The photo of the rearing horse and barefoot rider on the cover gave me some thought for pause as I wondered if I had received a young adult novel. However, I was quickly drawn into this tale of modern relationships.
Natasha is a successful London solicitor advocate in the process of getting divorced from her husband Mac. A series of miscarriages have driven a wedge between them and recent cases at work have left her distrusting her judgement.
Sarah is a young teenager living in a London council estate with her elderly grandfather, Henri Lachapelle. In an effort to protect his granddaughter from the crime that surrounds then, Henri has taught his granddaughter all he knows about Le Cadre Noir, an exclusive French riding school, dedicated to the finest horsemanship. Not only that, but he bought a horse for Sarah. Not any old pony, but a fantastic Selle Francaise called Boo.
The paths of these two speparate women entwine when Henri suffers a dehabilitating stroke, leaving Sarah to fend for herself. It's a bit of a cliched tale, but the lonely women and the hurt and angry teenager help each other to feel more human again.
This book surpassed my expectations. Moyes has a deft touch for human relationships. It is a romantic story and has the expected happy ending, but somehow it is also more. It is an interesting look at the disintegration of a marriage under the pressure of repeated miscarriages and the failure of the system to care for lonely teenagers. Highly recommended reading.
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