"The trauma of grief, the brutality of bullies, the magical realness of dreams, and the power of nature — this poetic triumph reveals we’re stronger than we think"
Blessed with the poetic honesty and sense of nature that made We Were Wolves such a triumph, Jason Cockcroft’s Running with Horses is tells hauntingly affecting story of loss, love, recovering from trauma, and the magic of nature and friendship bonds. It’s a raw and beautiful book that lingers long, enhanced by illustrations that evoke the menace and emotional turmoil of the protagonist’s journey.
Rabbit has been overwhelmed by guilt and grief since the day he saw his father die, so his mum has moved them to a new place by the sea. Rabbit’s dad always said “there are two sorts of truth. There’s the truth that Lights the Way, and there’s the truth that Warms the Heart. Well, if you ask me there’s a third sort — the truth that you have to get out no matter what. That’s the truth I’m going to tell, because it’s the only one I know. And my truth starts and ends with Joe Fludde’s smile.”
Joe and Rabbit have a gloriously special bond. Brutally bullied by his older brother, like Rabbit, Joe is a “Troubled Soul”, as was Rabbit’s dad. “A bit of a dreamer”, Rabbit’s father “said the world was full of ancient animals and magic, and we were just passing by”. As a result, Rabbit’s haunting dreams of a white horse make him feel connected to his dad, a feeling that’s heightened when Joe says he’ll take Rabbit to see a dead horse he’s discovered. But in place of the horse, the boys find a man and become embroiled in criminal activities that are perilously close to home.
With an urgent inferno of a climax suffused in magic and nature, the best of humanity glints through destructive flames to create a powerfully memorable story. In keeping with Rabbit’s dad’s words, Running with Horses brims with truths that light the way and warm the heart, and, chiming with Rabbit’s words, it’s also alive with truths about loss and love that must be told, no matter what.
| Primary Genre | Young Adult Fiction |
| Other Genres: |
Rabbit and his mum have moved to the coast to run a small caravan park. Rabbit has been struggling since he saw his father die - he finds it hard to speak. When he befriends a local boy, Joe, Rabbit begins to feel better - but he keeps having strange dreams of a frightened white horse.
Hunting for the animal, the two boys stumble across something much more dangerous: a man being held hostage by a criminal gang. Their discovery will set them on a dangerous path that will risk everything Rabbit holds dear...
Running with Horses features in the following genres: Young Adult Fiction, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Magical realism / Magical fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Thrillers / suspense, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Nature and animal stories, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Family and home stories, Children’s, Teenage and Educational, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Fantasy, Children’s / Teenage fiction: Action and adventure stories
Running with Horses is available in Hardback
Running with Horses was written by and published by Andersen Press Ltd
Running with Horses has 219 pages
£11.69
