The Horse

For fans of A Star is Born and Crazy Heart, Willy Vlautin’s most personal novel yet – a poetic and deeply moving story about what it really takes to be a musician.

‘There’s a horse’, he whispered. ‘An old horse that’s standing in front of my house. He’s blind and he won’t eat and I don’t know what to do.’

Sixty-five-year-old Al Ward is several years into an isolated stint living on old mining land in Nevada left to him by his great uncle. One morning, a horse arrives outside his home, seemingly unable to feed itself or stay safe from coyote attacks. Six thousand feet up, thirty miles from the nearest town and broken by alcoholism and anxiety, Al must decide what to do.

Intercut with Al’s dilemma are episodes from his long life as a touring musician. Beginning in Reno, we follow his chequered career as a touring musician. Beginning in Reno, we follow his chequered career as a guitarist and songwriter, struggling to make ends meet and to survive the reality of a life devoid of the perks and glamour of mainstream success.

A homage to the uncelebrated musicians who make our lives more joyful, The Horse is a gorgous journey of a novel, exploring loneliness, humanity and resilience.