The Year of the Horses: A Memoir
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- Create Date：2022-05-13 05:21:36
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Courtney Maum
- ISBN：1953534155
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Reviews
Socr8es
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A review of Courtney Maum’s The Year of the Horses: A Memoir （Tin House， 2022， 266pp。）， with reference to her four previous booksThis memoir opens in 2016 when Maum was thirty-seven years old and her daughter two。 Her debut novel had been published the year her daughter was born， but her second novel， which was under contract， was due soon。 Then it was late。 The demands of care for her two-year-old had become consuming and frustrating。 Her relationship with her husband was strained。 Insomnia mud A review of Courtney Maum’s The Year of the Horses: A Memoir （Tin House， 2022， 266pp。）， with reference to her four previous booksThis memoir opens in 2016 when Maum was thirty-seven years old and her daughter two。 Her debut novel had been published the year her daughter was born， but her second novel， which was under contract， was due soon。 Then it was late。 The demands of care for her two-year-old had become consuming and frustrating。 Her relationship with her husband was strained。 Insomnia muddled everything。The overdue draft had two horse people characters: a dressage champion and his racehorse-breeding mother。 The novel was about the experience of touch deficit in a tech mediated digital age。 What were these horse people doing in the draft？ Maum knew the novel wasn’t working， but she didn’t want to cut these characters。She drove two hours into northern Massachusetts from her home in the Berkshires， for research， to interview a famous dressage trainer。 There she found herself being pulled back into relationship with horses， an orbit she’d left nearly thirty years earlier。The Year of the Horses tells the story of how Maum’s renewed connections with horses and related changes in herself saved her marriage—she confesses to having been unfaithful—how they saved her relationship with her daughter， her own mental health， and her writing。—Maum’s debut novel was the inaptly titled I’m Having So Much Fun Here Without You （2014， Touchstone， 331pp。）。 The novel is about estrangement， the male narrator’s infidelity， and the psychological and interpersonal struggle to recover。 I married my lover， time turned her into my sister。 Truly， badly， I want my lover back。 But we’ve twisted each other with our unspoken failures and our building scorn。 In this novel， Maum gave a nuanced， sympathetic portrayal of her unfaithful protagonist。—The central storyline of The Year of the Horses moves through 2016 and 2017 into 2018， from the opening scene， before Maum’s reunion with horses， until after she had gained basic proficiency in the dangerous sport of polo。 The narrative weaves in strands from Maum’s childhood， adolescence， and young adulthood。 Horse people and others who have known closeness with non-human mammals will resonate with this story。 And the horses are not merely incidental。 But running through the narrative is Maum’s perceptive reflection on her past and her generosity toward…well， really everyone a lesser person might have blamed for her struggles。 Instead， she blames herself， and then shows us how to move beyond that。What was I so furious about？ Why did I hate my mellow husband？ Leo had some serious spatial awareness issues…and a selective attention span， but he was a good father and a dedicated one， tireless in fact…。 Our sensual life had dwindled to once-in-a-blue-moon physical communions that made me feel embarrassed， but when I turned the tables， what desire did I show him？ What efforts was I making？ How come everything was Leo’s fault all the time？ —When Maum was six years old， her parents finally gave in to her pleas for a horse。 She rode for three glorious years， changing horses as her skills developed and she won ribbons and trophies for her riding and jumping。 But her little brother’s illness， and her parents’ fracturing marriage and divorce， brought the riding to a halt when she was nine years old。Maum struggled with insomnia as a child and as an adolescent with anorexia。 When the memoir begins， she is mired in a severe depression—and pulled by a longing to be loved， touched， known。—Maum’s second novel， Touch （2017， Putnam， 303pp。） prompts more LOLs than her debut。 With playful humor and satirical elements， it is set in the near future where high tech is ascendant。 The protagonist， Sloane， is a thirty-something trend forecaster who has opted not to have children。 At a point when she has become conflicted about her own touch deficit， she proposes to her boss， offhandedly， that his tech company could produce “empathy tots” for the childless。 “‘[Robotic] Kids you can turn on and off，’” because childless people are touched less often。Touch is about the desire to recover physical closeness， to pull back from having only digital contact with virtual connections。Maum’s first two novels are not about loss。 They begin when the loss has already happened。 