Not sure if my kids will like this since they go more for urban lit and books with ‘drama’, but I found this to be an excellent book and will push it out there in hopes some will pick it up. I found it a moving book, not only due to how Hannah must deal with her father who has been injured in Iraq, but also moving because of the stories behind the horses Hannah helps take care of.
The Outside of the Horse is the story of Hannah Gale. When she was little, she’d been fascinated by the stories her father told of his time in Nevada breaking wild horses. Just thirteen, she tries to get a job at a nearby stable and succeeds except she doesn’t earn any money. The experience is worth it all for Hannah.
When Jeff Gale comes home, he’s not the father Hannah knew from before. He’s still fighting what happened in Iraq when his leg was injured. His memories and missing leg drive his wife, Hannah’s stepmother, away. Hannah, herself, escapes to the horses even though their stories are just as heartbreaking as her father’s. Gradually, thought things change and the change starts with the horses.
Thank you encouraging your readers to take a chance with this one. And thank you for the nice review.
Ginny
You’re welcome. I find it to be a timely book with a topic many kids can identify with. Being a military brat myself, I wish there were books like this when I was young (many moons ago i.e. the Vietnam era.) I don’t remember seeing any books on military families. One of my writing goals is to publish a book from the perspective of a middle grader or teen who lives on a military post. I wrote one, but that’s more science fiction.