FICTION

The Horseman

by Tim Pears
Bloomsbury USA. Feb. 2017. 320p. ISBN 9781632866936. $27; ebk. ISBN 9781632866950. F
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The lives of 12-year-old Leo Sercombe and his family in 1911 rural England revolve around agricultural labor on the estate of Lord Prideaux, and each season brings with it a lengthy list of necessary tasks. Though Leo is a keen observer of the natural world around him, his particular passion is for horses, and he longs for a career working with them. As he approaches manhood Leo takes a more active role in his community while negotiating the expectations of his family and forming a potentially dangerous friendship with the master's daughter.
VERDICT The ninth novel by British author Pears (In the Place of Fallen Leaves; Landed) is a slow-paced and extremely detailed episodic look at a rural way of life about to disappear thanks to the relentless march of industrialization. Though this book is the first in a trilogy, the plot seems short on both conflict and suspense until its rather abrupt conclusion. However, readers who enjoy pastoral settings and who share the author's penchant for exploring the minutiae of life in the past may be delighted by this novel.
Reviewed by Mara Bandy, Champaign P.L., IL , Nov 01, 2016
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