historical fiction/horse story in a haunting style
353560
Meg Rosoff writes in a spare, melancholy but beautifully executed style in this tale set in 1850's rural England of a young girl who does the unthinkable (at least in those days)--she runs away on her wedding day from a perfectly respectable match in her village.  A person who has an exceptional gift with horses, Pell takes a chance by taking her horse Jack and her younger brother, a mute who tags along with her despite her misgivings, to the Salisbury Fair, where she hopes to find work.  This book portrays the hardships of life in those days for the poor--finding respectable work with horses turns out to be much more difficult than she imagines, and she is soon separated from both her brother and her horse.  The many twists and turns in the plot lead to a somewhat happy ending, although this is definitely not a sugar-coated sentimental tale.  Those girls who enjoy stories with horses with a little romance thrown in are likely to especially like this book.  Recommended for 13 and up because of some violent scenes.
1660420
This is a somber, haunting, beautifully written novel driven by a most original plot.  It holds the reader's curiosity throughout.  In fact, the story remains in one's mind long after finishing the book.

The author weaves a tale from rural Maryland to modern Volterra, Italy.  The latter is contrasted with an ever-present background of ancient Volterra and its mysterious Etruscan history and culture.

The characters are unique and well-drawn.  The main character, Alexander, provokes suspense throughout, both in his thoughts and actions.  He provides a curious contrast to his American family, especially his cousin David, and the unusual group of people he meets in Volterra.

The author writes with great intelligence ahd empathy as the story, or should I say mystery within a mystery, unravels.  One is impressed with her erudition and descriptive writing skills.  This book is as engaging as it is challenging.
2496318
Admittedly I'm a little biased, since I've got a story included here, but this is a seriously enjoyable collection of horse-themed fantasy. Stories range from darker, horror-tinged offerings like 'Eli the Hideous Horse Boy' to the humorous historical romp 'Ladies Day' and 'The Boys from Witless Bay' (which reminded me a bit of one of my favorite YA fantasies, The Shattering by Karen Healey). A few other stand-outs for me were 'Rue the Day' and Angela Rega's poignant story 'The Horse Witch.' Truly a story to suit every horse-hearted reader!
4408524
This story will remind you of "Lonesome Dove" or "All the Pretty Horses", powerful,
evocative, harsh, romantic realism. One of the best horse stories I've ever read, and that
covers several 100.
Must read for serious horse/horsemen afficionados.
2653674
Hunters in the Dark is the first of Osborne's works I have had the pleasure of reading. Osborne's storytelling and use of language plunges the reader into a world as eerie as it is hauntingly beautiful. An English school teacher from rural Sussex escapes his seemly dead end life, chasing thrill and empty temptation deep into east Asia. A foreign man of cultural innocence, finds himself submerged in the irrational, spiritually attuned world of Cambodia. Western ideas collide with this world of omens and dreams as Robert's European upbringing attempts to understand this trauma ridden, ancient land of mystery and dangerous allure.
Osborne's writing is beautiful. It took me a while to get into the story, but that is no fault of the author. I regret that I read this work during a time where I could not give it the full attention it deserves. The story however, still sticks with me like a heavy shadow that beckons another look. It is one I will read again. The feeling it evokes is reminiscent of one of favorite books, Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad. Both have burrowed into a section of my mind, clothed in shadows and mystery that through the years I will be able to unravel a little bit more of the meaning tucked deep between the pages.
1910552
I've just now finished reading Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia. This book is very long and rich with characters, layers of stories, and history. Set in the present-day South, much is made of the Civil War-the battle re-enactments, how the local people there cling to their version of their history, their heritage, The writer is skilled at helping the reader understand how they came to be this way.

So, you say, this is a historical fiction? Well, it is, but it is much more. It is a young adult novel-the main characters are fifteen and sixteen years old, although they are experiencing first love there is no sex. The romance between the characters is very sweet and tender. There is also an element of the supernatural in this book-it has paranormal fantasy beings interacting with humans although this is, through much of the story, used as a metaphor for prejudice and bullying of those who are new or different.

There are so many layers of this book. Once you start reading you are hooked, anxious to peel back layer after layer to expose the mysteries it contains. I really enjoyed this book. i am anxious to see what this author will do next. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a book to read. It is engrossing, one of those book that are really hard to put down until finished reading it. (less)
1680838
Set in the 1930's during the Depression, the book opens with a promise of an interesting story.  Thea Atwell, a fairly wealthy girl from Florida is driving with her father to enter the Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls.  Her father is exiling her to this camp/school for wealthy girls for some tragedy Thea bestowed on her family.  Her very close-knit family consists of her twin brother Sam, and her parents who live on acres of land.  They have isolated themselves; there is minimal interaction with the outside world, apparently it is the mother's choice.