Both are about the possibility of a recovery of closeness: in a marriage and in the larger culture of digitally mediated connection。 —In The Year of the Horses， Maum addresses several challenges， for instance: How to be a professionally accomplished person who is also mother to a strong-willed， curious child。 How to be an artist married to another but different sort of artist。 And how to accept， as a perfectionist， becoming only tolerably good at a sport that she played for fun。 In these and other ways， she needed to do better for her husband and daughter than she had experienced as a child。 I had never thought about how upset it made me that whether I was at my mother’s or my father’s， my parents let me hurt myself， how unloved it made me feel， until my therapist asked me if my parents had shown me any neglect。 Once， when the deadline for the second novel was closing in， she and her family took a vacation while living and working in France。 Maum recalled:I wanted to be kind。 I wasn’t。 Looking back with the lens of years between me and that arid property， I see now that I wasn’t able to vacation because I’d cut myself off from the possibility that a family could bring joy。 Work brought joy， and because the writing wasn’t going well， there could be no joy。 —Maum’s third novel， Costalegre， （2019， Tin House， 218pp。）， breaks from her first two， both of which work well as audiobooks。 Plot has gone almost silent。 This novel is both less “realistic” and less hopeful than her first two。 But there is a through line。Lara， the narrator， has just turned fifteen years old。 She has come with her American heiress mother， Leonora Calaway （based on Peggy Guggenheim）， to a coastal Mexican jungle。 Leonora brought seven avant-garde painters and writers she rescued from pre-World War II Europe。The novel consists of diary entries: letters， reflections on people and events， lists of likes and dislikes， notes about lush vegetation and flowers， descriptions of dreams， etc。 The narrative that does emerge， though， has the following threads: Leonora and her surrealists are waiting anxiously for a ship smuggling the paintings she collected in Europe for her planned museum。 She is attending more to her “rescues” and their current work than to her daughter。 She hasn’t arranged for a tutor for Lara。 Leonora hardly notices when Lara is absent。 Lara becomes infatuated with an artist not of their group。 That fictional character represents the historical Constantin Brancusi， sculpting in the novel even though the surrealists at Leonora’s house think he has stopped working。 Brancusi was fifty-two years old when Hitler and Nazi troops marched into Austria， halfway into the novel。Lara aches over Leonora’s maternal neglect， and she chafes at the older artist’s responses to her attentions。 She desires deeply to be loved， touched， known。—One of the most enjoyable chapters in The Year of the Horses occurs late in the memoir。 It seems almost irrelevant to the larger story about horses。 Maum convinced her reluctant husband they should adopt， sight unseen， a rescue cat that turns out to have been， not a kitten， as advertised， but a four-year-old who had been abused and abandoned。 Maum tells the story of picking it up and bringing it home and how they dealt with the effects of its traumas。 This chapter is a delight。 Maum here and throughout this memoir is funny and heartwarming without being sentimental。 And this apparently irrelevant chapter hits what may be the main theme of the memoir: How do we make mistakes？ And how do we recover from them without making things worse？ —Maum’s most recent book before this memoir compiles advice for debut authors nearing the publishing process。 Its title gives a preview of the book’s comprehensiveness: Before and After The Book Deal: A Writer’s Guide to Finishing， Publishing， Promoting， and Surviving Your First Book （2020， Catapult， 347pp。）。This handbook is encyclopedic。 Debut authors would have almost no way of knowing many of its details。 As a reference work， it can supply an overview but is probably most useful a chapter at a time， when writers are at the relevant stage in their process。 One hundred and ninety-six writers and publishing professionals are listed in an appendix as interviewed and/or quoted。—WARNING: There are a couple of heartbreaks late in The Year of the Horses。 I took them pretty hard。 I wanted Maum to get sentimental， and she didn’t do it。 So I got sentimental on my own in the privacy of my reading this wonderful memoir。 Maum’s renewed love of horses is the centerstage story， but its unmistakable backdrop is her generous nature， her sense of humor， her keen self-awareness， and her love of life。 She takes us through her “unrelenting， steely-nerved perfectionism” and the many ways she has been too hard on herself， through her generosity to all those in her life she might have blamed， to the best to which most of us mortals can aspire: a healthy if imperfect life。 。。。more
Maryann
