Title: The Hearts of Horses
Author: Molly Gloss
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: Martha Lesson is a horse trainer in 1917 Eastern Oregon. Some take her on since many of the farm hands are fighting ing WW1. Martha travels around to a few farms going in a circle, switching out horses along the way. At first, the ranchers are skeptical of her quiet ways of breaking (teaching them how to be ridden) horses. Slowly, the ranchers see how effective Martha’s teachings are. She starts earning their respect. They start sharing their lives with her. The ranchers also ask for her help around the farms if she stays for more than a day. Along the way between two farms, something spooks (scares) the horse she’s riding. Martha and her horse take a tumble off the road and down a small cliff. Both miraculously escape with scrapes, and a broken leg. How will Martha be able to continue training the horses? How will she be able to help the ranchers?
Rating: 3.5 – a good book with a slow and steady pace
Opinion: This book is a great read. Though it’s not the most thrilling book that I’ve ever read, it’s still a good book. It tells of the daily life of a girl of a small community. As a horse lover, it’s accurate about how horses are trained properly and what horses need to live. Molly Gloss is an accurate historian, too. She is a horse person and knows what she is talking about. She is also a local author, writing about life in Eastern Oregon, where she grew up and near where I live. She writes well and keeps the plot flowing nicely. As I said, this book’s not the most action packed book I’ve read, but it still keeps you reading. You want to know more about Martha, her life, and the lives of the people she comes to know. If you’re looking for a local author, read then I suggest this book. I’d also suggest this book for any horse lover or a historical fiction lover.
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