The Hearts of Horses - Molly Gloss

In the winter of 1917, nineteen-year-old Martha Lessen saddles her horses and heads for a remote county in eastern Oregon looking for work "gentling" wild horses. Many of the regular hands are off fighting the war, and though the ranchers are sceptical of Martha's quiet, unconventional methods, it is clear that she has a serious knowledge of horses. Over the long, hard winter, the townsfolk witness Martha talking in low, sweet tones to horses believed beyond repair - and getting miraculous, almost immediate results. Ultimately, her gifts will earn her the respect of the men, the friendship of the women, and an indispensable place in the community.

The Hearts of Horses is a beautiful tale told in a simple manner. The prose is no-nonsense and yet somehow poetic at the same time. It is well worth picking up, even if you have little interest in Westerns or horses.

For me, the particular joy came from individual chapters that seemed to be almost short stories in their own right, telling tales about the ranchers on Martha's 'horse-circle'. Particular tales that touched my heart included Ruth and Tom Kandel (concerning Tom's fight against cancer) and the Thiede's, who are German-born, which becomes an issue as the shadow of World War 1 falls over the county.

Glass writes effectively and without sentiment about the hard lives of the ranchers, many of whom flocked to Oregon in the hopes of making their fortunes. There is heartache, and pathos, and engaging characters on every page.

Glass also offers us a perspective on the world outside the quiet Western county that Martha plies her trade in - Martha finds work because many of the young men have already been drafted into the army. She covers such sensitive topics as racism, terminal illness, and environmental destruction with grace and quiet commentary.

The overwhelming impression of this novel is peace: we drift into the tale with Martha's arrival in the county, spend some time with her as the shy young girl falls into a new life, and then drift away. It is an uncomplicated and ephemeral look at a long-gone time from history.

Talking of Horses - Monica Dickens

Talking of Horses is an interesting little book. Monica Dickens has clearly been around horses all of her life, and here she reminisces about certain horses she has owned down the years. The book is a memoir of sorts but deals only with her animals.

The writing is almost dreamlike and definitely a stream of consciousness rather than done with any true structure in mind. I'm uncertain why there were even chapters included, since there seems no logical reason why Dickens breaks off at the end of a chapter.

Her writing is competent - some of the descriptions of her horses (especially Ben) are almost poetic.

There is no easy reason to say why I love this book so, and come back to it on a regular basis. I think possibly because Dickens conveys the enormous delight in owning and being around horses?

In between anecdotal stories about past rides (my favourite being her ride with John along the beach at Cape Cod), Dickens offers little tidbits of advice about how to deal with ponies in the stable, while at riding, how to train, what equipment to use. Everything she says carries a certain gravity since it has all been learned through extensive experience.

This book is definitely only for the horse-lover! It is written for children in the main, but no reason why adults won't enjoy the simplicity and enthusiasm of the writing. I enjoyed it, but it is definitely not for everyone.