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A review by lawbooks600
The Horses Didn't Come Home by Pamela Rushby
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Representation: N/A
Score: Seven points out of ten.
It's been a while since I've read from Pamela Rushby, but here's a brief recap: more than a year ago I read two books from her, Lizzie and Margaret Rose and Interned. I thought the former was a hit until I picked out the flaws, and the latter--a massive disappointment. I didn't have high hopes for The Horses Didn't Come Home. However, the author pleasantly surprised me when I found it to be enjoyable.
It starts with the first characters I see, Laura and Harry, initially living together in Australia before the latter joined the Australian Army to fight in World War One. The narrative can sometimes get disjointed with the multiple POVs, and I don't get why the author had to unnecessarily capitalise some words. The pacing is swift and enjoyable with chapters that only last a few pages. The middle of the narrative can sometimes get monotonous and repetitive, especially when I see Harry recounting his uneventful life and Laura receiving letters he wrote. The conclusion is more action-packed, as Harry and other soldiers fight in the Battle of Beersheba, claiming that their horses carried them to victory (it was the soldiers though.) Harry returns home in one piece but not before he realises that the horses stayed there at Beersheba, never to return to Australia. That is a low note.
Score: Seven points out of ten.
It's been a while since I've read from Pamela Rushby, but here's a brief recap: more than a year ago I read two books from her, Lizzie and Margaret Rose and Interned. I thought the former was a hit until I picked out the flaws, and the latter--a massive disappointment. I didn't have high hopes for The Horses Didn't Come Home. However, the author pleasantly surprised me when I found it to be enjoyable.
It starts with the first characters I see, Laura and Harry, initially living together in Australia before the latter joined the Australian Army to fight in World War One. The narrative can sometimes get disjointed with the multiple POVs, and I don't get why the author had to unnecessarily capitalise some words. The pacing is swift and enjoyable with chapters that only last a few pages. The middle of the narrative can sometimes get monotonous and repetitive, especially when I see Harry recounting his uneventful life and Laura receiving letters he wrote. The conclusion is more action-packed, as Harry and other soldiers fight in the Battle of Beersheba, claiming that their horses carried them to victory (it was the soldiers though.) Harry returns home in one piece but not before he realises that the horses stayed there at Beersheba, never to return to Australia. That is a low note.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs, Death, Animal death, Grief, War, and Murder
Full trigger warnings: Military violence and war themes, murder, gun violence, animal death and death of a friend, racist slur, grief and loss depiction, World War One