CHOSEN BY A HORSE by Susan Richards

It was Monday. I looked out the window. All I saw was snow. At some point I knew I'd have to go out into the sixteen degree cold and shovel but I kept putting it off. I shut the blinds and picked up a book.

It was CHOSEN BY A HORSE by Susan Richards. I'm not a horse person; I live in the city and have two cats. But I read the review on Book Club Classics and it sounded like something I'd enjoy. I entered a drawing and won the book. I started reading and darn if I didn't stop until I got to the last page.

It's an inspirational story about the impact of an abused horse on a woman trying to come to terms with her own traumatic past.

Susan Richards already owned three horses and worked a full time job when she agreed to take one of the forty abused horses rescued by the SPCA. She picked Current Squeeze because she liked the name but they couldn't get her into the trailer so she went home with Lay Me Down and her foal. Despite having a terrible life and being lame, Lay Me Down was a gentle animal with a loving nature who helped Susan re-evaluate her outlook on life.

Richards writes in a delightful easy to read style. If you know nothing about horses - like me - it doesn't matter. She weaves information into her story in an entertaining way and she writes honestly and humorously of her own faults.

It was a great read but I had no idea it would take me on such an emotional rollercoaster ride. Keep a box of Kleenex handy.