Post by Claire on Jul 1, 2012 14:33:37 GMT 1
THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES by LINDA BENSON
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Sahara – our heroine, 12 year old animal loving girl
Laurel – Sahara’s elder sister
Evan – a gentle boy who looks after the goats
Dojo – the clan’s best hunter
Banner and Blitz – clan dogs looked after by Sahara
Little One/Promise – foal rescued by Sahara
SUMMARY:
This is a post-apocalyptic fantasy set some time in the future after a disaster has wiped out the world as we know it. The people have returned to a more simple and primitive way of life without technology, partly nomadic, farming and hunting for food. Dogs and goats are their most important animals, the dogs used for hunting and to pull carts, the goats for milk and meat. Sahara is a young girl from one of the nomadic clans who forage for items they can barter for food from the agricultural clans. She has lately been troubled by dreams of beautiful creatures that she has never seen before, and imagines herself riding on their backs. When a rare herd of wild horses crosses the path of the clan she knows her dreams have been about a real animal!
Later when the clan arrives at The Gardeners Camp, an agricultural settlement, she finds out more about horses when her friend Evan, who tends the goats there, takes her to visit his old reclusive Aunt. The old woman shows Sahara a book about training horses and Sahara realises that not only are the horses beautiful and compelling animals, they may also be useful to the clans for transport and travel. When a herd of horses appears near camp, Dojo, the clan’s best hunter sets off to hunt and kill them. Sahara and Evan however are determined to save them.
As the book progresses Sahara continually fights against the notion that horses are only useful for food and tries to persuade her fellow clan members, in particularly Dojo, that they can be much more useful in other ways. Yet even when she manages to catch a horse and attempt to train it, problems occur and the horse causes trouble. Will she ever manage to persuade the others of the true potential of these incredible animals? Can the answer to the problem lie in her mysterious dreams and half-remembered memories?
REVIEW:
Whilst most post-apocalyptic fantasies (think The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Stand or The Running Man by Stephen King) play the cards of sensationalism and violence, this story takes a more thoughtful and gentle exploration of a world struggling back to its feet. The Hunger Games and their ilk portray a world where disaster has driven people to violence, exploitation and a hatred of each other. This book has instead chosen to depict a world where shared peril has drawn people closer together, given them strength and helped them work with their neighbours. The life of the clans, whilst not easy (they often go hungry, they all work extremely hard, they have little medical care) is in some ways a pleasant existence. With their shared goal to survive, the people are more tolerant of each other. Community ties are strong and families are closer. There is a positive, optimistic mood in which the people are sure they can re-build their world and survive. Because the book does not take the well-trodden route of portraying an unpleasant dystopian post-apocalyptic world, it is more original and more compassionate than most stories of this sort. What makes it really stand apart from the other books though is its focus on the relationship between human and animal, in particular horses, but also dogs and the other creatures which populate the story. I cannot think of any other post-apocalyptic novel or film which has taken this route and it makes it a very appealing story for animal-loving readers in particular.
However I don’t want to spend too much time comparing this book with others as it stands on it own merits. Not only does it have an interesting out of the ordinary plot, it is well-written and easy to read, with believeable characters and dialogue, and a very sympathetic heroine whom the reader will immediately warm to. Horses are not a backdrop for the story, as in many adventures, but are the central focus of the plot and the themes explored.
What I really love the most about the book though, is that it manages to convey both the spiritual and the more physical down-to-earth quality of horses - and indeed of life itself. Although Sahara realises through her dreams and through the book she is given by Evan’s Aunt, that horses could be incredibly useful to their people, she also feels that horses should be appreciated for their sheer beauty, their speed and strength, that they can add a sense of magic to human lives. This magical element really comes though in Sahara’s dreams which are full of evocative images of beauty, power and speed.
A related theme which the book explores is the age-old dichotomy between the emotional relationship we have with animals and our utilization – some would say exploitation - of them. The clans people do not have the luxury of living in a society where they can choose to be vegetarian or fight for animal rights, but this is not to say they do not question the balance between treating animals as mere tools or as friends and creatures in their own right. Sahara seems to feel this more than the other people from her clan. She loves the dogs Banner and Blitz as deeply as members of her family, but has to continually remind herself they are primarily there for transport or hunting. Similarly she shows compassion for animals which need to be killed for meat. In many ways she is a very similar character to Lynsey from Monica Edward’s Punchbowl Farm books, which also are concerned with the problem of achieving this balance, albeit in a more traditional setting.
