Themes

As you may be able to tell, this is a slightly tongue-in-cheek list. It is not usually meant to be a serious criticism of a book, just a comment on whatever story ideas it shares with others.

Explaining the Themes - Horse-specific
Horse Show - clearly, a horse show figures large at some point

Abuse - a horse is abused or is said to be a victim of past abuse

Rescue - a horse is removed from abuse or neglect, or rehabbed from bad habits stemming from abuse or neglect

OHDEARGODITSPINTO!!!!! - Daddy, where is my chestnut Thoroughbred and is that a blue eye? (outmoded currently, but v. popular in older books)

But I Wanted To Ride Western/Jumpers/etc. - why won't this %#&@$ horse learn to jump/race barrels/do dressage/etc.?????

Why did my parents buy me a horse? - I wanted a charm bracelet for Christmas, not a farm animal

Born Free! Free as the wind blows.... - yes, me and my mustang stallion will live happily ever after in the arroyo with the owl and the coyote

Pony contest - so I bought 16 quadrillion boxes of soap and sent in all the lids and now I'm hanging out by the mailbox harassing the USPS for a confirmation letter

Mare swap - Child is craaaaazy about mare; mare gives birth; child and author forget mare entirely

Critter death - I stood up, leaving Horsie's still body behind, and Pa grasped my shoulder; I had left childhood behind

Explaining the Themes - General
Missing Daddy - a father is MIA

Boho Parents - mom's a sculptor, dad's a writer, and it's ever so likely we all live in a crumbling mansion or in New York

Bourgie Parents - mum's worried about the servants, daddy's a Type A, and it's all so stressful

My Parents Aren't So Bad, After All - I matured and saw them as fragile and imperfect people who finally realized I was right

Sibling Jealousy - why am I not just like my sibling, God?

I'm a TROUBLED teen (but not like, you know, on heroin) - I'm moody, I have Problems, and it's all adorable

Where's that footman? - we're so rich our houses have houses

GHOSTS!!! - there may be a wee bit of the supernatural in here somewhere

Magic Gardens - time travel, mist and other cool things involving nature

Bulldozers on the Prowl - development threatens the horses

Christian/Religious - Jesus, is it ok to pray that I win the pony championship?

Dead Elder - Gosh, the friendship I had with old lady Agatha was the most special summer of my life, and she taught me all about horses and how to forgive myself for my brother's accidental death. And she died right around the time the plot needed a lift. Sweet.