Booklist Review
*Starred Review* Quietly powerful and a masterpiece of subtle metaphor, Pears' latest novel, first in a new series, takes readers back to 1911, just before the Great War, a time when the landed gentry both controlled and cared for a multitude of workers on huge estates and when children only occasionally moved outside the strictures of tradition and social caste. In Somerset, England, Leo Sercombe pushes those limits. His skill with horses and inquisitive fascination with nature (and Miss Charlotte) make him a curiosity, a boon, and a danger. After failing as a scholar, he hopes to work in the master's stables, and after proving he can train a colt, his future looks bright. While very little action occurs in this leisurely tale of countryside and farm, a sense of unease creeps into the story as estate life darkens. The novel is told in short vignettes that at first seem disjointed, but the larger picture paints itself in the reader's mind, bit by bit, until the final scene completes it. Gorgeous, evocative language and characters who feel drawn from the earth itself make this unforgettable gem similar to Molly Gloss' The Hearts of Horses (2007) and to Wendell Berry's homespun, reflective Port William novels.--Baker, Jen Copyright 2016 Booklist
Library Journal Review
The lives of 12-year-old Leo Sercombe and his family in 1911 rural England revolve around agricultural labor on the estate of Lord Prideaux, and each season brings with it a lengthy list of necessary tasks. Though Leo is a keen observer of the natural world around him, his particular passion is for horses, and he longs for a career working with them. As he approaches manhood Leo takes a more active role in his community while negotiating the expectations of his family and forming a potentially dangerous friendship with the master's daughter. VERDICT The ninth novel by British author Pears (In the Place of Fallen Leaves; Landed) is a slow-paced and extremely detailed episodic look at a rural way of life about to disappear thanks to the relentless march of industrialization. Though this book is the first in a trilogy, the plot seems short on both conflict and suspense until its rather abrupt conclusion. However, readers who enjoy pastoral settings and who share the author's penchant for exploring the minutiae of life in the past may be delighted by this novel.-Mara Bandy, Champaign P.L., IL © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
