I was contacted by Anna to see if I might like to read her book Challenger.  She indicated that I was one author she’d come across who promotes being a Christian horse book author.  In light of that, I was curious to read her book!

Challenger has a main character that appears to be too young to go through a mid-life crisis.  And yet it seems that Joanna needs to reassess her life and the direction she’s headed.  She is stuck in a rut and when a childhood friend reappears after a long absence, Joanna questions if she can regain a friendship that was pivotal in her childhood years.  But it seems that Diane’s appearance isn’t set to make things comfortable – quite the opposite.

Joanna is used to a life where she and her father depend on and confide in each other.  It seems that Diane’s return unusually upsets this dynamic.  In Challenger, the small door that leads out of the house into the servant’s quarters shows a drastic difference between Joanna’s life and her father Ray’s.  The story looks at family relationships, the benefit of equine therapy, dog training and even the Christian faith.

For two girls who lived and breathed horses, their lives have gone in very different directions.  Diane’s interest in equine therapy has Joanna cringing as her comfortable life and routine are suddenly filled with the one animal that she has shied away from.

As Joanna seeks to fill a void with some canine friends, she finds herself unexpectedly drawn to a man that can help her to train them.  But his aloof nature has her questioning if it’s possible to really get to know him.  This challenging friendship is at times more than the young woman can handle alongside the dramatics of Diane and her new love life.  Challenger is an interesting read where the benefits of equine therapy really come into the story in the second half.

Author – Anna Rashbrook
Fiction – adult
In my library – a digital copy.

Twelve year old Mary has a passion for horses.  She dreams of riding them and being a great horseperson.  But there’s one thing standing in the way of Mary’s dream – legs that won’t work.  After she caught a virus as a young child Mary lost the use of her legs and has become quite proficient at getting around in a wheelchair.  Mary’s Song is the tale of this twelve year old’s endeavours to get her legs back and to save a lame foal.

Mary and her father live next door to a horse breeding facility.  Mary is rapt when one day her neighbour, another twelve year old girl – Laura – turns up with a horse and buggy.  She is there to make friends.

As Mary learns that her favourite foal has something wrong with its leg and may need to be humanely put out of her misery, she is devastated.  With Laura they formulate a plan to save the foal.  On top of this, Laura is persuaded to help Mary get up in the saddle on a horse.

Mary struggles with an overprotective father whilst Laura just wishes her parents would notice her.  As the two build a friendship, they find that with Mary’s determination and faith in God, that it is possible to get her on horseback.  And it even seems that Mary’s legs are strengthening.

Mary dreams of herself being restored to full functioning legs.  She has the same prayer for her young horse friend.  As she fights for what she believes in, it’s hard for her father to ignore her determination.

Mary’s Song explores a little bit of the Christian faith, horse care and riding as well as young girls standing up for what they believe in.  It is very horse focused and is bound to engage young horse fans.  Recommended.

Author – Susan Count
Fiction – pre teen
In my library – I have an electronic copy.