Dojo on the other hand represents the type of person who cannot see animals as anything but a useful commodity, in his case mainly as food. He is eager to kill both the horses and the goats for their meat. Not only does he miss the true potential of the animals which could be utilised by keeping them alive, he is also blind to their ability to bring love and beauty into the world.
Both characters actually learn to balance their views as the book progresses. Sahara has to come to terms with the fact that horses although beautiful, are hard work and are not ethereal but very physical beings. Dojo begins to learn a more thoughtful and emotional response to the animals, represented by Banner’s growing attachment to him and culminating in his decision not to kill Sahara’s horse.
Just as there is a contrast between the spiritual/magical and physical in Sahara’s attitude to horses, so there is within the book itself. The magical element again comes through mostly in the dreams of Sahara, which are seemingly both prophetic and some sort of genetic memory passed down to her through her ancestors. There is clearly some otherworldly element shaping Sahara’s dreams and memories. On the other hand the book is deeply rooted in physical reality, building up a perfectly believable alternative world, which is made so by the many intricate details of the day-to-day lives of the clans people. In this way it treads a path between the two extremes, making it more appealing to those readers who dislike overt fantasy. Choosing to portray the post-apocalyptic world as a nomadic/early agricultural culture gives added realism and evokes an historical, rather than fantastical or science-fictional, atmosphere. It could almost be set in a prehistoric world like that of the Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear books, rather than in the future.
A novel which is thoughtful and delves into the relationships between humans and animals risks the danger of turning into a dull navel-gazing tome. But this is certainly not the case in The Girl Who Remembered Horses. Far from it. There is a sense of mystery which builds up throughout the book, as Sahara questions why she has such dreams and such skills with the horses, and wonders about her mysterious dead mother. There is also excitement and conflict in the constant fear she has that her beloved horses will be hunted down and killed. And there is danger when she puts herself in peril in order to save them. The story moves along at a pace fast enough to keep younger or more impatient readers interested.
Like most good books this story can be read on a number of different levels, younger children will root for Sahara in her constant battle against Dojo to save the horses, older children and adults will enjoy thinking about the exploration of the animal-human relationship, and entering into the new interesting world of the clans. In this way the book is suitable for a wide-ranging readership, from older pre-teens to adult. I feel this story has something for everyone, whether they love horses or fantasy – or neither. It deserves to be more prominent in the world of children’s books and I just hope a large publisher out there will realise how good this story really is.
Overall rating: 4-5 HORSESHOES
MAIN CHARACTERS:
Sahara – our heroine, 12 year old animal loving girl
Laurel – Sahara’s elder sister
Evan – a gentle boy who looks after the goats
Dojo – the clan’s best hunter
Banner and Blitz – clan dogs looked after by Sahara
Little One/Promise – foal rescued by Sahara
SUMMARY:
This is a post-apocalyptic fantasy set some time in the future after a disaster has wiped out the world as we know it. The people have returned to a more simple and primitive way of life without technology, partly nomadic, farming and hunting for food. Dogs and goats are their most important animals, the dogs used for hunting and to pull carts, the goats for milk and meat. Sahara is a young girl from one of the nomadic clans who forage for items they can barter for food from the agricultural clans. She has lately been troubled by dreams of beautiful creatures that she has never seen before, and imagines herself riding on their backs. When a rare herd of wild horses crosses the path of the clan she knows her dreams have been about a real animal!
Later when the clan arrives at The Gardeners Camp, an agricultural settlement, she finds out more about horses when her friend Evan, who tends the goats there, takes her to visit his old reclusive Aunt. The old woman shows Sahara a book about training horses and Sahara realises that not only are the horses beautiful and compelling animals, they may also be useful to the clans for transport and travel. When a herd of horses appears near camp, Dojo, the clan’s best hunter sets off to hunt and kill them. Sahara and Evan however are determined to save them.
As the book progresses Sahara continually fights against the notion that horses are only useful for food and tries to persuade her fellow clan members, in particularly Dojo, that they can be much more useful in other ways. Yet even when she manages to catch a horse and attempt to train it, problems occur and the horse causes trouble. Will she ever manage to persuade the others of the true potential of these incredible animals? Can the answer to the problem lie in her mysterious dreams and half-remembered memories?
