Ah, the HORSE book! With all the GIRL POWER this week,
you knew there had to be one coming, right?
Synopsis: Why would successful urbanites, used to clean, controlled and orderly lives, take on the task of restoring a near collapsing empty barn littered with haphazard and decayed fencing, pastures deep in standing water, and try to turn it into a thriving horse farm?
Initially motivated only by a city dweller’s fantasy and obscure memories of childhood visits to the country, Roxanne Bok oversees the reconstruction of a thirty-seven stall barn and painstakingly discovers something about both large animals and running a small business.
Follow an equine novice as she leads her equally naïve family in an eighteenmonth long adventure of breathing life back into a once great horse farm in rural New England. A thoughtfully detailed memoir, Roxanne Bok learns it all the hard way, from the agony of repeatedly being tossed off a beloved horse, to the thrill of winning a blue ribbon.For those who love horses, the dream of country life or simply the sight of an otherwise urban family on great rural adventure, here is a tale that plumbs the full range of human emotions but ends with a deepened love of the land and the extraordinary equine creatures that inhabit it.
About the Author: Roxanne is a writer and author, committed to the preservation of land and wildlife, in the global community, as well as her own backyard. She lives in New York City and Salisbury, CT with her husband, 2 children, dog and a cat. Check out her website for more info.
Review: When one of my pr companies contacted me and urged me to read this book, as they were entranced with it, I knew it would be special. When I read on the cover that when you buy this book, a portion of the proceeds, of EVERY sale, go to local and national Horse Rescue charities working towards saving lives…one horse at a time, I was hooked before I even turned a page! Then I opened the book, and started reading, and 100% understood why every one has been entranced with it!
If you EVER wanted to know what it is like to not only OWN a horse, but what it takes to make and run a horse stable, Bok is here to tell you. There are NO kid gloves here, she is forth right and honest. And in doing so, she brings you into her tale of a whim, that became a life changing event, and how it changed her entire family. You will NOT want to put this book down! I took my time reading it, as Bok is a delightful writer, very expressive and she knows how to set the mood and direction of the story, and leave you wanting more. She graciously included photos of the horses, stable and her family, and hey helped to truly bring the story to life! In my mind's eye I can still picture the photo of her barely 4 year old daughter sitting perfectly in an English saddle. It is not only an adorable picture, but one full of hope, inspiration and joy!
I remember seeing the Arabian horses from the El-Arabia stable in horse magazines when I was a kids, so to me Bok's take over of the declined ranch was disturbing, in the way that adult realization can shatter a kid's imaginings! But seeing how she changed it and brought the memory and thrill of it to her Weatogue Stables, was enchanting and restored some of that nostalgia! Bok, and her family, were lucky to have the means and opportunity to make a difference and by giving us such an intimate look into the world so few of us get to enter, she reignites the 'horse dream' in all of us.
if you love horses, or you have a child that does, this book should be on your bookshelf. There is SO much that cane be learned from Bok's experience, it is daunting. But if you want to own a horse, read this book FIRST- it's a wonderful reality check and primer, all rolled into one. I have the highest recommendation for it! Read it, and you will too!
Click HERE for info on some of the staff from Weatogue Stables!
Disclosure / Disclaimer: I was sent this book, free of charge, for review purposes, from Meryl L. Moss Media Relations . No other compensation, monetary or in kind, has been received or implied for this post. Nor was I told how to post about it.
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