Kindle Deals Wednesday May 29, 2019

I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade

 

It's always amazing to me how a well-written book can pull you out of your own life and into another's experience. I've been reading a lot of junk (though clean) romances lately and thought I was enjoying myself...until I found this on my shelf and had to read it again. Diane Wilson immediately draws me into the steppes of Mongolia under the rule of Kublai Khan. She brings in sights, smells, landscapes and traditions that transports her readers to another time and head-space.
Oyuna believes her fate is controlled by the devastating accident of a horse breaking her foot beyond repair. Such bad luck! The first years of her life are spent indoors doing mending and cooking, tied to the hearth by her crippled foot. But her heart longs to fly with the horses and her parents finally allow her the freedom she needs. Eventually she chooses a horse of her own, a broken-down mare (with a crippled foot of her own) instead of the racing champion of which she dreams. Disappointed in the fate that led her to such an awful choice, she wallows in despair until her grandmother stops by her village long enough to share some life-changing advice with her: you can grab your own fate from the world around you. Suddenly, her life is open, no longer constrained by the dictations of good and bad luck. So begins her long journey of self-discovery as she rides across the steppes, mountains, and deserts toward the palace of the Khan with a precious delivery and valuable knowledge.
The most interesting part of this novel for me is the fatalistic views of her people that decides so much of what they do--or don't do. Oyuna is a strong character, driven to succeed and bring her family luck forever, but she is always fighting against the limitations others place upon her. This is something I believe we all deal with today. We're not necessarily hobbled by superstitions or physical limitations, but we can easily allow ourselves to be guided by voices that shouldn't have a part in our lives. As we learn to ignore the clamor around us and listen to the guiding voice inside us, we become stronger than we can imagine. We create our own destinies.

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