Book Review: The Horse Whisperer

The Horse Whisperer by Nicholas Evans

My rating: 4 of 5 stars
(Originally read Sept. 6, 2004)

When my mother returned from the movie theater, raving about what a fabulous film The Horse Whisperer was and how she simply *must* read the book, all I could think was "Robert Redford... yuck!" It's not that Redford is a bad actor, rather that he appears in films that are too touchy-feely for my tastes. So for a long time I associated this book with the movie, assuming I would be no more interested in its story than I would a Redford film.

I was wrong.

This is perhaps one of the most beautiful books I've ever read. Nicholas Evans balances life's extremes perfectly in his less-than-perfect characters, and gives such vivid accounts of America's western frontier that it make me want to saddle up and ride to the other side of the Mississippi.

Young Grace Maclean and her steed, Pilgrim, are involved in an accident that leaves both horse and rider mentally and physically scarred. What follows is the gentle recovery of more than just those immediately involved in the accident -- Grace's parents, Annie and Robert, also undergo a healing process.

But Tom Booker, whose kind understanding of both horses and humans helps to mend the Maclean family's wounded relationships, finds himself in a difficult position. He and Annie are overcome by an undeniable attraction, and though their affair takes away from the healing focus of the story, I think it's appropriate for Evans to show that life goes on despite us and that new scraps and bruises are acquired, even as we lick our wounds.




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