Sundancer

Susan Merskey is freelance writer in London, Ontario.

The horse is over 16 hands tall, long-legged, and well proportioned. He
is also suspicious, guarded, touchy, cruel, and a challenge to all
humans who would deal with him. Thirteen-year old Bird is a challenge to
those around her. An elective mute since the age of six, she has lived
with Aunt Hannah for the past two years because her mother simply could
not cope with her.

While Bird refuses to speak to humans, she has an uncanny knack for
communicating with animals of all kinds. But Sundancer is a wounded
animal with a story he is not ready to share. It is a challenge for Bird
to get through to him, but they soon establish a wonderfully rewarding
rapport. Spurred on by this, Bird accepts her mother’s renewed
approaches and eventually starts speaking again.

Shelley Peterson’s fourth young-adult novel is a powerfully told tale
of confusion, attempted fraud, and suspense. But above all, it is a tale
of the blossoming of a difficult horse and a difficult child who
together find the strength to overcome their problems. Loosely based on
the story of one of the author’s own horses, Sundancer clearly
reflects her own love for and knowledge of horses and their foibles.
Recommended especially for horse lovers and those caring for children
and teens with challenges.