If you're planning to read Riding Lessons because you loved 'Water for Elephants', you'll likely be disappointed. Thank goodness the author kept writing after this novel! I've become accustomed to horse novels being wildly inaccurate in their portrayal of the horse world, and this one is no exception. However, what is more frustrating with this novel is that I just couldn't bring myself to care about the main character, Anne Marie. Yes, she suffered a terrible tragedy, but she comes across as a selfish person who drinks excessively and lacks self-awareness to the point of pathology. One feels sorry for her child, certainly, but it's difficult to care about a story when the heroine leaves you cold.