The Hearts of Horses

The war is on but who is left behind to do the work. This the story of a young lady finding her way in hard times in the American west. There’s heartbreak and love, family and friends.

I had never heard of Ms. Gloss or her work before but stumbled across this book at the book store the other day and decided to give it a try after thumbing through a few pages and liking the style. I also love books about the REAL west (not genre westerns). Well, I am happy I gave this book a try! It is my favorite so far of 2008. It's the story of 19 year old Martha Lessen who has left home in search of work breaking horses. The story is set during WWI and the men are off fighting in Europe, and Martha figures this is an opportunity to live her dream of working with horses, a job woman were normally not allowed to do at that time. Martha ends up spending the winter on the farm of George and Louise Bliss in the small Oregon town of Shelby. Martha is becoming quite a hand at taming broncos, but not by breaking them, but with soothing words and song, she gains the trust of the horses she works with. Martha also meets the young farmhand Henry who works for two old ladies who run their own ranch, Henry is as socially awkward as Martha and a very slow but sweet romance builds. The pace of this story maybe too slow for some but Gloss gives life to a time and a place and the people who inhabit that time and place. Don't think this is a school girls horse book as there is much more going on here. If you enjoy realistic fiction about the west then I highly recommend this book.

I chose this book because of the plurality in the title, I thought I would learn about the character and soul of non-verbal beings, and the cover photo, clearly female, riding swiftly, freely with purpose, accomplishment and joy. These are superficial reasons for choosing a book and what a splendid surprise I had in the world of this book. I am an urban woman, no country or wide open spaces or large animals in my life but I loved the language of this book, how it made a place, a time, and its people live for me. Thank you Molly Gloss for a read so engrossing I reached the end of the line and the bus driver did not shoo me out; waited until I came back to my world and hopped off! I apologized, he said he noticed me reading through the week, watched me intent, smiling, weeping, frowning. That day he knew I was at the end, and could not bear to disturb me.

I just found this wonderful author through the Seattle P-I newspaper. I originally checked the book out of the library. I had it read in one day it was so good. Its rare when I find an author who I want to have a copy of my own for my library. Her characters are strong and you feel like you're right there riding the horses with her. I highly recommend this book for reading.

Like the previous reviewer, I intended to limit myself to one or two chapters a day. That was very difficult to do, as I savored every word of this book. It was the inner world of Martha Lesson that I most identified with, and my hat is off to Molly Gloss for capturing so well the patience and humility it takes to make a horse as well as Martha. "The horse doesn't care how much you know until he knows how much you care" are the words from the wisest man I ever knew. I picked this book off the counter at the Powell's Bookstore stand in the Portland airport and I am so glad that I did. Read this book, you won't be sorry you did.

I loved this book. It's set during WW1 when so many young men were gone to the trenches, that one over-tall, painfully shy young woman got to live the life her unique skills suited her for: horse trainer, horse gentler--the life of a cowboy. The heroine makes a place for herself in a new community that can accept and value her for what she has to offer. So much more than a take on history, so much more than a romance, this is a story of time and place and people still on the frontier of American life. A book to keep, a book to share--just make sure you get it back!