Wow! Amazing story start to finish

I hung on every word of this novel. I loved the narration, her animated voice was perfect for each character. The story line was well woven. Jojo did a fabulous job with the horse terminology. Being an avid dressage rider, I will suffer through a lot if it is horse related, but I never found the horse parts cliche. I even got my husband hooked on the second half after he started listening. This is a true coming of age novel for all ages!

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21 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Have the Hankies Nearby

I dare the reader/listener to keep a dry eye. This book about a young girl and her horse and her foster "family" made me feel and held my interest every in chapter. Jojo Moyes is becoming a favorite for me. This is the second book from this author I've truly enjoyed. And this one had a horse as a main character who develops a unique bond with his young rider. This is a story with adventure, family bonds, romance, betrayal, danger and redemption. I so enjoy a book that invites you in and brings you along for the ride.

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17 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

The best! I'd give it 10 stars if I could...

(By Carol, not Mark.) I listen to LOTS of audio books, and this is simply THE best I've ever heard, the first I've ever felt compelled to comment on. The narrator is superb, and the storyline mesmerizing; I acutally took it to bed with me a couple of evenings because I was simply unable to turn it off!

The characters are fully developed and fresh,and the horse angle authentic. The author's commentary at the end about the origins of the story is the frosting on the cake. Listen to this book!

(Now I'm going to go purchase a hard copy so I can read it for myself!)

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16 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Think Jodi Picoult--with horses.

What did you love best about The Horse Dancer?

I really loved the fact that, at last, someone has written a book for horse fans that is lyrical, honest, intriguing, and not gushy. Moyes obviously knows her horses. All the interactions between 13-year-old Sarah and her magnificent Selle Francais gelding stuck a very authentic note. I also loved how the storyline about Mac and Natasha realistically interwove with Sarah's story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Well, obviously, it has to be the horse.

Which scene was your favorite?

There isn't one particular scene that stands out for me, but I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptions of Sarah astride Boo, working on the haute ecole dressage moves that she knows are her--and her horse's--ticket to a better life.

If you could take any character from The Horse Dancer out to dinner, who would it be and why?

I would take the horse, Boo, out to dinner. I'd invite him to my barn, introduce him to my own horses, feed him a delicious bucket of warm mash and then ask him if he'd let me ride him in the morning.

Any additional comments?

As I read this book, I found myself reminded of the writing of Jaclyn Mitchard and Jodi Picoult. The story had lots of twists, lots of harrowing moments that left you wondering, "Oh no, what's going to happen now?" The narration was extremely well done. All in all, it is a solid effort, an entertaining read. And, if you love horses, totally worth a token.

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15 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

You Get More That One Credit's Worth!

I long for REAL horse stories and was surprised to find this one so superbly bound together with the myriad of human experiences from the tween years to middle age to dying and death. I cannot fathom a world without my horses.

I admire the complexity of characters, plotting, and settings in which this author deftly weaves together. Though at times, it seems that too much incidental description is included, then comes the comes the moment this book needs it all so that it may be stitched back together for a satisfying conclusion.

The only down side for me was the pacing of the reader, and that is simply a cultural difference. After the first hour, I was finding it a simply elegant rendering of a very satisfying book. Well worth the credit!

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11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Wonderful wonderful story

Great characters, good drama interesting story all make this book a winner. Absolutely a great read especially for the horse addicted.

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11 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

almost too much!

This was a great listen, even though I frequently found myself groaning "oh no" when one more thing went wrong. The situations and characters were so well drawn, and the beauty shone through constantly in spite of the difficult situations. The narration is excellent, and the whole book very satisfying. Worth listening through the rough moments!

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10 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

Amazing Story - Don't Miss It

Jojo Moyes is an incredible author she draws you into the story, together with a great narrator you just cannot stop listening. You know it's a good book when you go back and reread the ending a few more times, just to wring every little nuance out of it (again.) To be honest, there were places in the middle where the story went a bit slower than I would have liked, but my gosh, what a story! I absolutely loved the characters, I loved how the unlikeliest of pairings were forced to work together, I loved the descriptions of the horse and the equestrian culture. This novel has themes of the influence of grandparents, the disaster of broken families, coming-of-age youth, midlife crisis, and whether a marriage can be saved. Oh, and why do we stay in unsatisfying careers. Is that enough for you? But wait, there's more: JoJo Moyes must have a movie director where her brain is; she writes some scenes in this story that are so cinematic, I'm just bummed that I can't see them depicted in a movie. But maybe some day! I loved this story. Great job.

Julia Franklin was outstanding with the delivery of the story

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8 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

One excellent listen—makes your imagination dance

Jojo Moyes is quite the story teller—her pace is perfection. Sara, the young horse dancer, is forced to train frustratingly slow. But is pays off big time when it's time to put the horse to the test. So it is with The Horse Dancer. The first scenes were so un-dramatic I wasn't sure I wanted to continue, but then a whole new set of characters take center stage, and the details of the first chapters were invaluable. From then on it was a wild, wrenching extraordinary ride, so well worth it.

I especially love Jojo Moyes' endings. Well timed and satisfying - still I was sad when it was done because the adventure was so amazing. Julia Franklin is a gifted narrator who took on a diverse set of characters and accents with panache, coupling the novel perfectly.

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7 personnes ont trouvé cela utile

From a true Anglophile

Love the English authors! Thanks Audible for having so many available on your site. This book has an excellent plot and the information on Dressage is fascinating. I highly recommend this book.

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6 personnes ont trouvé cela utile