This is a realistic coming-of-age story set in death valley. Alice and her family make a living off their horse ranch. There is a lot of work for Alice and her dad when her sister leaves with a boyfriend. THIS BOOK ISN'T REALLY ABOUT HORSES, even though Alice's relationship with these animals is one of the wonderful things about this story. This beautifully written tale is about hard work, man vs. nature, taking chances, and compassion. There is a lot of involvement with horses, because the family and even the community is dependant upon these creatures for a living. But the point is the underlying tension in each scene, because so much is at stake. We get to see life through an insightful twelve yr old, experience the hard times and good times and triumps through her. I loved the scene where she competes in the horse riding contest, and I loved that the dad had a gift for training horses and cared about them.
"In the mornings my father and I fed the horses while it was still dark, and I would walk to school shaking hay from my hair and clothing, scratching at the pieces that had fallen down the front of my shirt. In the afternoons we cleaned the stalls and groomed and exercised the horses. It was foaling season and my father didn't like to leave the barn even for a minute, in case one of our mares went into labor." Five stars. I loved it.