Today, I'm thrilled to be a part of SHE WHO RIDES HORSES by Sarah V. Barnes's Virtual Book Tour courtesy of iRead Book Tours. Please find my review below and don't forget to enter the giveaway!
My Review:
I give SHE WHO RIDES HORSES ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐!
Set in the Pontic-Caspian Steppe during c. 4000 BCE, a young girl about 14 summers old, Naya, crouches down in the tall grasslands observing a herd of wild horses. She admires and studies these creatures as she does this she begins to ask herself, "Maybe I can ride one?"
That isn't exactly how the book begins, of course, the author does a much better job of describing the landscape of the ancient steppe, She does such a marvelous job that I could see the purple-orange sunset, smell the yellow grass, hear the whinny of the horses, and feel the cool breeze of a late summer evening. Beautifully written, I love it when authors immerse you in the story from the start and that's exactly what Sarah V. Barnes does.
This book is quiet, much like I would imagine the Ponitc-Caspian Steppe would be during this time. So you'll not find much dialogue or intense action scenes. One of my favorite parts of the book is the descriptions of daily life in 4000 BCE. How did they survive? How did they sleep? How did they cook or make bowls? The author provides these answers within her pages as you follow Naya on her quest, which is awesome and necessary for those using this book as a supplement for a lesson on ancient history. Plus it's always refreshing to read history from a different person's POV.
In conclusion, SHE WHO RIDES HORSES reminds me of a mix of LITTLE HOUSE ON THE PRAIRIE meets CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by Jean Auel. I highly recommend this book for every classroom and school library. Thank you, Sarah and iReads for the opportunity to read this exquisite book!