I read her NYT best-selling memoir "Chosen By A Horse," first, because she makes constant references to it throughout this book and it's difficult, not knowing the entire story. For anyone who likes or dreams of living in the country, finding love later in life, and is a sucker for horses, this book is for you.
November 2, 2024
I loved Chosen by a Horse when I read it years ago and I loved this one just as much. I can see that some people thought she concentrated too much on her own life and not enough on the horses as the first book did...a memoir is a memoir...I tend to like reading them as long as they are interesting to me...and this one was. The first one was about her life with the horses and what led up to the book...this one is more about her book tour and her retirement and that is okay. I enjoyed it enough to give it five stars...can't go higher than that.
December 9, 2010
This follow up to "Chosen by a Horse" was an interesting peek into Richards' life after she published her first book. She details her experiences of the book tour, reconnecting with people from her childhood, and relationship struggles with insight and honesty. The narrative is punctuated by wry humor and stories of her animals, which will please fans of her first book. There are little nuggets of wisdom throughout, but the focus of this book is more human than horse (unlike her first book). A satisfying sequel.
April 28, 2011
Richard's memoir relates the agony and uncertaincies of her first book tour. I have not read her first book (the book for which she was doing readings), Chosen by a Horse, but I will. After countless rejections by editors, her first memoir about her beloved horse was published. Then the real work begain--endless traveling and readings. Sometimes only one or two people showed up. The book also recounts Richard's later-in-life romance and subsequent marriage to photographer, Dennis Stock. I immediately felt a kinship with Richards, not only as a writer, but as an animal lover.
February 26, 2016
I loved this book...such an honest memoir of what happens unexpectedly and as a result of living life in a meaningful way, growing and doing what you are meant to be doing at the moment. The reader can identify with a love that starts as a curiosity, moves on to interest with careful observation, then balances criticism with hope for possibilities, and finally blossoms into a warm, caring love that envelopes her, filling in the needy places that Susan's horses (read her previous works) fell short of healing.
August 8, 2008
To begin with, I am not much of a memoir person, but I read her first memoir, Chosen By A Horse, and absolutely loved it, so I thought I would give this one a try. It was nothing compared to the first book. It was basically just describing how if felt to get her first book noticed - going through book readings and appearances at book stores, overcoming some of her fears and becoming reunited with all of the friends and love ones she lost through out her life.
August 16, 2008
I'm giving this a low rating just because I wasn't feeling like this had as much of a story or freshness to it as her previous book (chosen by a horse) did.
Yes, I am a harsh critic. Picky reader I guess.
I stuck with it for lack of anything else to read at the moment. I admire her fortitude and can appreciate what she has been through and done with her life, just hope the next book has more oomph to it.
Yes, I am a harsh critic. Picky reader I guess.
I stuck with it for lack of anything else to read at the moment. I admire her fortitude and can appreciate what she has been through and done with her life, just hope the next book has more oomph to it.
March 22, 2011
Although I didn't like it as much as I did Chosen By a Horse, this was still an excellent book and definintely worth reading. I found it intersting to follow her as she went about publishing Chosen By a Horse, going on her book tour, and finding the love of her life. I think the book could have done with a little less of the flash backs. They were needed in some parts, but other parts I found them to be slightly irrelevant to the story.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 80 reviews