The Year of the Horses

Reading her own memoir, novelist Maum (Costalegre) intimately recounts her privileged upbringing in a wealthy family. When she was just six years old, she received her own pony, which ignited a lifelong love of horses. She took riding lessons until her parents divorced when she was nine; after that, she gave up riding for the next 30 years. Maum honestly shares that during this time, she battled anorexia, insomnia, anxiety, and other depression-related illnesses. She married and had a child, but the depression remained; a second, unsuccessful pregnancy deepened her condition. Almost as an afterthought, Maum returned to riding, and although she lacked the money to own a horse, she found a stable where she could trade barn work for riding time. This experience transformed her both mentally and physically, making her realize how profoundly therapeutic and healing horses can be. Listeners will be drawn in by Maum’s story, which is told from the heart and resonates with authenticity.