About this title: A lonely woman who's had a difficult life agrees to take care of a skeletal racehorse rescued by the SPCA. Susan Richards already owns three horses, but it is with Lay Me Down that she forges a special, healing relationship that alters her life.
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780156031172ISBN:0156031175
Description: Good. A copy that has been read, but remains in clean condition. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (including dustcover, if applicable). The spine may show signs of wear. Pages can include limited notes and highlighting, and the copy can include "from the library of" labels. read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: Mariner Books
Date Published: 2007
ISBN-13:9780156031172ISBN:0156031175
Description: Acceptable. A readable copy. All pages are intact, and the cover is intact (the dust cover may be missing). Pages can include considerable notes-in pen or highlighter-but the notes cannot obscure the text. read more
Description: Good. } Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Light shelf wear and minimal interior marks. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Very good. Very minimal damage to the cover (no holes or tears, only minimal scuff marks), in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, minimal to no highlighting/under. read more
Description: Good. 2007-Paperback-Cover shows some shelf-wear. --Used-Good. Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
"Ok...know how I am always telling you guys to connect to what you read? This was was too painful of a connection for me. The book was in first person, and I great too close to the narrator because she and I have a lot in common. We both rescued a mare, both of our mares were/fiesty and challenging, and we both doubted our adoption several times. But her mare gets sick, and then some unhappy things happen. Anyone who owns a pet will identify with her pain and angst, but it was too close to my biggest fear. I don't want to say anything more because I don't want to give too much away."
"what a pleasant surprise this one was!! thanks, jeanette, for recommending it. i am NOT a horse person, have had no experience with them. never actually been on one, unless it happened when i was so young i forgot. (i have sat on many a cow, but that is definitely different.) anyway, this was fascinating and i loved it. i loved hearing about how the woman grew from her experience. i have definite opinions of how she acted with her first beau and i loved her observations. she is a smooth, easy writer. yes, it is a dead dog, i mean horse, story, but i did not cry. i would definitely like to meet this woman. i almost want to go meet a horse also. also a 4.5/5."
"Advantages: Innate understanding of the horse lover Disadvantages: American style, overly self absorbed
*Synopsis*
Susan Richards agrees to provide a home to an abused and neglected mare named Lay me Down that has been rescued by a local animal welfare centre. Susan has had a traumatic life. She lost her mother at a young age and was raised by uncaring relatives; she married unhappily and divorced; and she'd been an alcoholic. At this point in her life, aged 43, she lives alone on a farm with three horses to whom she is devoted: pushy, opinionated Georgia (typical Morgan), boyish Tempo and hopelessly romantic Hotshot. Lay Me Down, walks into Susan's horse trailer of her own volition, hence the title of the book. This relationship alters her perspective on life and teaches her much about finding the strength to live with her past.
*My Opinion*
I love horses and as such am always drawn to books with an equestrian theme. On searching Amazon for books of this kind I came across Chosen by a horse by Susan Richards. Four people had given the book five star and had described it as: "beautifully written and heartfelt" and "like reading a diary that you had no right to be reading." The books headline is "How a broken horse fixed a broken heart". Reading these initial thoughts encouraged me to source myself a copy as it sounded right up my street.
What I hadn't realised when I purchased the book is that it is actually a memoir of the author's life; providing an insight into her feelings. Ironically I probably wouldn't have bought the book at all if I had been aware of this, as I am not usually a fan of biographies, perhaps with the exception of Boy and Going Solo; you have to adore Roald Dahl, don't you? Never one to leave a book untouched I steeled myself to keep an open mind and started to read.
It soon became clear to me the author was using the act of writing to directly reflect and analyse her own life experiences to better understand herself and to learn lessons for her future. As a qualified social worker she seemed to be applying the principles of her training to herself as a case study. I can't quite decide whether I liked this style or not, in fact, I think I find myself almost bereft of an opinion. Weird for me, as normally I either love things or hate them! In addition, from looking on the author's website (www.susan-richards.com ) and reading the biography on there the dates don't match. Therefore, this isn't an autobiography in the truest sense of the word; it seems to be based on fact but tweaked, probably with the aim of providing a better read for the audience. In fact, knowing the authors background I can't help but find the book a trifle contrived. Almost as if she is saying to her audience, if this has happened to you I know how you feel but you need to learn and move on. That's great as a concept (and I am sure extremely inspirational to some readers) but how true to her personal life the story is only she herself will know.
One thing that I don't like is how very American both the writing and the way of thinking is. I'll not condemn her for that as it is fitting for her intended audience and it really is a preference specific to me. In particular, it smacks of the specific, 'get professional help' for all ills, although in this case she is being both patient and therapist all rolled into one.
One thing I will give her credit for is an innate understanding of what makes the horse lover tick. Her descriptions of the horses' personalities and their antics also have a real ring of truth. One lovely paragraph describes a foal's first encounter with a wheelbarrow and resulting reaction, 'who could blame her for gloating? She had just killed her first wheelbarrow.'
Probably the unique feature of this book and its selling point is how the building of a bond with an animal (in this case a horse) can have special healing qualities. This is fundamental to the book and to me was its saving grace. I can't lay claim to a traumatic life, only the general ups and downs of a rather normal life. However, my horses have always been a source of peace when facing any kind of turmoil. Somehow when you are stressed and upset they provide a kind of comfort no human could.
*Would I recommend?*
To be honest I am not sure. I know this isn't helpful but is probably the best I can do as I feel as if I am sat on the fence. The book does detail loss and its impact on those left behind. I do think this is portrayed well and it may therefore be useful for those who are bereaved. I wouldn't class this as a must read nor as a read to steer clear of. I can't help but think how you find the book will be linked to your own life experiences. So I will leave it for you to decide ....
*Availability*
I got my copy from www.greenmetropolis.com for £3.75 (great site, well worth checking out!). It is currently available on Amazon for £5.59.
*Publication details*
Title: Chosen by a horse Author: Susan Richards Book Type: Biography Publisher: Constable & Robinson (www.constablerobinson.com ) Publication date: 24th April 2008 ISBN: 978-1-84529-716-9 RRP: £7.99"
"This book made me laugh out loud and cry on a bus loaded with people. It touched my heart, partly because I can relate to the author in so many ways. And where I couldn't relate, I could come to understand. This is a horse story for adults. Remember when you were little and read Black Beauty in your bedroom surrounded by all your plastic horses on shelves (well, that wasn't me because I never could afford the plastic horses), but this book may bring you back to that. I was so impressed, I handed it off to my coworker as soon as I finished it. My reservations are that it isn't a book for everyone. It is also a memoir by an amateur writer, much like Icebound, which had a great story and good content but the delivery could be strained. But I found the author to be witty and able to present a sadness that is so deep."
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