{"product_id":"the-year-of-the-horses-isbn-9781953534156","title":"The Year of the Horses","description":"\u003cb\u003eAs seen on\u003ci\u003e The TODAY Show\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA \u003ci\u003eGood Morning America, Vanity Fair, TODAY, NYLON\u003c\/i\u003e and PureWow Best Book of May and a \u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e and Boston.com Best Book of Summer\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAn Amazon Best Book of 2022 So Far (Biography \u0026amp; Memoir Category)\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSharp, heartfelt, and cathartic, \u003ci\u003eThe Year of the Horses\u003c\/i\u003e captures a woman’s journey out of depression and the horses that guide her, physically and emotionally, on a new path forward. \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt the age of thirty-seven, Courtney Maum finds herself in an indoor arena in Connecticut, moments away from stepping back into the saddle. For her, this is not just a riding lesson, but a last-ditch attempt to pull herself back from the brink even though riding is a relic from the past she walked away from. She hasn’t been on or near a horse in over thirty years. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough Maum does know what depression looks like, she finds herself refusing to admit, at this point in her life, that it could look like her: a woman with a privileged past, a mortgage, a husband, a healthy child, and a published novel. That she feels sadness is undeniable, but she feels no right to claim it. And when both therapy and medication fail, Courtney returns to her childhood passion of horseback riding as a way to recover the joy and fearlessness she once had access to as a young girl. As she finds her way, once again, through the world of contemporary horseback riding—Courtney becomes reacquainted with herself not only as a rider but as a mother, wife, daughter, writer, and woman. Alternating timelines and braided with historical portraits of women and horses alongside history’s attempts to tame both parties, \u003ci\u003eThe Year of the Horses\u003c\/i\u003e is an inspiring love letter to the power of animals—and humans—to heal the mind and the heart.\"Beautiful, lyrical. . . . The past interweaves with the present in this fabulous, memorable memoir.\"—\u003cb\u003eGood Morning America\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Expansive. . . . rekindling a childhood love of horses as an adult—and as a mother—is a force for positive good within [Maum’s] family; the barn becomes a place to bond with her daughter, and working with the animals teaches her to find patience and generosity as a partner and parent.\"—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eVanity Fair\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A beautiful story about animals and our love for animals and very relatable.\"—\u003cb\u003eWeike Wang, TODAY\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"With humor and insight, a novelist and young mother reflects on how a year of indulging in her childhood pleasure of horseback riding helped her slip out of depression and recover her lost identity.\"—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eThe New York Times Book Review\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Artfully written and deeply relatable.\"—\u003cb\u003eShondaland\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Lessons about the soulful value of acting just for pleasure.\"—\u003cb\u003eElectric Literature\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ride with Maum and celebrate her using horses to redefine what it means to be a mother.\"—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eChicago Review of Books\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Inspiring.\"—\u003cb\u003eThe U.S. Polo Association\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Tender, honest, and beautifully written.\"—\u003cb\u003eKate Baer, #1 Bestselling author of \u003ci\u003eWhat Kind Of Woman\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Searing, lucid, tender and wise, \u003ci\u003eThe Year of the Horses\u003c\/i\u003e is a moving, beautifully-written interrogation into a complicated, privileged childhood and its aftermath. Courtney Maum weaves together the sensory, tactile world of horses and their capacity to heal us, along with one of the most illuminating and powerful depictions of depression I have ever read. Oh, and it’s also a page-turner. I tore through it with immense pleasure.\" —\u003cb\u003eDani Shapiro, author \u003ci\u003eInheritance\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Gorgeously written, wry but loving, heartbreaking and, most of all, roving. . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Year of the Horses\u003c\/i\u003e is a memoir of power and beauty and pain that moves across the world like the beautiful horses that carry it.\" —\u003cb\u003eLisa Taddeo, author of\u003ci\u003e Animal\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Touching and insightful.\"—\u003cb\u003eThe Millions\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I was sold at Courtney Maum and “horses,” TBH, but pleasantly surprised to learn about the other threads in this one: Maum’s experience of reckoning with depression, plus historical portraits of other horseback-riding ladies. Saddle up, we’re going riding.\"—\u003cb\u003eLitHub\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eA\"uthor of \u003ci\u003eTouch\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eCostalegre\u003c\/i\u003e, Courtney Maum writes honestly and openly about confronting depression in her 30s and, when all else failed, taking up horseback riding again.\" —\u003cb\u003eKatie Couric Media, Must-Read New Books Coming Out in 2022\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In this intricate but clearly-told narrative of questioning her mind, her body, and her choices, Maum investigates not only what led her to a deep depression in her late thirties, but the conversations around what depression looks like, who is “allowed” to struggle with mental health, and what it means to reckon with a past she thought she’d left behind.\"—\u003cb\u003eThe Rumpus\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Beautiful and personal.\"—\u003cb\u003eWAMC, NPR Affiliate\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Stunning.\"—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eThe Arkansas International\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Courtney Maum dives into her own life with the same fearlessness and honesty that she brings to her fiction. \u003ci\u003eThe Year of the Horses\u003c\/i\u003e is a beautiful, unflinching exploration of darkness and self-forgiveness, terror and tenderness.\" —\u003cb\u003eHala Alyan, author of \u003ci\u003eSalt Houses\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"If, like me at age 50, you have a hankering to resume riding again (never mind that it’s been 34 years), this is the book for you. Courtney will show you her way to this particular form of personal salvation.