The Year of the Horses

Beautiful, lyrical. . . . The past interweaves with the present in this fabulous, memorable memoir.—Good Morning America

Expansive. . . . rekindling a childhood love of horses as an adult—and as a mother—is a force for positive good within [Maum’s] family; the barn becomes a place to bond with her daughter, and working with the animals teaches her to find patience and generosity as a partner and parent.—Vanity Fair

A beautiful story about animals and our love for animals and very relatable.—Weike Wang, TODAY

With humor and insight, a novelist and young mother reflects on how a year of indulging in her childhood pleasure of horseback riding helped her slip out of depression and recover her lost identity.—The New York Times Book Review

Artfully written and deeply relatable.—Shondaland

Lessons about the soulful value of acting just for pleasure.—Electric Lit

Ride with Maum and celebrate her using horses to redefine what it means to be a mother.—Chicago Review of Books

Inspiring.—The U.S. Polo Association

Tender, honest, and beautifully written.—Kate Baer, #1 Bestselling author of What Kind Of Woman

Searing, lucid, tender and wise, The Year of the Horses is a moving, beautifully-written interrogation into a complicated, privileged childhood and its aftermath. Courtney Maum weaves together the sensory, tactile world of horses and their capacity to heal us, along with one of the most illuminating and powerful depictions of depression I have ever read. Oh, and it’s also a page-turner. I tore through it with immense pleasure. —Dani Shapiro, author Inheritance

Gorgeously written, wry but loving, heartbreaking and, most of all, roving. . . . The Year of the Horses is a memoir of power and beauty and pain that moves across the world like the beautiful horses that carry it. —Lisa Taddeo, author of Animal

Touching and insightful.—The Millions

I was sold at Courtney Maum and “horses,” TBH, but pleasantly surprised to learn about the other threads in this one: Maum’s experience of reckoning with depression, plus historical portraits of other horseback-riding ladies. Saddle up, we’re going riding.—LitHub

Author of Touch and Costalegre, Courtney Maum writes honestly and openly about confronting depression in her 30s and, when all else failed, taking up horseback riding again. —Katie Couric Media, Must-Read New Books Coming Out in 2022

In this intricate but clearly-told narrative of questioning her mind, her body, and her choices, Maum investigates not only what led her to a deep depression in her late thirties, but the conversations around what depression looks like, who is “allowed” to struggle with mental health, and what it means to reckon with a past she thought she’d left behind.—The Rumpus

Beautiful and personal.—WAMC, NPR Affiliate

Stunning.—The Arkansas International

Courtney Maum dives into her own life with the same fearlessness and honesty that she brings to her fiction. The Year of the Horses is a beautiful, unflinching exploration of darkness and self-forgiveness, terror and tenderness. —Hala Alyan, author of Salt Houses

If, like me at age 50, you have a hankering to resume riding again (never mind that it’s been 34 years), this is the book for you. Courtney will show you her way to this particular form of personal salvation.—Sally Mann, author of Hold Still

Courney Maum writes not from an ideal of who she should be but as she is; it lacks performative overtones or those typical bits where the reader is assured the author is self-aware. No, it’s nothing like that—The Year of the Horses sings like the world actually feels, offering readers permission to be who we are, written by one of the best, a writer’s writer, with a maturity that reveals her decades long devotion to her craft. —Holly Whitaker, author of Quit Like a Woman: The Radical Choice to Not Drink in a Culture Obsessed with Alcohol

The concept of finding safety in a dangerous sport won’t make sense to everyone, but the way that Courtney found meaning and magic in horses resonates with me. As a polo player, I loved the sometimes laugh-out-loud journey of an adult trying against all odds to learn the sport of kings. This is a great memoir that somehow manages to be both deeply moving, and funny.—Kareem Rosser, author of Crossing the Line: A Fearless Team of Brothers and the Sport That Changed Their Lives Forever

A wonderful read, whether you are a horse person or not.—Hudson Valley Magazine

An inspiration. . . . celebrates preserving one’s inner wildness.—Polo Lady Magazine

The Year of The Horses will appeal to readers looking for an alternative journey out of dark times, those interested in equine and animal connections and anyone who wants to read a lyrical, insightful journey towards finding what feels like enough. —Hippocampus Magazine

Revelatory.—Full Stop

Engaging, enjoyable and full of horse knowledge.—Chick Lit Central

Poignant.—Dandelion Chandelier

Many women may find much to relate to in Maum’s vulnerable and human story, which could be a favorite for book clubs.—Booklist

Entertaining. . . . vivid and exuberantly cathartic.—Publishers Weekly

Candid, deeply moving.—Shelf Awareness

Honest and superbly written. . . . The Year of the Horses is gusty, rewarding, and witty. —COWGIRL Magazine