A girl and her horse become inextricably linked after a terrifying accident. For the pair to survive, both must become whole again.
Title: The Horse Whisperer
Author: Nicholas Evans
Narrator: Frank Muller
Publisher: Recorded Books
Duration: 12 hours, 30 minutes
Copyright: 1995
Genres: western, animals
Filed in: Audiobook reviews
Review copy provided by Kearney Public Library.
THE GIST: Twelve-year-old Grace and her best friend Judith couldn’t wait to go riding that morning. It had snowed that night, and it seemed the whole world was still asleep under its blanket of snow in the early dawn. It was shaping up to be a beautiful day, until they hit the ice. The long slide down to the road would have been bad enough, but at the same time, a semi truck loaded with new machinery for a nearby logging camp was coming up the road. The driver had forgotten his snow chains and had no chance of stopping when two horses and two girls slid right into his path.
Judith and her horse were killed in the ensuing accident. Grace lost most of her left leg, and her horse, Pilgrim, received a smashed nose and a long, deep gash across his chest. Under normal circumstances, a horse in Pilgrim’s condition would be put down, but Grace’s mother, Annie, makes a snap decision to save Pilgrim, for reasons she herself does not even understand. Against his better judgment, the veterinarian saves Pilgrim’s life.
Grace and Pilgrim slowly heal from their terrible wounds, but both suffer broken spirits. Grace’s whole life was riding, but now she can't imagine getting on a horse again. Similarly, Pilgrim lashes out at anyone who comes near for fear of being hurt again. Annie, watching her daughter withdraw, becomes convinced that Pilgrim must be healed in order for Grace to survive. She researches the subject, and this is how she learns of the horse whisperers.
Horse whisperers are a special, and extremely rare, breed of men. They have a natural ability to understand what a horse is feeling, and to convey their own feelings to the horse. Annie’s research leads her to Tom Booker of Montana. At annie’s persistent requests, Tom agrees to come to New York to see Pilgrim, but he is instantly appalled at the condition of the horse, who was not only severely wounded, but also mistreated by handlers who misunderstood his fear.
Booker initially agrees that the horse should be put down, but after a time he too begins to sense the link between Pilgrim and Grace. Furthermore, he can see that Annie will never truly be whole again until Grace is healed. It all hinges on Pilgrim. If Tom can't heal the horse, Grace and Annie will be lost forever.
MY THOUGHTS: I liked “The Horse Whisperer” a lot. I like how Nicholas Evans intertwines the fates of Pilgrim, Grace, and Annie in such a believable way. I was also fascinated by the idea of horse whisperers; there is something very mysterious and romantic in the idea of such people.
Nicholas Evans writes a good story. He makes you care about his characters, even the darn horses, which is a crucial element in any audiobook.
NARRATOR: Frank Muller is a great audiobook reader. I will listen to any audiobook narrated by Muller, and probably enjoy it.
FINAL WORD: “The Horse Whisperer” is one example of a good story and a good narrator coming together in one audiobook. I think most anyone would enjoy this audiobook.
FILM ADAPTATION: "The Horse Whisperer" was adapted to film in 1998, and was produced by Robert Redford. Redford also starred in the movie along with Sam Neill and Scarlett Johansson.
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If you liked this audiobook review, you can purchase the audiobook here:
Get "The Horse Whisperer" by Nicholas Evans (Unabridged Audiobook) from Amazon.com.
INTERESTED IN THE MOVIE?:
Get "The Horse Whisperer" starring Robert Redford on DVD from Amazon.com.
This audiobook review is based on the unabridged audiobook.
Audiobook review by Steven Brandt
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Now this one sounds really interesting. I love talking to the animals. People think I'm nuts, but you know what, sometimes they have better conversations that humans! :)
ReplyDeleteI might try this one! :)