\"—\u003cb\u003eSally Mann, author of\u003ci\u003e Hold Still\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Courney Maum writes not from an ideal of who she should be but as she is; it lacks performative overtones or those typical bits where the reader is assured the author is self-aware. No, it’s nothing like that—\u003ci\u003eThe Year of the Horses\u003c\/i\u003e sings like the world actually feels, offering readers permission to be who we are, written by one of the best, a writer’s writer, with a maturity that reveals her decades long devotion to her craft.\" —\u003cb\u003eHolly Whitaker, author of \u003ci\u003eQuit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"The concept of finding safety in a dangerous sport won’t make sense to everyone, but the way that Courtney found meaning and magic in horses resonates with me. As a polo player, I loved the sometimes laugh-out-loud journey of an adult trying against all odds to learn the sport of kings. This is a great memoir that somehow manages to be both deeply moving, and funny.\"—\u003cb\u003eKareem Rosser, author of \u003ci\u003eCrossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"A wonderful read, whether you are a horse person or not.\"—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHudson Valley Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"An inspiration. . . . celebrates preserving one’s inner wildness.\"—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePolo Lady Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003ci\u003e\"The Year of The Horses\u003c\/i\u003e will appeal to readers looking for an alternative journey out of dark times, those interested in equine and animal connections and anyone who wants to read a lyrical, insightful journey towards finding what feels like enough.\" —\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003eHippocampus Magazine\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Revelatory.\"—\u003cb\u003eFull Stop\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Engaging, enjoyable and full of horse knowledge.\"—\u003cb\u003eChick Lit Central\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Poignant.\"—\u003cb\u003eDandelion Chandelier\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Many women may find much to relate to in Maum's vulnerable and human story, which could be a favorite for book clubs.\"—\u003ci\u003e\u003cb\u003eBooklist\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/i\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Entertaining. . . . vivid and exuberantly cathartic.\"—\u003cb\u003e\u003ci\u003ePublishers Weekly\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Candid, deeply moving.\"—\u003cb\u003eShelf Awareness\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Honest and superbly written. . . . \u003ci\u003eThe Year of the Horses\u003c\/i\u003e is gusty, rewarding, and witty.\" —\u003cb\u003eCOWGIRL Magazine\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cb\u003eCourtney Maum\u003c\/b\u003e is the author of the novels \u003ci\u003eCostalegre\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eTouch\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eI Am Having So Much Fun Here Without You\u003c\/i\u003e, and an award-winning guide for writers, \u003ci\u003eBefore and After the Book Deal\u003c\/i\u003e. A writing coach and educator, Courtney’s mission is to help people hold on to the joy of art-making in a culture obsessed with turning artists into brands. Courtney’s essays and articles about creativity have been widely published in outlets like \u003ci\u003eThe New York Times\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003eThe Guardian\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eInterview\u003c\/i\u003e. She lives in Litchfield County, Connecticut, with her family, where she runs a nonprofit learning collaborative for artists called The Cabins.I park the Nissan Cube we’ve replaced our totaled Toyota with outside what appears to be a covered riding arena. It’s the first time I’ve come anywhere near an equestrian facility in over thirty years. The dirt gives way under my car tires: it’s been a rainy fall.\n\u003cp\u003eI’m not at this barn in northern Massachusetts to ride—or so I tell myself. I am here to research. With the September 2015 deadline for my second novel missed, I’m trying to play catch-up. There is a male character in my manuscript who is a dressage champion with a horse-breeder mother who works out of a barn near the ocean in Cape Cod. I know precious little about either of these undertakings, and so I’ve driven two hours north from the Berkshires to talk to someone who does: Amanda Traber, a famed dressage trainer whose barn is near the Cape but not on it, because one of the first things Amanda will set straight about my fiction is that it costs an unholy fortune to have a horse barn by the sea.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo quiet the sheepishness I feel about imposing my quest for fleshed-out characters onto a busy stranger, I run through the questions I’ve prepared. What makes a dressage horse talented? How did Amanda get into the sport? How does she talk about her passion to people who don’t ride? I feel both ill at ease and excited to be at a stable as a writer instead of as a rider. It steadies my nerves to focus on the writing part.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmanda is waiting for me just past the stall mats in the facility’s entrance, and the short walk gives me several beats to collect myself after the smash of the barn smell. Once I actually start riding again, I will talk with women who were pulled back into horse madness by the siren of that smell alone.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn terms of the perfume hitting, there is the animal musk first—the sun-warmed, dirty honey of the place where large head meets muscled neck, the encapsulated summer scent of flaked hay, peaty manure, the reek of riding gloves that never truly dry, the stench of humid fly sheets folded by horse stalls. But underneath these organic smells lie the deeply personal: the acrid punch of the oil dripping underneath my mother’s waiting Wagoneer, the sudden tang of cologne wafting up from the front hall, which meant my father was home from Wall Street early. The smell of the linseed oil my mother rubbed and rubbed on my giant Christmas present in hopes that the wooden horse would be easier to rock.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Remind me what you need again?” Amanda asks. “Did you want to ride?”\u003c\/p\u003e\n","brand":"Tin House","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":48233772187877,"sku":"NP9781953534156","price":27.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9781953534156.jpg?v=1767742354","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/the-year-of-the-horses-isbn-9781953534156","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}