A Girl and Five Brave Horses

A Girl and Five Brave Horses, first published in 1961, is the inspirational autobiography of Sonora Webster Carver (1904-2003) – one of the first female “horse divers” – and who would become a nationwide sensation. Horse-diving, where the horse climbs a 40 to 60 foot tower and, as the platform drops, the horse and rider plunge to a deep water-filled pool below, is exciting for spectators but can be dangerous to the performers. In 1931, while delighting fans across the country, tragedy struck as Sonora hit the water at an awkward angle, detaching both her retinas and leaving her blind. However, Sonora would continue to dive horses until 1942. Included are 16 pages of photographs. Sonora Carver's story was the basis of the 1991 Disney movie Wild Hearts Can't be Broken.