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Having been mesmerized by the author’s conversation at Booktopia in Manchester VT last weekend， I devoured this rich memoir in two days。 I will probably reread it again this summer after sharing with my horse loving friends。 Highly recommend。
Kailyn Nadeau
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This memoir was truly breathtaking。 I use that word because I just finished it tonight and I think I actually stopped breathing during one particularly emotional chapter。 Courtney Maum shows us that in rediscovering a childhood passion， it is possible to rediscover ourselves。 Her memoir brought back happy memories of my brief stint as a “horse girl”， riding a white horse named Moon and “driving” two Clydesdales in a wagon， to our small town gas station。 We all have memories that are ridiculous， This memoir was truly breathtaking。 I use that word because I just finished it tonight and I think I actually stopped breathing during one particularly emotional chapter。 Courtney Maum shows us that in rediscovering a childhood passion， it is possible to rediscover ourselves。 Her memoir brought back happy memories of my brief stint as a “horse girl”， riding a white horse named Moon and “driving” two Clydesdales in a wagon， to our small town gas station。 We all have memories that are ridiculous， magical and painful。 Maum’s raw storytelling reminds us that we aren’t alone， we can overcome challenging things and that it’s ok to put ourselves first。 。。。more
Guillermo Perez
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•really enjoyed this memoir that dealt with a lot of issues from mental health， to depression to finding your way out using your own inner strength and a passion that no one， not time or practice can take away from you。 It reminded me of when I took to reading and writing when I had the worst anxiety and mild depression of my life， opting to deal with it in an organic way rather than self medicating。 Check it out if you want a relatable story that was funny and heartfelt all at once
Nat_json
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I saw this book and by looking at the title and cover I decided that I needed to read this。 I didn’t expect this to speak to me the way it did。 I may not be 34 like our author but reading her life was like opening up my head and remembering all those same instances。 This books helps put into words just how healing horses are and no matter how long you’ve been out of the saddle it will always call out to you to come back。 If anyone is dealing with depression and doesn’t know what steps to take th I saw this book and by looking at the title and cover I decided that I needed to read this。 I didn’t expect this to speak to me the way it did。 I may not be 34 like our author but reading her life was like opening up my head and remembering all those same instances。 This books helps put into words just how healing horses are and no matter how long you’ve been out of the saddle it will always call out to you to come back。 If anyone is dealing with depression and doesn’t know what steps to take this book， without meaning to， lays out very simple steps to start your healing process。 I got this book as an ARC but I’m definitely going to buy a copy because everyone needs reminders very now and then about how you can always overcome anything in life。 。。。more
Erin Chandler
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This gorgeous memoir will appeal to every strong， determined woman who has the courage to recognize how delicately we are actually put together。 It is a mystery of fairy dust and cobwebs， hard as rock determination and rickety brain matter。 Oh but those beasts。。。 those beautiful horses who know us better than we know ourselves， whose souls are deeper than any human we come in contact with。 My mother always says， "I wish I could have a relationship with a horse。" Well， Courtney Maum has and she w This gorgeous memoir will appeal to every strong， determined woman who has the courage to recognize how delicately we are actually put together。 It is a mystery of fairy dust and cobwebs， hard as rock determination and rickety brain matter。 Oh but those beasts。。。 those beautiful horses who know us better than we know ourselves， whose souls are deeper than any human we come in contact with。 My mother always says， "I wish I could have a relationship with a horse。" Well， Courtney Maum has and she writes of how healing that can be。 She fearlessly rips open the curtain of her seemingly perfect life and we are able to realize the same family dynamics play out whether you are at a country club or a pool hall， the famed Berkshires or Eastern， Kentucky。。。 if you are a wife， a mother， a daughter and know longing and loss or if you just like the smell of dirt。。。 you will love A Year of the Horse！ 。。。more
Kathleen Gray
