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Aug 30, 2016wendybird rated this title 4 out of 5 stars
First of all, full disclosure: I'm a horsewoman and so the cover art and title drew me in. But the dust jacket synopsis made me start Chapter One. I've always wondered what actually happened to those NYC "Fresh Air Fund " kids -- the ones who live difficult lives in the inner city, and then, once a year, are sprung into the surrounding countryside, to live with a family with the means to "help" during summer vacation. This novel takes a good hard look at exactly that situation, and while some of it is tough to read (in an emotional sense), I would think it is an even tougher experience on both sides, for both families, to manage well. The horse in the title is the creature that creates the central plot activity, but it is the challenges faced by all the characters that brings the book to life. It has a "you never really understand until you walk a mile in their shoes" quality. While the ending is a teeny bit facile, it's a small quibble, and I will be looking for more by Mary Gaitskill.