Long Shot

Combine Seabiscuit with Manic--throw in a touch of HBO's "Temple Grandin"--and you get Long Shot, a truly remarkable memoir by Sylvia Harris. A single mother of three, Harris was crippled by bipolar depression, until she discovered the miraculous healing and calming effect of horses--a revelation that ultimately enabled her to manage her illness, conquer the sexism of her field, and triumph as a champion jockey in the male-dominated world of horse racing. A fascinating, courageous, and ultimately redemptive true story, Long Shot has won high praise from Phyllis Chesler Ph.D., author of Women and Madness, who says, "[Harris's] attempt to find balance, joy, connectedness, and purpose in life constitutes a great adventure story."