The Hearts of Horses

A Novel

By: Molly Gloss

Narrated by: Renée Raudman

Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's summary

In the winter of 1917, a big-boned young woman shows up at George Bliss's doorstep. She's looking for a job breaking horses, and he hires her on. Many of his regular hands are off fighting the war, and he glimpses, beneath her showy rodeo garb, a shy but strong-willed girl with a serious knowledge of horses.

So begins the irresistible tale of 19-year-old Martha Lessen, a female horse whisperer trying to make a go of it in a man's world. It was thought that the only way to break a horse was to buck the wild out of it, and broken ribs and tough falls just went with the job. But over several long, hard winter months, many of the townsfolk in this remote county of eastern Oregon witness Martha's way of talking in low, sweet tones to horses believed beyond repair---and getting miraculous, almost immediate results---and she thereby earns a place of respect in the community.

Along the way, Martha helps a family save their horses when their wagon slides into a ravine. She gentles a horse for a dying man---a last gift to his young son. She clashes with a hired hand who is abusing horses in unspeakable ways. Soon, despite her best efforts to remain aloof and detached, she comes to feel enveloped by a sense of community and family that she's never had before.

With the elegant sweetness of Plainsong and a pitch-perfect sense of western life reminiscent of Annie Dillard, The Hearts of Horses is a remarkable story about how people and animals make connections and touch each other's lives in the most unexpected and profound ways.

©2007 Molly Gloss (P)2009 Tantor

An utterly compelling slice of life

Any additional comments?

I found the summary misleading in that it suggests the central tale is about the breaking of horses. That storyline exists, yes, but it serves more as a backdrop to the story of a young woman's emergence into adulthood, than as the main theme.

Early on we learn a little of the hard life and humble expectations of Martha, a young woman who has a better understanding of her four legged friends than of the people around her. As Martha works to break a group of horses (with a gentleness she herself has never really known) the community into which she is drawn also gently nudges her to see beyond the narrow boundaries of her expectations for herself. As the horses blossom, so does Martha, in a quiet, undramatic and yet thoroughly compelling

Not to sappy and wonderfully written

Would recommend to any one. Keep up the great work. I will definitely be following you

Loved every minute of the book

Was taken back in time to a wonderful story of a young girl coming of age in a tough time in our country— terrific!

loved every minute.

this was such a heartwarming story. It's the old west when things were so different. You don't have to love horses to enjoy this book. An unexpected visitor stays around and turns out to be in all the right places at the right times. loved the book.

An past life journey

How simple this innocent character took me along for her ride growing up the 20s and 30s. A hard life softened by friends and neighbors was so beautifully created. I felt like I got to live there for the several hours in which I listened to this book and the horses, the horses. The writer beautifully validates that they had the magic then just as they do now, and that there are people that can’t help but be the voice for them when no one else can hear them.

a nice relaxing read.

the story follows the life of an unconventional young woman who is an expert horsewoman in the American West around 1917. Delightful light read after reading heavier writings.

If you love horses, you will love this book.

What did you love best about The Hearts of Horses?

I'm a 'horsey' person, so I found the details and facts regarding the horses to be both accurate and informative. The whole story is filled with wonderful characters that you come to know and like.

What did you like best about this story?

This story has a gentle, quiet quality about it makes listening to it a pleasure.

Which character – as performed by Renée Raudman – was your favorite?

Martha, the main character.

Who was the most memorable character of The Hearts of Horses and why?

Martha again. She is an old soul in a young body and I loved her connection with the horses and her simplicity.

F.Y.I this is a good book read it

O.M.G you have to listen to this book. it is so good. just say ing.

Disappointing content - not for youngsters

This book was going along great - a nice clean western story with good descriptions of the countryside and the horses that made you feel as if you were experiencing the things right along with the characters - even tears came when a local chicken farmer died of cancer .......but the book got disappointing at the end. There were only a handful of curse words - d*** - and mostly great content - but as the relationship between the girl and her soon to be husband advanced, so did the racey description of one of their kissing episodes - and in this chapter, there were several mentions of rubber condoms. And then after married, there was a description of their actions just before bedtime that could have just have well been left out too. I thought this was going to be a great book for my kids to listen to, but I am glad I listended through to the end - as it is not something that I would want them to experience in an audio book / at their age......it even left me feeling uncomfortable and wanting to fast forward past those parts. Too many great books are ruined by getting too descriptive........and really, it did not add anything to the story - but took away from it. Some portions of life are not meant to be talked about publicly - and if you are reading an old west book, you would just think that the more modest portions of life could be kept private. The imagination is all that is needed to fill in any blanks - and often things have more impact if they are suggested than if they are completely described. I purchased this book based on other folks reviews - but no one else had mentioned these portions of the book, and I just thought there are probably others out there that would appreciate knowing this information before they purchased. If this content had been ommitted (and it easily could have) I would have given this book a much higher rating.

Disappointed

From the title of this book I had thought there would be much more story line having to do with the horses. It's mostly about Martha, her life and the people she meets while training horses. I had hoped for the former so I was disappointed.