On Swift Horses

A Novel

By: Shannon Pufahl

Narrated by: Cassandra Campbell, MacLeod Andrews

Soon to be a major motion picture starring Daisy Edgar-Jones and Jacob Elordi

“A rich and rugged western about dreams deferred and living defiantly.” —O: The Oprah Magazine

A lonely newlywed and her wayward brother-in-law follow dangerous paths through the American West.

Muriel is newly married and restless, transplanted from her Kansas hometown to life in a dusty bungalow in San Diego. The air is rich with the tang of salt and citrus, but the limits of her new life seem to be closing in: she misses her sly, itinerant brother-in-law, Julius, who made the world feel bigger than she had imagined. She begins slipping off to the Del Mar racetrack to bet and eavesdrop, learning the language of horses and risk. Meanwhile, Julius is testing his fate in Las Vegas, working at a local casino where tourists watch atomic tests from the roof, and falling in love with a young card cheat. As each gets increasingly lonely, lost, and wild, will they be able to find one another again?

On Swift Horses is a debut of astonishing power: a story of love and luck, of two people trying to find their place in a country that is coming apart even as it promises them everything.

Wanted to like it ...

Heard about this book on NPR and it sounded promising. However, I was disappointed. I wanted to care about the characters and enjoy clever turns of phrases but ultimately did not. I did not find this book interesting overall.

Endless pointless ramblings

Not sure what the point of the endless ramblings that the author goes on and that just never seems to make a point. It's like an endless setup piece, that has no resolution!

Not sure the point

I struggled to finish this book. It started out great, linking the Del Mar horse track with growing up in the 50’s… both of which I could relate to. It then went off on tangents that I really didn’t understand the point of- dissatisfied relationships, hidden sexual desires, secrets, etc.All the while, a “mustang” horse was left to run free and somehow wove the stories together but I never really did understand how or why. It was long, and tedious, but because the first few chapters were so good, I was determined to finish and hope it would all come together for me. Unfortunately, it never did.

Where's the story?

I never found the story in this. It rambles on and everyone becomes homosexual without any seeming motivation or circumstance. I didn't like the characters very much. Sort of no good grifters with gambling addictions.

Where’s the story?

Bored. Stopped after yet another man on man love scene that I can appreciate and respect but it’s overkill and fancy I want more storyline.