In the first book in the Winnie the Horse Gentler series, young Winnie Willis comes across a beautiful grey Arabian mare known as Wild Thing. She is owned by the Spidell family that seem to own most things in town. Winnie works for them as a stable hand but when she sees the unmanageable mare in their care, she is desperate to earn more to purchase the beautiful horse.
Winnie’s sister Lizzy is keen for the pair to hatch a plan to stay in the town they are now living in. Their father struggling with the loss of their mother hops from town to town, after having sold their horse property. Winnie hasn’t ridden since her mother was lost in a car accident that she blames herself for. In spite of this, horses are in her blood and she still loves them and works with them.
Winnie is adamant she has to buy the mare and save her from a horrible fate. As she works to earn more money to purchase her, she, her sister and some new friends come up with a scheme to make some money – and quick. It will cash in on Winnie’s gentling skills and provide much needed funds to purchase the mare.
Through the process of gentling a horse and settling in this new town, Winnie battles with the guilt she feels from her mother’s death. And it seems that Winnie’s father feels the same. She can’t seem to have a normal conversation with her father and feels his silence keenly. In amongst all of this loss, Winnie is left questioning why God has abandoned her. Once a young woman of faith, she finds herself feeling alone, vulnerable and without direction. Wild Thing explores the act of natural horsemanship with horses, finding faith again and redeeming family relationships. The horse information is very factual and consistent throughout the book. A great read for young ones.
Author: Dandi Daley Mackall
Fiction – children
In My Library? As the first book, I am glad it is!
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