Finding Gideon: an Equestrian Memoir with Heart

Horse books have delighted me since I was a little girl reading Marguerite Henry’s Justin Morgan Had a Horse, King of the Wind and Misty of Chincoteague. In recent years, my favorite genre of horse books has been equestrian memoir. I galloped across Mongolia as I read Rough Magic, tolted on Icelandic ponies in Wild Horses of the Summer Sun, thought about best horse training practices in In the Middle are the Horsemen, learned from the wisdom of Denny Emerson in Know Better to Do Better and adventured across the globe with enthusiastic equestrian Sarah Maslin Nir in Horse Crazy. Finding Gideon by Sarah Hickner is a story of perseverance, faith, romance and a little mystery too. It drew me in from the first chapter, scene one, and I think it will do the same for you.

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Finding Gideon Synopsis

From her earliest days, Sarah loved horses, but her family was not a horse family. There were no horses in her suburban neighborhood in Mississippi. As she begged her parents for a horse on repeat, she also immersed herself in horse books like Marguerite Henry’s Misty and the Thoroughbred series. Her dad promised when she was 12, she could get a horse. That momentous birthday came and went, and there was no shiny steed wearing a big bow presented to her. She earned all A’s on her report card. Still no horse. It was devastating.

Sarah’s older brother encouraged her to take matters into her own hands, and so she pleaded her case before her parents. Shortly after that, a horse named Misty entered her life. Throughout the course of her teen years, Sarah rode both western and English; she barrel raced and jumped. A few different horses came into her life, but a flashy chestnut with a wide blaze captured her heart. His name was Gideon.

Sarah had achieved her dream of horse ownership, but there was another goal that quickened her heart. She wanted to gallop Thoroughbreds (such was the influence of that series of books!). The idea to go to college in Kentucky took hold of her and she never relented. She determined to go to school in Louisville so she could simultaneously work at a track and pursue her degree.

CLICK HERE to listen to when I was a guest on Sarah’s Live Ride Learn podcast: The Misty of Chincoteague Fangirl Episode.

Early into her Kentucky time, a fluke horse accident and then her horse being stolen propel her forward. With the devotion of her German Shorthaired Pointer and help of her boyfriend (who was attending college in Lexington) Sarah persists. All the while, she relies on her personal faith and tries to view her challenging life circumstances through a positive lens.

I don’t want to give too much away in this equestrian memoir recap, because I think you definitely should read this book for yourself.

Snag your copy of Finding Gideon here.

What Resonated with Me in Finding Gideon

The opening chapter starts right in with a freak accident Sarah had on the track. Each chapter and scene will entice you to keep reading. There are frequent flashbacks throughout, but they are artfully positioned and enhance the storyline.

From the beginning, when Sarah expresses her passion for horses, I felt like, “Yep. I totally get you, Sarah.” If you were that kid begging for a horse, you will see yourself in this story.

I’m a huge Thoroughbred fan (in case you didn’t know) although, unlike Sarah, I have never desired to gallop a racehorse. I have had Knight, a retired racehorse, for almost nine years and I only accidentally galloped him once. So what I loved about this book is Sarah allowed me to experience the adrenalin of riding a racehorse at speed from the safety of my chair. lol

Take a peek at my new memoir Marguerite, Misty and Me!

Sarah’s beautiful dog Sandi reminded me of my rescue Doberman Winnie. When I applied for my dog, I wanted a different one. The foster family steered me toward Winnie (a red Doberman—I wanted a black one), and she was an angel all her days. The sweetest girl. Sarah was supposed to get a different dog, but Sandi wound up being hers, and that storyline felt the same as mine.

Sarah is very open about her faith, and how God has orchestrated various events and situations in her life. I really appreciate her spiritual authenticity and candor. She does not shy away from her struggles and doubts.

In addition, Sarah’s author voice is strong, and she’s a very likable “character.” I feel like I know her from reading Finding Gideon. I have not yet met Sarah in real life, but I did have her on as a guest of the Horse Illustrated Barn Banter podcast. (I co-host the monthly podcast, if I forgot to mention that.) And we are going to meet in person in October because Sarah is training her young TB named Danny for the Retired Racehorse Project’s Thoroughbred Makeover. We’ll be sharing an author booth together with some other horse book author friends (hope you come see us!)

Sarah’s enthusiasm is contagious. My mom is in the middle of reading Finding Gideon now and I asked her for her impressions of it. She said, “I feel like I’m right there with her.” I would agree.

If you love true horse stories with themes of tenacity and faith, I believe you’ll enjoy this equestrian memoir as much as I did. Grab your copy of Finding Gideon here. And check out Sarah’s author website for a free e-book (about her wedding!) and more.

Your turn: What books have you enjoyed recently? I loved word-of-mouth recommendations and would love to hear yours.

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