Kāpiti College Library

Notes

Sid knew one thing...

His dad was not on his side...

But when did that ever stop him?

Fourteen-year-old Sid Everett longs for excitement and the glory of being a famous jockey. Despite having nothing but an old farm horse, he dreams of riding to victory with his name in the headlines and money in his pockets.

But his father seems dead set against the idea. Ever since Dad came home from the war he's been like a ticking time-bomb, and Sid and his family don't know what to expect from one moment to the next. With money getting tighter by the day, and Dad becoming harder and harder to live with, Sid's dreams have never felt further away.

But Sid has a plan...


Set in post-WWII rural New Zealand, Holding The Horse is a story of dreams, determination, and ultimately sacrifice. J L Williams evokes the 1940s with accuracy and sensitivity.
A fast paced and heart-warming story of courage, conflict and reconciliation which will long remain in the heart and mind.

Sid’s affection and care for horses is beautifully drawn, and there are some lovely descriptions of riding, especially at night along the beach. The final beachside riding scene will have you dreading the catastrophe that looms ahead in the darkness. What happens next threatens to destroy Sid’s dream forever, let alone any chance he has with the girl he loves. And yet that’s not the end - another potential disaster for the whole town still lies ahead. A racing good book for anyone who loves horses, history or characters with grit and determination.
Philippa Werry, award winning author.

Set in rural New Zealand in 1946 this story is both engaging and engrossing. Sid’s father, not long home from the war, is struggling to cope with a return to a life that now offers few his own shadowed past sets him against his son’s ambition of becoming a famous jockey. Without knowing the reasons for his father’s opposition, Sid does all he can to realise his dream, even to the extent of putting everything he hopes for in jeopardy. The story’s momentum is carried swiftly along by pacy dialogue; persuasive family dynamics, including issues concerning a small deaf sibling; a dash of happy coincidence, as well as a low-key romance between Sid and Sarah, the daughter of a local horse owner. The historical background of returned soldiers suffering PTSD, as well as feeling generally abandoned by officialdom, is convincing. With a neatly constructed, satisfying plot this exciting story is also a warm-hearted tale that should have wide appeal.