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An unusual and beautifully resonant memoir。 Maum loved horses as a child but stopped riding at nine as her parents' marriage imploded。 At 37， she found herself at loose ends， depressed despite the positives in her life。 Horses saved her。 Riding lessons brought her back to that calm and positive place。 Well， calm until she discovers polo。 This is filled with small insights into horses， polo。 and other things。 Horses won't work for everyone （and admittedly， it's expensive， very expensive） but they An unusual and beautifully resonant memoir。 Maum loved horses as a child but stopped riding at nine as her parents' marriage imploded。 At 37， she found herself at loose ends， depressed despite the positives in her life。 Horses saved her。 Riding lessons brought her back to that calm and positive place。 Well， calm until she discovers polo。 This is filled with small insights into horses， polo。 and other things。 Horses won't work for everyone （and admittedly， it's expensive， very expensive） but they're a bit of light in the dark。 Thanks to netgalley for the ARC。 A good read。 。。。more
Angela Cooper
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I am not one usually for memoirs。 But this one really caught my attention。 I was able to relate in the search to understand depression that comes in all shapes and sizes。
Jill
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Courtney Maum writes from the heart。 Her memoir focuses on a period of time when parenthood was unfulfilling， when Courtney had insomnia， when her marriage was strained and when even writing， her passion and vocation， was challenging。 She’s not afraid to let the reader in， even to tough moments in her marriage （they go to counseling together） or writing （she describes her disappointment when her second novel didn’t sell well）。 She finds healing by returning to her love of horses， nearly thirty y Courtney Maum writes from the heart。 Her memoir focuses on a period of time when parenthood was unfulfilling， when Courtney had insomnia， when her marriage was strained and when even writing， her passion and vocation， was challenging。 She’s not afraid to let the reader in， even to tough moments in her marriage （they go to counseling together） or writing （she describes her disappointment when her second novel didn’t sell well）。 She finds healing by returning to her love of horses， nearly thirty years after she stopped riding。 I was particularly moved by the evolution of her relationship with her daughter， remembering some of those same frustrations from parenting toddlers， as well as the joys that come when you stop and let them in。 While I’m not a horse person， I’ve experienced the power of other animals （especially dogs and cats） to heal， soothe， and bring us back to our happy place。 A highly recommended memoir， especially for mothers and horse lovers。 。。。more
Linda
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Thanks to Tin House Books and Edelweiss for the opportunity to read this e-arc。The author has a debilitating depression which is affecting her health and her marriage。 She recalls her love of horses when she was a young girl and pursues a renewal of this love as an attempt to bring her life back to an enjoyable balance。I recognized， in myself， similar situations and opportunities， so the memoir seemed authentic。 Looking forward to meeting the author at the next Booktopia。
Beth Cato
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I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley。Courtney Maum's memoir The Year of the Horses is honest， raw， and heartfelt。 She details a childhood fraught with emotionally distanced parents amid a highly-privileged lifestyle and then marriage and anxiety-filled motherhood， threading throughout the role--and the absence--of horses through the years。 This culminates in her recent healing through her rediscovery of equines。 I'm almost the same age as her， so we're the same generation。 When I received an advance copy of this book via NetGalley。Courtney Maum's memoir The Year of the Horses is honest， raw， and heartfelt。 She details a childhood fraught with emotionally distanced parents amid a highly-privileged lifestyle and then marriage and anxiety-filled motherhood， threading throughout the role--and the absence--of horses through the years。 This culminates in her recent healing through her rediscovery of equines。 I'm almost the same age as her， so we're the same generation。 When she had a whole chapter centered around the trauma of The NeverEnding Story， oh yeah， I got that。 I felt much more distanced from the high privilege of her youth--she might as well have lived on a different planet from me in some regards。 However， as someone who was a horse-crazy girl who has anxiety and depression， I felt like we had more in common than not。 It's a powerful book that is not about easy answers， but about works-in-progress and struggling to accept that。 。。。more
Kate
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"The Year of the Horses" by Courtney Maum is an inspirational memoir of regaining mental health。 I especially liked the way in which the author blended into her narrative bits of history about horses and horse-related topics。 Thank you to Courtney Maum， Tin House Publishers， and Goodreads giveaway for gifting me with this sensitive， cathartic read。 "The Year of the Horses" by Courtney Maum is an inspirational memoir of regaining mental health。 I especially liked the way in which the author blended into her narrative bits of history about horses and horse-related topics。 Thank you to Courtney Maum， Tin House Publishers， and Goodreads giveaway for gifting me with this sensitive， cathartic read。 。。。more
