Jan Young's second novel, "Starting the Colt," continues the saga of 12-year-old Ben Lucas and the Nevada ranch where Ben's dad cowboys.
It's a man's world and Ben is torn between his hot-tempered dad, whose ways with a horse are rough, and his former enemy, the old crusty cowboss, who shows him how to make the horse his partner.
Ben deals with fire, an ATV wreck, a fistfight and a weakness for lying, all the while hoping he's tough enough to please his dad. Will Ben "buck out" the colts or follow his own heart? When he must ride to get help for his dad, can he trust the colt to get him home in the dark and snow? Ben faces some hard choices.
The buckaroo traditions of the West, passed down from the vaqueros, still survive in Great Basin ranch culture, and are expanded on in the glossary of ranching terms and cowboy slang.
Once again, the author's engaging style is bound to keep readers turning the pages. Her realistic stories are inspired by her husband's cowboying experiences.
John Saint Ryan (horseman) says, "Jan Young has written an authentic work, both in general and in the details."
"Starting the Colt," published by Raven Publishing, is the sequel to "The Orange Slipknot," selected in 2009 as the NEVADA BOOK for the "Pavilion of the States" at the National Book Festival.
Jan is a substitute teacher, a piano teacher and a Fresno Pacific University graduate.[[In-content Ad]]
