2023 Finalist Best First Book NZSA Award
Click here to visit nzbookawards.nz 2023 Shortlist NZ Book Award Children & Young Adult
What's a boy to do, if his dad won't let him ride?
Sid's father is back from the war, but it's not the kind of homecoming the family had hoped for. Dad's return brings fear, not comfort, and for some reason he thwarts Sid's every attempt to become a jockey.Time is running out for a boy who is almost old enough to leave school and start work.
Can Sid prove himself to be a winner? Or will he sink into the mire of post-war rural hardship, doing any old job just to survive?
With an older sister who has already sacrificed her own dream, Sid can't resist the temptation to go all out.Deceiving his parents, Sid risks all - jeopardizing the very dream he longs for. Riding into danger, galloping to disaster, Sid's exhilaration turns to terror.
Set in post-WWII rural New Zealand, Holding The Horse is a story of dreams, determination, and ultimately sacrifice.
Historical New Zealand
J L Williams