Carrianne Burton
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The Year of the Horses is an enjoyable memoir。 Maum stories of her childhood， romance and health crisis is both relatable and encouraging。 She shares openly about her frustrations and struggles with motherhood， marriage and writing。 I liked her wit。
Rhonda Lomazow
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Raw real intimate the author shares with us the pain of her depression the search for healing and the magic of her connection to horses。This is so well written the authors voice is real at times I laughed out loud an excellent read from first to last page，
Lynn Melnick
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A forthright and gutting look at depression and the difficult climb out， this book is both earnest and very funny at times。 By returning to her childhood love of horses， the author begins to reclaim herself。 The journey there can be harrowing （especially inside a culture that keeps telling the author she already lives an ideal life） but Maum’s remarkable and fluid prose moves the reader throughout。
Beth
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The story bobbed and weaved and didn't always carry me with it， but it is obvious Courtney's heart is in the story。 For what I wanted based on the title， horses took a bit of time to take center stage but perhaps we needed to meet many of the other players first。Glad I came in contact with this ARC through a friend。 Thank you to my friend and thank you to Tin House Publishing for creating access to such writings。 The story bobbed and weaved and didn't always carry me with it， but it is obvious Courtney's heart is in the story。 For what I wanted based on the title， horses took a bit of time to take center stage but perhaps we needed to meet many of the other players first。Glad I came in contact with this ARC through a friend。 Thank you to my friend and thank you to Tin House Publishing for creating access to such writings。 。。。more
Ernestine Allen
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This was a very sweet and inspiring memoir。
Lydia Wallace
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Courtney Maum you are a great author。 I have dealt with depression and anxiety from childhood to adulthood。 I have tried therapy， medication， talking to friends and family and I still wake up feeling scared， alone and depressed。 It is hard to explain how you feel to people who don't experience depression and anxiety。 I have a loving husband and two children but just couldn't understand why I was so sad and depressed all the time。 I was raised by a mother who was depressed throughout her life。 Sh Courtney Maum you are a great author。 I have dealt with depression and anxiety from childhood to adulthood。 I have tried therapy， medication， talking to friends and family and I still wake up feeling scared， alone and depressed。 It is hard to explain how you feel to people who don't experience depression and anxiety。 I have a loving husband and two children but just couldn't understand why I was so sad and depressed all the time。 I was raised by a mother who was depressed throughout her life。 She turned to alcohol which only made her depression worse。 Your book gave me hope。 I always loved pets。 I never thought about working with them until I read your book。 I now foster pets， volunteer at pet shelters and do fundraisers for these helpless creatures。 It has changed my life。 I am doing something I enjoy and wake up feeling blessed most morning。 Thanks for opening my eyes。 。。。more
Kristen
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Beautiful writing， interesting internality of the author， fascinatingly smart choices when weaving in horses， self-realized， brave。 I highly recommend this story。
Lauren Nossett
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Have you ever read a book that speaks to you exactly in the way that you need to be spoken to in that moment？ That was Courtney Maum's memoir The Year of the Horses for me。 She writes with such openness and honesty and tenderness for her past self that I wanted to think one day I'll be able to approach this time of my life that same way。In addition to the personal narrative， I loved all the interesting tidbits about horses: equine human relationships， sporting activities， grooming， their appeara Have you ever read a book that speaks to you exactly in the way that you need to be spoken to in that moment？ That was Courtney Maum's memoir The Year of the Horses for me。 She writes with such openness and honesty and tenderness for her past self that I wanted to think one day I'll be able to approach this time of my life that same way。In addition to the personal narrative， I loved all the interesting tidbits about horses: equine human relationships， sporting activities， grooming， their appearance in everything from Lisa Frank trapper keepers to novels like Emma （and incidentally a German parallel in the figure of Effi Briest--all those horse rides facilitated her fatal affair with Lord Crampas）。 Maum explores the way throughout literature and history riding horses have given women the kind of patriarchy-defying freedom and self-reliance that Susan B。 Anthony noted in the bike riding of the late 1800s and car driving does even today。 。。。more
