Holding The Horse

When determination becomes obsession, things can get little out of hand, and something has to break.
Get ready for the ride of your life.

What's a boy to do, if his dad won't let him ride?
Sid's father is back from the war, but it's not the kind of homecoming the family had hoped for. Dad's return brings fear, not comfort, and for some reason he thwarts Sid's every attempt to become a jockey.

Time is running out for a boy who is almost old enough to leave school and start work. Can Sid prove himself to be a winner? Or will he sink into the mire of post-war rural hardship, doing any old job just to survive? With an older sister who has already sacrificed her own dream, Sid can't resist the temptation to go all out.

Deceiving his parents, Sid risks all - jeopardizing the very dream he longs for. Riding into danger, galloping to disaster, Sid's exhilaration turns to terror.

When Sid embarks on a life-changing struggle, he changes more lives than just his own. Set in post-WWII rural New Zealand, Holding The Horse is a fast-paced story of courage, conflict and reconciliation. More than a coming-of-age story, Holding The Horse is a heart-warming tale of healing and hope.

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.

Praise for Holding The Horse:

A gripping story that will have you cheering for Sid all the way. A racing good book for anyone who loves horses, history or characters with grit and determination.
Philippa Werry, award winning author

There is nothing clichéd here. This story is full of emotion. An important story about PTSD, dreams and ambitions, and making do. All this resonates with the modern-day world we are now entering.
Janice Marriott, award winning author and mentor

The history is accurate, the plot and the characters are interwoven to portray the social issues of the time, and the decisions, regrets, and triumphs that Sid goes through reflect real life. The book is a gripping read with good characterisation, action and conflict, and the language is a pleasure to read.
Diana Menefy, 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 opportunities: 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 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.
Bill Nagelkerke, Award winning children's author, translator and former children's librarian