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The Hearts of Horses: A Novel Audiobook
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(3.01) - 1,802 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In the winter of 1917, a big-boned young woman shows up at George Bliss's doorstep. She's looking for a job breaking horses, and he hires her on. Many of his regular hands are off fighting the war, and he glimpses, beneath her showy rodeo garb, a shy but strong-willed girl with a serious knowledge of horses.
So begins the irresistible tale of nineteen-year-old Martha Lessen, a female horse whisperer trying to make a go of it in a man's world. It was thought that the only way to break a horse was to buck the wild out of it, and broken ribs and tough falls just went with the job. But over several long, hard winter months, many of the townsfolk in this remote county of eastern Oregon witness Martha's way of talking in low, sweet tones to horses believed beyond repair—and getting miraculous, almost immediate results—and she thereby earns a place of respect in the community.
Along the way, Martha helps a family save their horses when their wagon slides into a ravine. She gentles a horse for a dying man—a last gift to his young son. She clashes with a hired hand who is abusing horses in unspeakable ways. Soon, despite her best efforts to remain aloof and detached, she comes to feel enveloped by a sense of community and family that she's never had before.
With the elegant sweetness of Plainsong and a pitch-perfect sense of western life reminiscent of Annie Dillard, The Hearts of Horses is a remarkable story about how people and animals make connections and touch each other's lives in the most unexpected and profound ways.
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"I really enjoyed this book. Martha, the main character is a strong, hardworking woman who breaks horses for a living--not a normal job for a woman in 1917, but was becoming more and more common with the onset of the war. The stories of the neighbors who hire her are both heartwarming and heartbreaking; they help to define the hardness of pioneering life and how war can impact a small community."
— Diane (4 out of 5 stars)
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Best of all, Raudman lets us savor the author's leisurely descriptions and witness Matha's growing sense of self and belonging.
— AudioFile
The Hearts of Horses Listener Reviews
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" This lovely, quiet story is moving and transporting. I listened to it on CD and the reader has a mesmerizing quality to her reading. A nice book for anyone interested in "gentling horses" instead of "bronco-busting" or in learning a bit about Oregon history. "
— Andrea, 2/14/2014 -
" I liked this book very much. It is extremely low key and somehow soothing, even though death and violence and tragedy occur. If you love horses and don't mind a steady narrative, this is a very good read. "
— Kyra, 2/3/2014 -
" Very good book. Quite interesting view of women, prejudice, etc. I liked it. "
— Laura, 1/17/2014 -
" Loved it! The girl in the book could of been Randi! "
— Rhonda, 1/15/2014 -
" This was a very pleasant surprise. The main character is a tough woman trying to survive during World War I. I am not a horseman, but I learned a lot about them and developed great affection for them through this engaging story. "
— Robert, 1/13/2014 -
" I loved this book! Another one that I didn't want to end. A very nice story with not too much violence or sex. "
— Dawn, 1/12/2014 -
" An easy read of the "wild" west, but a different sort of west that what one is used to. "
— Kim, 12/22/2013 -
" The start was pretty slow but once it got to the meat of the story it was really enjoyable. Then the end fell flat for me. It was like she only had a certain number of pages left to write with and she had to wrap it up too quickly. "
— Erica, 12/7/2013 -
" 10.9 Horse in title/ story "
— pjreads, 12/4/2013 -
" i like it it was good and well written "
— Idell, 11/22/2013 -
" I absolutely loved this story. It is so well written and I loved the characters. And I always love books that take place in beautiful Oregon. "
— Erica, 10/2/2013 -
" Full of well-written and inspiring cheese. "
— KG, 8/20/2013 -
" A nice, slow paced, character driven western that is easy to relish. "
— Valerie, 2/1/2013 -
" This was a nice book. Enjoyable. I was raised around horses and like them, so I liked learning how the main character trained them. Also, this was set during a time when women didn't really go around breaking horses (WWI I think). I liked it. "
— MariLee, 11/11/2012 -
" This read more like a history book. It was very interesting though in the style of horse breaking that she described. "
— Sandy, 5/6/2012 -
" I fell in love with this book in spite of its title. Beautifully arranged and wonderful descriptions. "
— Daryl, 2/28/2012 -
" Lori suggested this one...excellent spent one evening until 2 am finishing it . just in the mood I guess...the USA as it entered the WWI ..my usual perspective of England..ie AnnePerry. or the war in France.. "
— Joy, 10/29/2011 -
" I have never read a Molly Gloss book that I did not enjoy. "
— MaryBeth, 10/25/2011 -
" I likes it for the most part, sometimes it was a bit too technical on things like horse tack and training techniques. The love story seemed odd, awkward and thrown in at the end, like the author thought she couldn't have a novel without romance, which I disagree. "
— Alicia, 5/23/2011 -
" It was a slow but enjoyable read. The characters were wonderfully ordinary, finding a way in the changing times of WW I. It was pleasant, but could be put down when life beckoned, but was easy to pick up again. "
— Mum, 5/14/2011 -
" OK, so I read this because I've seen her SF and fantasy novels praised, and it was good, I liked it a lot, but what really stood out was the cover copy stating that one of her other books won the James Tiptree Jr Award for <em>literary fantasy</em>. LOL. "
— The_antichris, 5/9/2011 -
" It's a sweet story, but to dull for me. "
— Diane, 4/28/2011 -
" Not what I expected but a good story anyway. She did truly love horses. Wish there were more in it about her and the horses. "
— Judy, 4/23/2011 -
" I enjoyed this book. It was well written. However, the author had a weird way of tracking into the future at times. Sometimes I felt the book wandered into too broad a subject. "
— Anndee, 4/23/2011 -
" This book is the 1st one I finished in TN. Which was prefect really. Since it has to do with the old school country life style. This pretty much in a nut shell sums up what I would love to do if I end up with my dream job. Expect I would be doing medcine too. "
— Amber, 4/20/2011 -
" In 1917 a young woman, Martha Lessen, heads to Oregon and this is where she uses her gifts to train/tame wild horses. Martha has a special talent to calm horses and is able to earn the friendship and respect of the horses and the community. "
— Becky, 4/1/2011 -
" Loved this and have passed it on to friends. "
— Kris, 3/9/2011
About Molly Gloss
Molly Gloss is the bestselling author The Hearts of Horses, The Jump-Off Creek, winner of both the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Award and the Oregon Book Award, The Dazzle of Day, winner of the PEN Center West Fiction Prize, and Wild Life, winner of the James Tiptree Jr. Award.
About Renée Raudman
Renée Raudman is an actor and Earphones Award–winning audiobook narrator. She has performed on film, television, radio, and on stage and can also be heard in several video games and hundreds of television and radio voice-overs.