The Horse Boy

A Father's Quest to Heal His Son

By: Rupert Isaacson

Narrated by: Rupert Isaacson

A heartwarming story about a family's journey across the world to help their newly diagnosed autistic son find his true self through his unbelievable bond with horses.

When his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected?

The Horse Boy is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure. In Mongolia, the family found undreamed of landscapes and people, unbearable setbacks, and advances beyond their wildest dreams. This is a deeply moving, truly one-of-a-kind story—of a family willing to go to the ends of the earth to help their son, and of a boy learning to connect with the world for the first time.

Critic reviews

"This is a story everyone needs to hear."—Dr. Temple Grandin, author of the best-selling books Thinking in Pictures, My Life With Autism, and Animals in Translation

"Often authors should not read their own books, but Rupert Isaacson is an outstanding narrator. He has a beautifully clean English accent, excellent diction and pacing, and a soothing tone that sometimes belies his bubbling emotions."—AudioFile

Magical

Being a pragmatic business person, I don't really know why I picked this one out, but it will be part of me for the rest of my life. The love, the journey and the rewards are written and spoken in such a way that tears at the heart.

The parents and their love for their son is something to be cherished. Life lessons for us all. Excellent listen.

Excellent Story Narrated by the Author

The story leaves you in rapt attention. And the author's narration is superb! Highly recommend!

Eye-opening

How I am near tears at the end of reading this, I do not know. But here I am, typing this review, holding back sobs of life-affirming joy. I will remember this beautiful family and their journey to Mongolia forever. The writing itself is a whole other story... poetry, even when describing less than poetic circumstances. The author's narration was incredible, and only adds to this inspiring book. I believe I have become a more accepting person for having listened to this story.

Fascinating!

I loved this book. Beautifully read by the one person who could best represent the way his son expressed himself. Beautifully written.
Touching, educational, inspiring. I loved the honesty, the exotic world of the Mongolian shamans, the adventure.
What a journey.

A True Love Story

This book is a wonderful example of love in it's purest form. The sacrifice that these two people made for their autistic son is so moving. The author does a great job of naration. I'm glad to see that their story continues, and that they have taken what they experinced and are trying to help others. You'll not be sorry you chose this one!