I believe the mother to be the most interesting character, as she seems to vacillate from understanding her daughter to reviling her.  Thea, who is not effusive with the other girls at school but she is their equal in terms of materialism. She has taken wealth for granted, living on a large estate.  Although her father is a physician, he also owns acres of Florida land providing a steady income despite the Depression.  The family has a relationship, although often questionable, with the father's brother George and his wife and son.  Sam and Thea are true twins; they are part of each other.

Disclafani tells us Thea's story with a methodical deference to time and place.  She never errs, we always feels it's the 1930's in terms of the Depression but there are secrets and tragedies in every family.

Thea's apparent sin, which the reader will easily solve, becomes a provocative story of scandalous love and family heartbreak.  I did not find it that astonishing and Thea remained a mystery to the reader.  The author did not take us inside Thea's mind and Thea seemed to be more than ready to repeat the same mistake at Yonahlossee.  What I did admire was Thea's equestrian expertise, her knowledge of horses and her innate ability to bond with a horse.  She was at the right place at this school where the horses became the center for these Southern debutantes.

I was not transported from page to page but I thoroughly enjoyed the passion and rivalry among the girls at the camp. When their families lost their money, the girls lost themselves, too. But something was missing.  Thea's burgeoning sexuality was a central theme and her mother's influence was carved out with precision. And yet I didn't understand Thea and really didn't like her.  I recommend the book but was somewhat disappointed.
4952301
I hold my hands up and start by stating that historical fiction is not my favourite genre, but every now and again I'm attracted by a particular story, and The Story of Land and Sea's blurb really did appeal to me. Also, being something of a 'book magpie', that magnificent cover really did add to my interest, just take a look at it - isn't it just fabulous?

The story takes place in North Carolina during the Revolution and the reader is quickly enveloped into the lives of ordinary people that inhabit the place and time. The author tells her story in three parts, starting with Tabitha, her father John and her grandfather Asa. Tabitha's mother Helen died in childbirth, and their whole lives are consumed by memories of her. John's decision to take Tabitha out to sea in the hope that this will cure her yellow fever leads to events that are tragic and quite overwhelming.

The reader is then taken back to the time when Helen and John meet, and explores their relationship and the effect it has on Helen's father, and how they come to live on the sea. We are also introduced to Moll, the slave-girl given to Helen as a birthday present. The relationship that develops between Helen and Moll is wonderfully portrayed and presents Helen with some life-defining decisions.

The final part of the story takes up where the first part ended, with John and Asa still battling to cope with their losses, their disagreements and their life. We also see how Moll has grown in character and depth, dealing with life as a slave, yet desperate to find freedom for herself and her family.

The Story of Land and Sea is beautifully written, with characters who are colourful and so well crafted. Don't expect a fast-mover, or pages of excitement, but do be prepared for a gentle, yet insightful story that explores relationships and losses.
1439657
I won't repeat what has been said several times, I just think that this was a haunting read that did not seem as long as it was because it was so good the pages just flew by.
I will say that at times the Indians did seem a bit too Ayla-perfect
and that did become a bit tedious, and the thankfully short homosexual scene was a bit disturbing.
This is still after all a work of fiction, nothing more or less. You should not read this as a true history book, this is only a story that the author has written about her understanding of the culture that she used to write a work of Historical Fiction.
Still, I found it to be a very good story that I would and do re-read.
3274325
This is what I'm looking for in a book about historical fiction or non fiction.  The author succeeds in taking you back in time to the Chicago of the 1880's with his vivid depictions of place and atmosphere. So many authors of historical novels fail in this regard, and the books feel too modern and written from a modern perspective.  I just read The Mists of Avalon before this, and at no time in the novel did i feel I was transported to Arthurian Britain.  (I would have abandoned the book but I became too invested in the main character.) This story is also proof of the old adage that "truth is stranger than fiction"; it's a really compelling read and all the more so for being true.  The author could have gone into more lurid, gruesome detail on the murders, but I am very grateful he didn't and I don't think it would have added anything to the story.
1626927
This story is an older one Steel wrote and I do like it and will read it again someday. It is about the special horses in the book and the most interesting people. The era is World War 2. It will break you heart, make you laugh and gasp.
2765088
Laura Hillenbrand has written a classic true story not only of American horseracing but also a snapshot of a Country desperately searching for heroes and something to hold onto during the Depression years.
 This well researched nonfiction historical narrative reads better than any novel I've ever read.  The essence of the story revolves around a rather small unremarkable looking horse that shows everyone that an underdog can indeed triumph.  While the story centers on this heroic horse, the substance of the prose points to three men in search of meaning to their own lives.
 Ms Hillenbrand crafts and weaves a compelling story which actually brings the jockey Red Pollard, the trainer Tom Smith and the horse's owner Charles Howard together as the holy trinity of a story that's not just about the horse.  This is a historical narrative that gives the very essence of America in the 1930's and tells of a simpler and pure America in which the consuming factors were not just about money.  As historical writing goes this book rates in my top 5.  This book is a true classic tale and should be required reading in all our high schools and colleges.  They don't have enough stars!!!
4018904
To Ride a White Horse is a historical fiction novel with a heavy romance storyline in it. I went into my reading of this book thinking it was more of a romance novel than historical fiction but was pleasantly surprised to find that it is pretty equally both. It takes place during the potato famine in Ireland. The daughter of a poor family, Kathleen sets sail to Canada to find work so she can send money back home to support her family. When she is thrown overboard into the ocean, she finds herself saved by a whaling ship whose captain is a handsome, young Englishmen whom Kathleen finds herself falling in love with.

