Johnda is an Eastern Kentucky teen who feels like her life is collapsing around her. Her father has abandoned his wife and daughter. Her best friend has moved far away. Her mom has little time or money for her. What starts to turn her life around is that she finds an abandoned horse while on a long bicycle ride. The horse is not friendly, but Johnda knows that she must be patient and starts by letting the horse get used to her presence. She takes her homework to the field and works on it leaning against a tree. The author, Christina St. Claire, grew up in England, but has lived in Eastern Kentucky for several years. She has written three YA fantasy novels, a short series of books with a mystical twist, a book of spiritual reflections, and she plans for Mud Mare to be the start of another series.
Ashland, Kentucky: xyzwords, unstated, but 2017. 176 pages. Trade paperback, $11.50