REVIEW:
Whilst most post-apocalyptic fantasies (think The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, The Stand or The Running Man by Stephen King) play the cards of sensationalism and violence, this story takes a more thoughtful and gentle exploration of a world struggling back to its feet. The Hunger Games and their ilk portray a world where disaster has driven people to violence, exploitation and a hatred of each other. This book has instead chosen to depict a world where shared peril has drawn people closer together, given them strength and helped them work with their neighbours. The life of the clans, whilst not easy (they often go hungry, they all work extremely hard, they have little medical care) is in some ways a pleasant existence. With their shared goal to survive, the people are more tolerant of each other. Community ties are strong and families are closer. There is a positive, optimistic mood in which the people are sure they can re-build their world and survive. Because the book does not take the well-trodden route of portraying an unpleasant dystopian post-apocalyptic world, it is more original and more compassionate than most stories of this sort. What makes it really stand apart from the other books though is its focus on the relationship between human and animal, in particular horses, but also dogs and the other creatures which populate the story. I cannot think of any other post-apocalyptic novel or film which has taken this route and it makes it a very appealing story for animal-loving readers in particular.
However I don’t want to spend too much time comparing this book with others as it stands on it own merits. Not only does it have an interesting out of the ordinary plot, it is well-written and easy to read, with believeable characters and dialogue, and a very sympathetic heroine whom the reader will immediately warm to. Horses are not a backdrop for the story, as in many adventures, but are the central focus of the plot and the themes explored.
What I really love the most about the book though, is that it manages to convey both the spiritual and the more physical down-to-earth quality of horses - and indeed of life itself. Although Sahara realises through her dreams and through the book she is given by Evan’s Aunt, that horses could be incredibly useful to their people, she also feels that horses should be appreciated for their sheer beauty, their speed and strength, that they can add a sense of magic to human lives. This magical element really comes though in Sahara’s dreams which are full of evocative images of beauty, power and speed.
A related theme which the book explores is the age-old dichotomy between the emotional relationship we have with animals and our utilization – some would say exploitation - of them. The clans people do not have the luxury of living in a society where they can choose to be vegetarian or fight for animal rights, but this is not to say they do not question the balance between treating animals as mere tools or as friends and creatures in their own right. Sahara seems to feel this more than the other people from her clan. She loves the dogs Banner and Blitz as deeply as members of her family, but has to continually remind herself they are primarily there for transport or hunting. Similarly she shows compassion for animals which need to be killed for meat. In many ways she is a very similar character to Lynsey from Monica Edward’s Punchbowl Farm books, which also are concerned with the problem of achieving this balance, albeit in a more traditional setting.
Dojo on the other hand represents the type of person who cannot see animals as anything but a useful commodity, in his case mainly as food. He is eager to kill both the horses and the goats for their meat. Not only does he miss the true potential of the animals which could be utilised by keeping them alive, he is also blind to their ability to bring love and beauty into the world.
Both characters actually learn to balance their views as the book progresses. Sahara has to come to terms with the fact that horses although beautiful, are hard work and are not ethereal but very physical beings. Dojo begins to learn a more thoughtful and emotional response to the animals, represented by Banner’s growing attachment to him and culminating in his decision not to kill Sahara’s horse.
Just as there is a contrast between the spiritual/magical and physical in Sahara’s attitude to horses, so there is within the book itself. The magical element again comes through mostly in the dreams of Sahara, which are seemingly both prophetic and some sort of genetic memory passed down to her through her ancestors. There is clearly some otherworldly element shaping Sahara’s dreams and memories. On the other hand the book is deeply rooted in physical reality, building up a perfectly believable alternative world, which is made so by the many intricate details of the day-to-day lives of the clans people. In this way it treads a path between the two extremes, making it more appealing to those readers who dislike overt fantasy. Choosing to portray the post-apocalyptic world as a nomadic/early agricultural culture gives added realism and evokes an historical, rather than fantastical or science-fictional, atmosphere. It could almost be set in a prehistoric world like that of the Jean Auel Clan of the Cave Bear books, rather than in the future.
A novel which is thoughtful and delves into the relationships between humans and animals risks the danger of turning into a dull navel-gazing tome. But this is certainly not the case in The Girl Who Remembered Horses. Far from it. There is a sense of mystery which builds up throughout the book, as Sahara questions why she has such dreams and such skills with the horses, and wonders about her mysterious dead mother. There is also excitement and conflict in the constant fear she has that her beloved horses will be hunted down and killed. And there is danger when she puts herself in peril in order to save them. The story moves along at a pace fast enough to keep younger or more impatient readers interested.
Like most good books this story can be read on a number of different levels, younger children will root for Sahara in her constant battle against Dojo to save the horses, older children and adults will enjoy thinking about the exploration of the animal-human relationship, and entering into the new interesting world of the clans. In this way the book is suitable for a wide-ranging readership, from older pre-teens to adult. I feel this story has something for everyone, whether they love horses or fantasy – or neither. It deserves to be more prominent in the world of children’s books and I just hope a large publisher out there will realise how good this story really is.
Overall rating: 4-5 HORSESHOES