Autumn
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Thank you to Tin House for this ARC。I was horse-crazy as a kid and really related to her those parts of the book。I wish I’d had this book 8-10 years ago when I was going through some of Maum’s stages of life at the time of this writing。 I would have empathized and felt seen myself in her struggles to find something beyond being a wife and mother and attempting to reconnect with something magical （though I did not struggle with depression like Maum did）。As I read this， a war is going on， and at f Thank you to Tin House for this ARC。I was horse-crazy as a kid and really related to her those parts of the book。I wish I’d had this book 8-10 years ago when I was going through some of Maum’s stages of life at the time of this writing。 I would have empathized and felt seen myself in her struggles to find something beyond being a wife and mother and attempting to reconnect with something magical （though I did not struggle with depression like Maum did）。As I read this， a war is going on， and at first it made Maum’s story seem less important。 But then， I began to think that self-preservation， the need for connection and realizing one’s potential is only one step away from safety and security and therefore necessary for a healthful， fulfilled life。 How grateful we should be that our basic needs are met so that we can pursue that next level of innate needs that everyone deserves。This might be a downer of a review with talk of war and survival， but just to be clear， I enjoyed this memoir！ 。。。more
Shannon Wolf
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Maum interrogates her own life through the strange and dangerous medium of polo playing in this refreshing， compelling memoir。 Equine enthusiasts will find much to admire here - particularly the brutal honesty with which Maum inspects herself: as a budding polo player， a revitalized rider， a lonely wife， and a strained mother。 In the book， Maum notes her therapist’s “compassion first” approach， and in a book so compounded by its author’s mental health struggles， it’s richly rewarding to see the Maum interrogates her own life through the strange and dangerous medium of polo playing in this refreshing， compelling memoir。 Equine enthusiasts will find much to admire here - particularly the brutal honesty with which Maum inspects herself: as a budding polo player， a revitalized rider， a lonely wife， and a strained mother。 In the book， Maum notes her therapist’s “compassion first” approach， and in a book so compounded by its author’s mental health struggles， it’s richly rewarding to see the gentleness the narrative wends its way toward。 。。。more
Shelbi Carpenter
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This book is so inspirational and refreshing！ I related to Courtney Maum's feeling so much that I knew her personally while reading this book。 This is a great realistic story about Maum shedding these negative emotions， bettering herself， and fixing the relationships in her life。 I think this book found me at the right time for all the right reasons。 This book is so inspirational and refreshing！ I related to Courtney Maum's feeling so much that I knew her personally while reading this book。 This is a great realistic story about Maum shedding these negative emotions， bettering herself， and fixing the relationships in her life。 I think this book found me at the right time for all the right reasons。 。。。more
Jody Keisner
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The Year of the Horses: A Memoir is a profound and important look at depression， motherhood， marriage， family， and the challenging ways our identities intersect and sometimes pull us under。 Here， healing comes only when Maum returns to her childhood love of horses and rediscovers who she is and who she wants to be。 This is an exquisitely-written tale of hope。 I received an ARC but also pre-ordered a print copy to share with my daughter， who is just discovering her love of horses。
Reading Fool
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I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book。This was a deeply moving， beautifully written memoir about the author's journey from depression and anxiety through the healing power of horses。 While I am not a "horse person" （I've never ridden）， I empathized with Maum and understood what she experienced， struggled with， learned， and triumphed through。 I recommend this to anyone who has felt sadness， inadequacy， doubt - that is， I recommend this book to everyone。 I received an Advance Reader's Copy of this book。This was a deeply moving， beautifully written memoir about the author's journey from depression and anxiety through the healing power of horses。 While I am not a "horse person" （I've never ridden）， I empathized with Maum and understood what she experienced， struggled with， learned， and triumphed through。 I recommend this to anyone who has felt sadness， inadequacy， doubt - that is， I recommend this book to everyone。 。。。more
