Review: The Horse of My Dreams by Callie Smith Grant

The Horse of My Dreams
By Callie Smith Grant
Revell, 2019


Summary

Truly the horse is one of the finest creatures on earth. In it we find embodied all of our own hopes and dreams. Our longing to live noble lives. Our need for companionship. Our desire to do good and helpful work. Our yearning to feel truly free.

With contributions from both well-known and up-and-coming writers, this heartwarming collection of true stories is the perfect way for you to decompress from the day's stresses and remember God's good gift to us in the majestic, calming, inspiring, and even silly horses he created. Here you'll meet a stubborn Shetland pony who teaches her girl the importance of hanging on. You'll see how a young woman learned to trust again after a serious riding accident. You'll fall in love with a stray donkey who finds a home--and a friend. And so much more.

So make yourself a cup of tea, open up this book, and claim a few refreshing moments on a busy day for yourself . . . and the horse of your dreams.

Christianbook │ Amazon │ B&N

My thoughts

In The Horse of My Dreams, Callie Smith Grant has compiled a beautiful collection of stories that are sure to delight all animal lovers. I’m new to Grant’s animal-themed collections, but based on this compilation, I would think they are all excellent and I’m especially eager to read the books that feature cats.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Horse of My Dreams, even though I never dreamed of owning my own horse as a child, like many of the authors did. I’ve never ridden a horse and never really been around them – yet these majestic animals fascinate me and I was touched by each story.

The collection contains 32 fairly short stories, written from the heart and sharing the owner’s love and connection to a particular horse. Each story is heartwarming, written from a biblical worldview and containing Christian values. One of my favorite stories was “Callie Had a Secret,” which shows the bonding between a beautiful Connemara paint and Appaloosa, her newborn filly, Secret, and their owner. And some stories have a more overt Christian message, such as “Let Go of the Reins” …

Fred never let me down. He offered protection, strength, and comfort once I chose to trust him with the ride. God provides me with the same and so much more. Sometimes it’s good to let go of the reins and move as one with him.

The Horse of My Dreams is a book that can be enjoyed by animal lovers of all ages, but especially those who have been touched by a relationship with a horse. This would make a great gift or Christmas present!

Recommended.

I received a copy of this book from Revell. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

_________________________

Callie Smith Grant is the editor of Second-Chance Dogs, The Cat in the Window, The Dog Next Door, The Cat on My Lap, The Dog at My Feet, and The Horse of My Heart. She is the author of several nonfiction books for young readers and adults as well as many animal-themed stories and poems, which can be seen in Guideposts anthologies and in magazines such as Small Farmer's Journal.