Wild Thing (Winnie the Horse Gentler, Book 1)

Reader must have a true interest for horses in order to fully follow all aspects of the story. I enjoyed the inserts of history trivia regarding the cat of Charles Dickens (named Wilhemina) and the cat of Winston Churchill (named Nelson). Another interesting tidbit of information was the author's explanation of the Galvayne's groove in the horse's teeth used to estimate a horse's age.

I read this book when I was much younger and extremely into horses. My agnostic liberal mother bought this series for me thinking it would be another sweet series about teenage girls and their horses. It was...except for the extensive subplots devoted to Winnie’s spiritual journey. This included many scripture references as well as constant mentions of church and prayer. It was tolerable until the third book, Winnie was asked to join an abortion debate at school. (I had to go back and reread that sentence in the book because I didn’t think I could possibly be looking at what I thought I was looking at.) An active and graphic debate ensued, in which Winnie and her friends were on the pro-life side and the rich mean girls who bully others and abuse their horses were on the pro-choice side. It ended with an established likable character saying, “choose adoption, my parents did.”

This is an older book for younger readers, but if you have a child in love with horses you might want to check it out.

Dandi Daley Mackall packs a lot of emotion into this short chapter book. Winnie hasn't forgiven herself for events that changed the lives of her family, and that lack of forgiveness is reflected in pretty much everything she does. She's quick tempered, quick to judge, and rather rude.

But once you understand the heart, you can help change the behavior.

That's a lesson she learns when she encounters a horse named "Wild Thing". Seems both the horse and the girl need to learn about forgiveness, trust, faith and love. The book includes quite a bit about faith, but isn't heavy handed.

Lizzy is an excellent supportive sister for Winnie, even though she's the younger of the two. Dad's a bit distracted trying to keep the family together But Dandi crafts a host of interesting and quirky characters to fill in the gaps and fill in the fun.

I bought the e-book version to check it out for my oldest granddaughter, and I think I've found a winner! "Wild Thing" is the first in a series, and is published by Tyndale Publishing. Recommended.

Wild Thing by Dandi Daley Mackall (Winnie the Horse Gentler series)

Winnie Willis used to work with horses with her mother before the accident. The accident that killed her mother. Winnie blames herself. Now she, her dad and her younger sister Lizzy spend their time moving--a few months here and a few months there. Winnie is so desperate to be around horses that she mucks the stalls at Spidell's stable where she learns a beautiful new Arabian horse has arrived. It is love at first sight for Winnie, but nobody seems to be able to handle the wild horse. Winnie buys the Arabian at an auction and using everything her mother taught her, Winnie slowly befriends the horse. Then she gets ready to sell the horse she has become so fond of at a sale because her family could really use the money.

Dandi Daley Mackall is obviously a talented writer. I ran through so many emotions as I read. If you know a young girl age 8-12 who loves animals, especially horse, she would love this book. If you know a girl who has ever read Pony Pals (Scholastic), Mackall's writing is very similar and not preachy.

I downloaded this as a free e-book to check it out for my daughter, but I would gladly pay money for any of Mackall's books and plan to get more of what she has written.

My 10-year-old granddaughter really liked this book, and wants to read more in the series

The first time I read this book, I was a little girl who dreamed of someday riding a horse. Even now as I've been able to live my dream and become familiar with the horse world, this book is special to me. Winnie is a twelve-year old girl who has just lost her mother and is struggling to find herself. She ends up finding a horse infamous for her wild behavior, and she becomes determined to tame it, as her mother, a horse gentler, would have. But taming the Wild Thing might be more than she though it would be! I loved how the author was true to life in this story. A bond with a horse is almost never truly magical, and although a girl trying to tame a horse is rare, it's not unheard of. I loved how she learns to trust God as the horse comes to trust her. Great read, highly recommended.

I bought this for my granddaughter who loves horses. She really like the book. I will buy more in this series.

This was a gift for a horse loving 11 year old girl who absolutely loved it

Great gift for my granddaughter who likes horses.

What a great series.. Planning on getting the whole set for Christmas