Painted Horses

By: Malcolm Brooks

Narrated by: Julia Whelan

In the mid-1950s, America was flush with prosperity and saw an unbroken line of progress clear to the horizon, while the West was still very much wild. In this ambitious, incandescent debut, Malcolm Brooks animates that time and untamed landscape in a tale of the modern and the ancient, of love and fate, and of heritage threatened by progress.

Catherine Lemay is a young archaeologist on her way to Montana with a huge task before her - a canyon "as deep as the devil's own appetites." Working ahead of a major dam project, she has one summer to prove that nothing of historical value will be lost in the flood. From the moment she arrives, nothing is familiar - the vastness of the canyon itself mocks the contained, artifact-rich digs in post-Blitz London where she cut her teeth. And then there's John H, a former mustanger and veteran of the US Army's last mounted cavalry campaign, living a fugitive life in the canyon. John H inspires Catherine to see beauty in the stark landscape, and her heart opens to more than just the vanished past.

Painted Horses sends a dauntless young woman on a heroic quest, sings a love song to the horseman's vanishing way of life, and reminds us that love and ambition, tradition and the future, often make strange bedfellows. It establishes Malcolm Brooks as an extraordinary new talent.

©2014 Malcolm Brooks (P)2014 Blackstone Audio

Mesmerizing

After a slow start and nearly returning the book I decided to give it another try. The narration is perfect for the characters and the story captures your mind and heart. The fury I felt for Katherine’s treatment from powerful business was burning. Amazingly she did not bow down to them. Have not read anything else by Malcolm Brooks but plan to see what else he has written.

Interesting to a limited ability.

This gets a 2.5 rating. My being from Montana, enlightened my interest, however, the Interesting story line faltered when the reader exhibited very limited male voice capabilities. Wasn’t exactly sure who was who.
I believe the author may improve penning a story with less, “He did this”, “ He did that” very repetitious.

Beautiful and surprising

Slow in the best way, each of the characters emerging layer by layer in details you remember. Some wonderful sex, but not boy-girl romance in a typical style. Instead, this one is Romantic, capital R. And of course, read by the incomparable Julia!

I loved this book

Would you listen to Painted Horses again? Why?

I am not going into the correctness of the writing... I just know what I like... I read lots of books or listen in this case. I thought the book started out to be a good book and that was really all I expected but soon I realized it was not a good book, it was a great book. I loved darn near every minute of it!

What was one of the most memorable moments of Painted Horses?

Too many to name one.

Which scene was your favorite?

Again, many great ones.

Who was the most memorable character of Painted Horses and why?

John H. for me.

my new favorite writer

I read his 2 books back to back, I'm smittened by his story telling abilities.
Love adventures with humble heroes and heroines!
Please keep 'em coming!

Excellent, excellent

Wonderful book. New author to me, but one I will look for in the future. Living in the southwest, I know of Spanish Barbs so they are still around today, but this story is about so much more than our wild horses. Surprising motivations around land use. But I shouldn't be surprised. The narration was excellent.

Awesome modern western twist.

Original story. Good characters. I just really didn’t like the narrator who is a female do male voices. There is also a crow woman who is predominant in the story and she slaughters her voice as well. It was highly distracting I think from what the author intended for the male characters.

Greed or necessary progress.

At first I was sure about the many descriptions but as I found such word picture s
enjoyable . An ending I didn't expect .

A book worthy of repeating.

The story and the story teller are a powerful combination. I listen it to it again.

Good Story.

Just a generally good book. The storyline is interesting. Especially if you own a Andalusian and see the crisis of the mustangs derived from the Spanish bloodlines. (I do.) I wish the Mustangs were treated better. but such is the life of "progress"! UGH!