ABOUT THE BOOK
ISBN-13:9780800744700
Publisher:Baker Publishing Group
Publication date:07/02/2024
Pages:384
American horse trainer Adia Kensington is living her dream of working at the famous Janów Podlaski stables in Poland, where they breed the best Arabian horses in the world. But her plans to bring the priceless stallion Lubor to the US are derailed when the German army storms into her adopted country in 1939. Little does she know this is just the beginning of six long years of occupation that will threaten her beloved horses at every turn.
Bret Conway is at Janów Podlaski under the guise of a news reporter, but his true mission is intelligence gathering for the British. That and keeping Adia safe, which is harder and harder to do as she insists they must evacuate 250 horses to save them from being stolen, sold, or eaten by the invading forces. What follows will test their physical, mental, and emotional strength, as well as their faith in God, humankind, and each other.
Drawn from true events of World War II, this epic story of escape, capture, resistance, and love from debut novelist Nicole M. Miller will thunder into your heart like a herd of beautiful horses across a raging river.
My Thoughts
I am delighted that I was given the opportunity to read this fascinating story about a special breed of horses that were the targets of both the Nazis and Russians during WWII. Before I dived into the pages of this novel, I had no knowledge of Arabian horses, their origin or the perils they went through during the war. The novel wove information that was interesting and compelling into the story of horse trainer Adia Kensington and spy Major Bret Conway. Adia is from the U.S. and has traveled to Poland specifically to work with the horses at the Janow Podlaski stables since she has a family connection and an affinity with them. Adia is a talented and intuitive trainer who is not quite ready to face the challenges of a Nazi invasion, but she rises to the task in unexpected and surprising ways. She comes up with a plan to evacuate the horses and then has to fall back on plan B when the evacuation fails, forming an alliance with a German colonel to keep the thoroughbreds safe during the chaos of war. Not only does Adia shelter a little pickpocket orphan named Ewan, but she finds other creative and dangerous ways to help the efforts of the allies while also safeguarding her beloved horses. The destruction of war is evident throughout the story and some beloved characters are victims to the ravages it brings, all of which make the story captivating. I enjoyed the story immensely, even though I am personally not a big horse lover. The way the author layered the story with events from the war, the personal lives of Adia and Bret and the insightful look into the challenges of keeping horses safe when an entire nation is overrun by enemy forces kept me reading long past my bedtime. Brilliantly written and balancing action with history and romance, this story is memorable, an eye-opening look at people overcoming what seems like insurmountable obstacles in order to achieve worthy goals. The themes of hope for the future, faith and pure grit were evident, but not overly emphasized so that the main story continued to be Adia and her goal to save the bloodline of the stallions. The characters are people that I would like to get to know in real life since they are inspirational and courageous as well as dynamic and well-developed. The chemistry between the characters was believable and showed great depth of emotion. All in all, this was one of my favorite books to read this year with its unique story that drew me in and kept me there until the very end.
Disclaimer
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary copy of this book from the Revell. I was not required to write a positive review and all opinions expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16th CFR, Part 255, “Guidelines Concerning the Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Advertising.”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
From the author’s website at Nicole Miller and in her own words:
I live in Southwest Washington state with my husband and two sons, along with my two purebred Arabian horses, chickens, ducks, dogs, cats, and guinea pigs. As a long-time horse owner, I’ve been involved in several horse organizations throughout my life, including serving as a Clark County Fair Court Princess and Miss Teen Rodeo Washington.
When I’m not writing or tending the animals, I works in human resources. A journalism major, I’ve received several national and regional awards for my nonfiction writing from American Horse Publications and the Society of Professional Journalists.
Check out my short stories from Revell, too!
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