Wind Rider

The breath and scope of research that went into this prehistoric era coming-of-age story is impressive. Painting a picture of probable life in a time with no records required Williams to interact with scholars who study ancient horses and life 6,000 years ago in an Asian steppe area. The character of Fern is entirely believable as we first meet a slightly disobedient, rebellious girl who takes on awesome responsibilities following the emotional demise of her own mother after yet another infant death. The book has a triumphant and happy ending.Living Literature: Using Children's Literature to Support Reading and Language Arts Williams brings to life a girl who may have (legends are told about this) been the first to ride a horse she rescued in a bog, in the creative way children try out things grown ups believe are not possible. The relationship between the girl and horse makes sense to anyone who loves an animal deeply. This book likely appeals equally to girls and boys from ages 8-15. This title would be a good selection for classroom literature circles or as part of a study of ancient times and places. While she is "married" by the end of the book, nothing overtly occurs that would cause this book to be a poor choice for children

Susan Williams' novel Wind Rider garnered advance praise from two powerhouse names in contemporary literature - Jean Craighead George, best known as the author of the Newbery Medal-winning children's classic, Julie of the Wolves; and Jean M. Auel, author of The Clan of the Cave Bear series. Both authors raved about Wind Rider, and for good reason. Wind Rider takes place on the steppes of Stone Age Asia, although the exact place didn't matter to me as I eagerly turned the pages of this beautiful and exciting story. I knew that the main character, pre-adolescent Fern, lived in an ancient world, with a group of people whose main focus must still be survival. Fern's mother, Moss, had lost so many children during pregnancy, childbirth, and in their infancy, that their tribe allowed her to let both of her twins live - Fern, and her brother, Flint - to become the only set of twins among all their people. This immediately sets Fern a bit apart, but it is her personality, her desires, her gifts and longings that really make her unusual, much to the frustration of her mother. Fern has an affinity for animals, whom she sees not just as food, but as friends. She cares for injured birds; has a dog who does not work as a hunting dog but is instead her pet and constant companion; and she is fascinated by horses. The difference between Fern and every other "girl who loves horses" book is this: no one in Fern's tribe has ever tamed a horse. The exhilaration, the patience, the effort that is involved in the process, though, is a timeless story, one that echoes classics like The Black Stallion and My Friend Flicka. I also found some parallels to one of my favorites, The Little Prince, by St.-Exupery, in the process of taming something to become your friend, as well as your responsibility. The voice that Susan Williams creates for Fern strikes in my head as both foreign and familiar. The rhythm and vocabulary of Fern's first-person narrative reminds me of the speech of Native Americans, or the Maori of New Zealand, or other aboriginal peoples - beautiful but exotic to the ears of this WASP-y woman. Fern's feelings, however, echo painful and true. Adolescents of both genders will sympathize with Fern's frustrations and rebelliousness; women of all ages will appreciate her struggle to define herself as a person, both within and beyond gender roles. Fern chafes at the things that are expected of her as a young woman; though she loves her twin, she is jealous of the things he is allowed to do, and the opportunities his future seems to hold. Fern does not look forward to being a wife or a mother, dreads being tied down to caring for babies and men. Kudos to the author for not leaving the story there, but showing how, as tragedy hits and as Fern nurtures her horse, Fern's perspective grows on what it means to be a mother, a caregiver, and a member of a family and a tribe. Indeed, in many aspects, Williams creates a story that is simple on the surface, and truly enjoya

Purchased "Wind Rider" as a gift for a 12 year old who loves horses, but decided to read it myself. Its a very good read--well crafted, carefully researched and has some complicated mature twists and turns. There is more character development than one would expect in a book geared to 10-12 age group. Once I got about half way through I couldn't put it down--there is an exciting climax of Ms. Williams' story. Would be a great family read aloud book.