Theresa S
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As an animal lover， I was able to completely relate to this book and the emotions within。 Book was beautifully written， looking forward to more from Courtney Maum。
Jana Eisenstein
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The Year of the Horses is an honest and important look at depression and the way we think about mental health。 Maum's struggle to acknowledge and understand her depression is unfortunately all too relatable， and her courage to fight back and reclaim the life she finds herself detached from is laudable。 The story is beautifully written， weaving stories of her childhood joys and disappointments with her present day hopes and fears。 I hope those who are currently fighting their own battles with dep The Year of the Horses is an honest and important look at depression and the way we think about mental health。 Maum's struggle to acknowledge and understand her depression is unfortunately all too relatable， and her courage to fight back and reclaim the life she finds herself detached from is laudable。 The story is beautifully written， weaving stories of her childhood joys and disappointments with her present day hopes and fears。 I hope those who are currently fighting their own battles with depression will read this story and cling to its message of hope - there is a way out。 。。。more
Sarah
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Sometimes a book finds you and at a time when you most need it。 Such was the case when I came across Courtney Maum’s The Year of the Horses。 I’m a crazy horse woman and the cover and title immediately screamed “read me”。 But it was so much more than that。 The Year of the Horses: A Memoir is Maum’s story of finding her way out of depression by revisiting her childhood love of horses and riding。 Maum explores the powerful way horses can heal and have for many。 I devoured this and could not get eno Sometimes a book finds you and at a time when you most need it。 Such was the case when I came across Courtney Maum’s The Year of the Horses。 I’m a crazy horse woman and the cover and title immediately screamed “read me”。 But it was so much more than that。 The Year of the Horses: A Memoir is Maum’s story of finding her way out of depression by revisiting her childhood love of horses and riding。 Maum explores the powerful way horses can heal and have for many。 I devoured this and could not get enough of Maum’s talent of storytelling， her prose and honest words。 Reading Maum’s words was a cathartic experience， she was putting my feelings onto paper that I have had a hard time defining myself: “For so long， I had been thinking of my child as a worthy time commitment that nevertheless ate into my time。 How and when I wrote， socialized， traveled; it all depended on what was happening with my daughter。 But I was slowly realizing that I could incorporate my child inside my joys， that if I showed her how to participate in the things I cared about， she might care about them too。” Her reflections on the roles of being a wife and a mother are raw and honest。 From Lisa Frank trapper keepers to Blue Hors Matiné to the political climate in the Trump era to “shoulders like a Queen， hips like a whore” during riding lessons。。。 I felt a kinship with a woman I’ve never met。 This is an honest and moving memoir that will resonate with women， mothers， and animal lovers。 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for approving my ARC request。 。。。more
Jamie Gehring
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I was immediately drawn in by this title。 As a rider myself I understand the deep healing and connection one can find in the equine world。 As I made my way through this deeply felt and succinctly communicated memoir， I felt the heart and soul of a woman on the brink， searching。 She is recognizable in her struggles with depression， motherhood， and seeking her own identity。 I loved this memoir and the reminder of our connection to one another and to the animals we love。 The 80s references definite I was immediately drawn in by this title。 As a rider myself I understand the deep healing and connection one can find in the equine world。 As I made my way through this deeply felt and succinctly communicated memoir， I felt the heart and soul of a woman on the brink， searching。 She is recognizable in her struggles with depression， motherhood， and seeking her own identity。 I loved this memoir and the reminder of our connection to one another and to the animals we love。 The 80s references definitely added to the allure for me （especially Lisa Frank）。 HaThank you to the publisher for the advance reader copy。 Loved it so much I pre-ordered the physical copy。 。。。more
Aileen Weintraub
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