The Hearts of Horses: A Novel

"A shining example of Molly Gloss' gifts." — Amy Bloom, author of In Love

Award-winning author Molly Gloss' The Hearts of Horses is an elegant, heartwarming story about the profound connections between people and animals.

In the winter of 1917, nineteen-year-old Martha Lessen saddles her horses and heads for a remote county in eastern Oregon, looking for work “gentling” wild horses. She chances on a rancher, George Bliss, who is willing to hire 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 a young but determined woman trying to make a go of it in a man’s world.

Over the course of several long, hard winter months, many of the townsfolk witness Martha talking in low, sweet tones to horses believed beyond repair — getting miraculous, almost immediate results. It's with this gift that she earns their respect, and a chance to make herself a home.

"Gloss has . . . a permanent place on the shelf of American literature [featuring] smart, independent women." - Kent Haruf, author of Our Souls at Night

"A shining example of Molly Gloss' gifts." - Amy Bloom, author of In Love

"An acutely observed, often lyrical portrayal … has as much to say about people as about horses." - Kirkus Reviews

"[Gloss] brings the period during World War I vibrantly alive." - Seattle Post-Intelligencer

"[An] affecting, timely novel that lays explicit emphasis on empathy as a yardstick of humanity." - San Francisco Chronicle

"Not just a horse story or a tale of the West, Gloss's moving novel . . . is a story not soon forgotten." - Bookpage

"Gloss's lyrical story follows the mesmerizing journey of 19-year-old Martha Lessen." - Hallmark Magazine

"The moving story of a . . . strong-willed woman bucking society's norm to gently train horses without breaking their spirit." - Temple Grandin

"Gorgeous! Pitch-perfect . . . utterly engaging . . . deft." - Andrea Barrett, author of National Book Award Winner Ship Fever

"Magnificent .. Molly Gloss has brilliantly recreated a bygone time and place." - Howard Frank Mosher, author of On Kingdom Mountain

"Truly, one of the best books you'll ever read." - Jane Kirkpatrick, author of All Together in One Place