The Mare by Mary Gaitskill

 

The program had great intentions.  It took city kids who didn't have much in the way of material goods or role models and sent them to stay with families in the country so that they could see what living a different way was.  Velvet is an eleven year old Dominican girl who lives with her mother and brother in Brooklyn.  She has never known her father and her mother works hard to support them all but money is tight and Velvet's school and community isn't the best.  Ginger and Paul are the host family  Paul is a professor and Ginger is an artist who is a recovering alcoholic.  She wants a family but Paul is hesitant.  They join the program to see what having a child around would be like.

The couple live across from a horse barn where riding lessons are given.  Velvet makes an immediate connection with the horses and soon she is riding.  Ginger arranges for Velvet to stay the entire summer rather than the two weeks she was signed up for.  Velvet's mother agrees but isn't really comfortable with Ginger's interest in her child.  She may berate Velvet and even beat her but she doesn't want any other woman to take her place in Velvet's life.  Ginger becomes more and more attached to Velvet until everyone around her can see that she has become obsessed with this girl.

The relationship continues over the years.  Ginger tries to help Velvet with school, but in reality, Velvet has little interest and does the minimum.  Velvet discovers boys early and that is another bone of contention between her mother and her.  Velvet does love riding and especially one horse who everyone is afraid of but who develops a bond with Velvet.  Soon Velvet is recognized as a natural talent but how can she develop it when she spends most of her time back home in an environment that seems determined to drag her down?

This novel was nominated for the Woman's Fiction Prize in 2017.  It shows the power of the connection that many girls develop for horses and how love for an animal can change one's self-image.  It also shows the difficulty of changing one's life when old habits provide short term pleasures and to change requires a long term commitment.  It also shows the folly of white liberalism that insists their way is best, ignoring the family traditions of those in poorer environments and of different backgrounds.  The characters are finely drawn and the story draws in the reader.  This book is recommended for readers of literary fiction.