I really struggled with what rating to give this book after I finished reading it and had to reflect on it a bit. I was struggling between giving it a 4 or a 5 and I actually settled on a 5 because hours after I read it, it was still just devastating to me. Devastating in a good way. If you're an avid reader Im sure you can totally empathize with thatyou know that feeling you get when a book is so good it just leaves you devastated even if there was a completely happy ending. I feel this way about this book. I absolutely loved it. The only reason I considered giving it a 4 is because it was a little slow in the beginning. It was good reading throughout but I didn't feel very invested in the romance until the latter part of the middle. When it picks up and the romance lines collide, I was captivated. I also loved the little bits of Irish Folklore in the book, Im a huge fan of early Irish literature so it was great to run into the Tuatha De Danann in this book!

It really surprised me how detailed this book was about the potato famine, its historical setting was really strong and detailed. It wasn't just a minor background that a romance was set to, the romance and the setting were equally important to the story. I don't think either would have had the same effect without such a large amount of the other. I really loved that. I wouldnt consider it light reading but it will go by pretty fast because it is hard to put down once you get into it. I think the characters were written really wellI definitely heard Kathleens Irish accent and Jacks English accent in my head as I was reading it which made the story so much more profound for me! And that ending, oh my gosh, I cried. Like I said, Im devastated but in such a good way! Loved this bookhistorical fiction or historical romance fans will love this read!
3406639
Update 8/16/14: 2014 Willa Award in Contemporary Fiction from Women Writing the West!

I first read about Bone Horses in New Mexico Magazine shortly after the book came out from La Alameda Press, June 17, 2013. I was intrigued by the title and the whimsical cover art that depicted a lonely gas station with red mesas and snowcapped mountains in the background. The cover alone made me homesick for my native New Mexico and brought to mind all the old gas stations that dotted the highway between my childhood home in eastern New Mexico and my aunt's and uncle's home in sprawling Albuquerque on the other side of the Sandia Mountains.

After the novel won the 2013 Tony Hillerman Award for Best Fiction from New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards, I ordered the Kindle edition. I was hooked from the beginning. Lesley Poling-Kempes is an extremely gifted storyteller who writes with emotional impact. This multilayered story rings with authenticity and is peopled with characters that feel like your own family and neighbors. The author's use of magical realism worked for me and gave me hope. I never questioned the legend of a phantom herd of horses coming down from the mountains to attend the burial of young men killed in the Bataan Death March. If anything, the legend of the horses lends dignity and honor to a military ceremony.

The same goes for the conversations that the story's matriarch, Dorothea Durham, carries on with her late friend, Conchata. For me, these were some of the most unforgettable and emotionally charged scenes in the novel. I highlighted so many lines in the story that made me pause, look off in the distance, and ponder life and death. And what's out there beyond the mountains of life.

I highly recommend Bone Horses to anyone who appreciates a well-crafted story. This is simply storytelling at its best.

Kathleen M. Rodgers - author of the novel, Johnnie Come Lately
1526365
Ghost Horse is told from the perspective of an eleven-year-old boy. As mentioned in its book blurb, it tackles on the delicate issues like class, bullying, abuse and racial tension.

