The Horses cover art

The Horses

A poetic and moving story of community and isolation in the wake of a disaster

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About this listen

'A quiet and tender apocalyptic story' NATALIA THEODORIDOU
'Stayed with me after the final page' FREYA BROMLEY

A moving story of isolation and mankind's connection with nature, perfect for fans of Emily St. John Mandel and Jon McGregor.

Sarah wakes up one morning feeling that something big, something irrevocable has happened.

To the small island community of Black Crag, it seems as though the rest of the world has gone to sleep - aeroplanes no longer criss-cross the sky, the radios have gone silent and the ferry no longer brings their supplies.

When the ferryman Arthur arrives, traumatised and silent, the whispers about what has happened on the mainland quickly turn into heated arguments.

As the chasm dividing the villagers continues to grow, Sarah struggles to find her purpose amidst the chaos. With a harsh winter fast-approaching, will the villagers learn to work together in order to ensure their collective survival? Will Sarah find the answers she's looking for?©2024 Janina Matthewson
Friendship Genre Fiction Literary Fiction Post-Apocalyptic Science Fiction Emotionally Gripping

Critic Reviews

The Horses is a quiet and tender apocalyptic story, as well as a propulsive mystery, at once gentle and formidable. I spent every minute of reading it in awe of its gifts. And when the horses arrive? A moment of pure magic that brought tears to my eyes. (NATALIA THEODORIDOU, author of Sour Cherry)
Poetic and brilliant. Matthewson's writing conjured an atmosphere that stayed with me after the final page. (FREYA BROMLEY, author of My Tidal Year)
All stars
Most relevant
Great tale . Gaps in character development (like missing stepping stones when you’re trying to cross a river ). Clunky in places but such a great story . The ending is disappointing. Unless there is a sequel ?
And if i can be so bold the title is wrong .. misleading in a way .
The narrator was excellent . Really 10 out of 10

Great tale with a disappointing end

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.