A meditation intended to dispel those tiresome Freudian theories aimed at the universal fascination women seem to have with horses.
New York Times Book Review
So beautifully written that it instantly captivates.
Whoever likes animals will love this book, and better yet, whoever seeks to fathom the mysterious relationships between ourselves and other species will be transported.
Elizabeth Marshall Thomas
A fearless book: unflinching, honest, and kind.
This thought-provoking work weaves together history, anecdotes, poetry and personal memoirs of women and their often-intense love for horses. —Chicago Tribune
She muses to deep and lyrical effect in her new collection of slender and delicate essays on horses and women. —The New York Times
This is a poignant, charming, and realistic book.
As passionate as it is informative....Rich in history, romance, and charm, Pierson's devotion to horses is always engaging, and most of all, moving.
During her midlife quest to explain the horse-filled frenzy of her childhood, Pierson (The Perfect Vehicle: What Is It About Motorcycles?) interviews the founder of an equine welfare group who expertly classifies the three kinds of women who love horses: "[T]hose who want something out of them, personally or professionally; those who anthropomorphize them; and those who are seeking a higher knowledge about horses and humans and the mysteries of their intersection." The author falls into the last group as she plumbs the depths of both the feminine and the equine, looking closely at how the two intertwine. Although the book freely mixes history, memoir, sociology, psychology and even snippets of poetry, Pierson does follow a clear narrative line. Acknowledging that her love of horses has endured long past childhood, she signs up for riding lessons. As she recalls passages from Black Beauty and describes Breyer model horse competitions from her youth, the author grows into a better horsewoman, remembering riding techniques and recapturing her love for manure's particular smell. As she gets more expert, her meditation on women and horses deepens and ranges more widely, encompassing horse racing, sidesaddle riding, class issues and competition. Pierson's smooth writing style is well suited to her subject, containing bits of breathless enthusiasm one moment and peaceful contemplation the next. Although she doesn't arrive at a definitive answer to why little girls all over the Western world suddenly become horse obsessed, she does provide a host of smaller, personal epiphanies about a woman's need to connect with the natural world, and the empowerment that comes from commanding a larger, more forceful being. (Sept.) Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.|
Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
Pierson, the author of , expands her love of transport with her paean to, and reveries about the horse: "And then the image of a horse struck my eyes. In it was something that vibrated below the level of hearing, below that of thought. Here was something that could bear me away, and all the outcasts who could find no one to talk to." Pierson approaches the horse from a variety of angles, including an informal, broad- brushed history that catalogues horse death from war and horse abuse from jobs and sports, as well as a series of literary citations about girls and horses. But more generally, this book is ideal for anyone wanting to ponder, in a relaxed, quick read, the love that human females have for horses (does it give away too much to mention ?). No index or other academic accouterments. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
[A] new collection of slender and delicate
essays on horses and women. . . . [Y]ou don't
have to be persuaded by everything she says to
appreciate the play of her mind, which is subtle
and quick; coltish, one wants to say, and one
would be right.The New York Times
A meditation intended to dispel those tiresome Freudian theories aimed at the universal fascination women seem to have with horses. The New York Times Book Review
This thought-provoking work weaves together history, anecdotes, poetry and personal memoirs of women and their often-intense love for horses. Chicago Tribune
A fearless book: unflinching, earnest, and kind.Village Voice