Its apparent that Buddy is in great pain. His parents are divorcing; its too much for him to handle. My heart breaks for him. Ghost Horse is quite hard for me to review; its so poignant. Goodreads member Leila says it best: its a gripping read.

Page 58, in particular, was a heart stopper for me. I cant give away too much, all I know is its going to, beyond a shadow of doubt, shock you.

Theres a lot of attentive writing here, its almost poetic. It actually took me a while to get through Ghost Horse. Its deep. Its though-provoking. Its to be savoured.

Here are some of the quotes Ive included. Hopefully, itll coax you to give Ghost Horse a read! For family-drama and literary fiction fans!

Favourite quote: There are two kinds of people in Houston, his mother says: those who read the Post and those who read the Chronicle.

Review also seen on: Priscilla and her Books
2338691
The Horses of Proud Spirit is really three stories in one.  First, it's Melanie Sue Bowles' story as she tells us about her experiences with some of the first horses who came to live at Proud Spirit.  We follow Melanie's progress from pure novice to knowledgeable caregiver, and she tells of her experiences just as if we were sitting on a porch, swapping horse stories with friends who are nonjudgmental because at one time or another in the course of our own learning process, we've been in Melanie's shoes.  Melanie becomes our friend on the very first page of The Horses of Proud Spirit, and that's because she has the ability to make us feel her horror and disgust at what humans do to horses, whether out of ignorance or pure malice.
 In what I consider the second story within the story, Melanie tells us the tale of each horse, unfolding the sequence of events in her comfortable, down-to-earth manner, even when the events are tragic.  We rejoice with her when the outcome is good and weep with her when a horse is lost.
 The third story is ours, the reader's, because if we've been insulated from the terrible things humans do to horses, Melanie opens our eyes to reality, so perhaps, if faced with signs of abuse, we will be quicker to take action.  For those of us having cared for an abused horse (and hopefully, never as many as Mel and her husband, Jim) we share our understanding of what she goes through with each horse.
 Depending upon whether you're new to horses or an old-timer, you'll either learn what's right when it comes to being responsible for the care of a horse, or, like what happened with me, Melanie's story brought back warm comforting memories of horses I've known in my lifetime.
 You will enjoy The Horses of Proud Spirit and the way in which Melanie tells her story.  You will turn the last page and wish she would tell you more.  You will also use up one or more boxes of tissues by the time you close the back cover.  And, you will never again take your horses for granted.

Laurie Loveman, Author
MEMORIES: Firehouse Family Series Book One
THE QUARRY: Firehouse Family Series Book Two
THE FARM FIRES: Firehouse Family Series Book Three
4048996
"The Last Ghost" is a horror story narrated by a man setting his mother's estate to order. This is a tale that slowly builds with each paragraph, intent on creating a chilling atmosphere

Since, as the title might suggest, "The Last Ghost" is a ghost story, the narrative adopts a Victorian tone to emulate the golden age of ghost stories. This voice is well-executed for the most part and helps immerse the reader into the narrator's tale. There were some evocative descriptions, such as the narrator describing "my mother, but not as a young girl, but older, in the winter of her middle age" and "in that sound I saw rot, not the fetid diseased rot of plague, but the dry, gnawing rot of inevitable decay, the dust of a million men reduced to nothing."

While there were multiple ghosts introduced throughout the course of the story, Liggio did well balancing their presence with one another so it did not feel like one was overly dominating or, conversely, was not described enough. The narrator's terror grows with the appearance of each new ghost, and the tension builds as the horror elements continue to slowly creep in. The ticking of the clock, "I'm sorry," the drip of blood: all of it ties together into an intense atmosphere.

The ending is where "The Last Ghost" struggles. As I found myself drawn into the atmosphere Liggio built in the home, I wanted to know what the ghosts meant by their silent reproach, their counting, and their pointing. And Liggio delivers, spelling out exactly what each ghost's actions and words signify. But though this ending answers all of the reader's questions, it is unsatisfying. The true power of horror is what is left up to the imagination, and Liggio leaves little questions unanswered, thus stripping away the terrors the reader might have imagined. Finally, some additional editing might have served the story well to eliminate a few redundancies and tighten up the writing, but overall, the story seemed to have been well-edited and I only found one typographical error.

Though the ending falls a little flat, "The Last Ghost" is still an enjoyable read, and one which I would recommend.