Horse girls : recovering, aspiring, and devoted riders redefine the iconic bond
(Book)

Electric Literature editor Marcus collects reflections on the "horse girl" in this dynamic anthology. The "horse girl," as Marcus describes in her introduction, is a stereotype for adolescent girls who like horses: she's "friendly and enthusiastic and no sense of irony," and the 14 essays that follow use the horse-human bond as a starting place to examine gender, sexuality, race, class, and the tension between domestication and liberation. In "Horse Girl: An Inquiry," Carmen Maria Machado outlines her childhood desire to own and ride horses despite the fact that, according to the trope, such girls are usually white, heterosexual, wealthy, and feminine. Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, meanwhile, skillfully recounts in "Hungry and Carefree" trans and nonbinary riders of the past, along with their own personal reflections on girlhood, and "Unconquered" sees Braudie Blais-Billie musing on horses as a symbol of Indigenous resilience and survival. The essays are tender, critical, and deeply personal, and the universal themes of growth and belonging come through consistently but, refreshingly, never feel repetitive. Eminently thoughtful and fascinatingly intimate, this goes a long way toward shattering a stereotype. Agent: Sarah Bowlin, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)

This collection of essays, edited by Marcus (executive director, Electric Literature), isn't just about horses; it's also about perseverance, identity, and breaking stereotypes. In the introduction, Marcus describes the imagined "horse girl" of internet memes: a privileged, white, heterosexual, cis woman. The essays in this collection, however, are by writers of diverse sexualities, class origins, and racial, ethnic, and gender identities; each essay has its own powerful voice. The opening essay, written by T Kira Madden in short sentences with witty sarcasm, is about the horses who do all the work when ridden. Carmen Maria Machado follows with an essay broken into short sections, one of which consists only of unique and absurd horse show names. Other essays in the collection use varied storytelling devices: Alex Marzano-Lesnevich compares their own riding experiences to an 1800s historical tale; Allie Rowbottom's present-tense perspective looks at events from her riding past that evoke the same emotions today as when they happened. VERDICT All readers, whether they love riding or have never seen a horse up close, will appreciate these essays. This collection not only shares multiple perspectives from the communities of riders and horse fans but also provides commentary on growing up and dealing with both disappointments and successes.—Natalie Browning, Longwood Univ. Lib., Farmville, VA

Electric Literature editor Marcus collects reflections on the "horse girl" in this dynamic anthology. The "horse girl," as Marcus describes in her introduction, is a stereotype for adolescent girls who like horses: she's "friendly and enthusiastic and no sense of irony," and the 14 essays that follow use the horse-human bond as a starting place to examine gender, sexuality, race, class, and the tension between domestication and liberation. In "Horse Girl: An Inquiry," Carmen Maria Machado outlines her childhood desire to own and ride horses despite the fact that, according to the trope, such girls are usually white, heterosexual, wealthy, and feminine. Alex Marzano-Lesnevich, meanwhile, skillfully recounts in "Hungry and Carefree" trans and nonbinary riders of the past, along with their own personal reflections on girlhood, and "Unconquered" sees Braudie Blais-Billie musing on horses as a symbol of Indigenous resilience and survival. The essays are tender, critical, and deeply personal, and the universal themes of growth and belonging come through consistently but, refreshingly, never feel repetitive. Eminently thoughtful and fascinatingly intimate, this goes a long way toward shattering a stereotype. Agent: Sarah Bowlin, Aevitas Creative Management. (Aug.)