Hearts of Horses
By: Molly Gloss Reviewed by: Aly Maxian Rated: 4 out of 5 stars
During the winter of 1917, Martha Lessen, a horse breaking girl, goes to George Bliss’ house, man with his regular helpers off at war, hoping there will be horses to break. She believes that when breaking a horse, using calm and easy methods, you shouldn’t force the horse to be broken. She finds out that he has some horses that need to be broken. Going to church one day with the Bliss’ she finds many people who need their horses broke. Going out to find the route she will take on horseback to the homes, Martha meets many new horses and people that will be on her trip around the block. Once the ranchers in the area see how Martha Lessen breaks a horse by horse whispering and not bucking them out and seeing how well she gets the horses to listen, they start giving her a lot of respect. Too bad, she has a broken arm.
“Hearts of Horses” will satisfy you every time you open the book up. I usually don’t read a lot of horse books because by the second chapter they get really boring and nothing is happening but this book keeps you going with all the adventures Martha encounters. I really like how Molly Gloss, the author, talks about the people in Oregon, where Martha is living, and the difficulties of ranch life during the war. This book will not let you down the way most books will.
