The Girl Who Remembered Horses

by Linda Benson (author)
(Pacific Northwest, USA)

What if everyone around you thought horses were mysterious creatures...untameable? What if some of them thought horses were meant to be hunted for food? What if you were one of the only ones who thought horses may be more than that; perhaps they could be tamed and ridden?

In this novel set far in the future after the "Dark Days," that's exactly where Sahara finds herself. She dreams of horses at night and believes they are meant to be companions to people. But almost everyone around her thinks she is crazy - a dreamer. Only her friend Evan supports her dream. But is that enough?

The Girl Who Remembered Horses is a unique book, unlike any other horse book I've read. It's futuristic like the Hunger Games, but no where as violent. There is just one scene that is a little difficult if you love horses like I do. It made me think about how it must have been when the very first horses were tamed. Who thought they could ride horses? Who took that first chance? What must people have thought at the time?

This book will make you wonder and marvel at the magic and mystery of these beautiful animals we now call our friends. Suitable for girls of all ages.

Comments for The Girl Who Remembered Horses

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Jul 22, 2012
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Loved THE GIRL WHO REMEMBERED HORSES
by: Ann Montclair

My son and I read this book, and we both enjoyed it tremendously. Benson handles serious subjects with compassion and truth. This book will not disappoint horse lovers, animal lovers, or life lovers. Can't wait for the sequel.

Jul 21, 2012
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Interview with the Author
by: Sydney from HorseCrazyGirls.com

I asked the author, Linda Benson, to answer some questions about her book. Here are her answers. Enjoy!

How long have you been a horsecrazy girl?

I have been horse-crazy for as long as I can remember. Growing up, I read every single horse book I could get my hands on, had a collection of ceramic horses in my room, played horses on the playground at my elementary school (galloping to the water fountain for a drink) and pretty much lived and breathed all things equine every single day. I finally saved enough money for my own horse at age fifteen, and my life has been filled with horses ever since.

The Girl Who Remembered Horses is a very unique story. Where did you get the idea?

Well, two things. First, I noticed a lot of horses standing in pastures and never being ridden. And I realized that although many people think horses are pretty, there are lots of people who live in cities or suburbs who know practically nothing about them. What if there was some earth-changing, horrible event that actually wiped out our way of life as we know it, and most people who knew about horses, how to train and ride them, were gone? What if, as time went on, humans actually lost their knowledge of horses? Could it happen?

The second part of the storyline came from my interest in why some women and girls are horse-crazy. In fact, I completed a college research project called "American Women and their Passion for the Horse." I was fascinated by why some of us (like you, and me) are so nuts about horses. Is it culturally based? Or is it passed down from generation to generation? Is being "horse-crazy" something that could actually be inherited? These questions led to the secondary storyline in The Girl Who Remembered Horses, which is about Sahara, and why she continually dreams of horses.

How long did it take you to write it?

It took more than a year to write the first draft. Then I spent a very long time revising it to make it as readable as I could. It took about five years total, between starting the story and getting it publishing.

Do you have any tips for aspiring writers?

Keep writing, and keep learning your craft. Don't be afraid to make mistakes. And if you really love something, don't give up.

Do you have horses now?

After many decades of riding, and literally hundreds of miles in the saddle, competing in events from endurance to barrel racing, and from jumping to cattle penning, my riding days have begun to slow down. But at the moment, we still have one horse, one mule, and two donkeys on the property. Once a horsewoman, always a horsewoman. I still love to write about horses, though (and I'm working on a sequel to The Girl Who Remembered Horses) and I still enjoy reading about them, every single horse book that I can.

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