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BOOK
ILLUMINATIONS
From Merrimon Book Reviews
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Dream of Night
by Heather Henson
Jessalyn DiLima rescues horses. She
also fosters children. As Jess gets older, she is not sure she
has the energy anymore, but then again, how can she turn down
either the horse or the girl? Dream of Night, a former race
horse, is no longer the champion he once was. Starving and near
death, he has suffered years of abuse. Despite his weakness,
Night is a fighter, an angry, defiant fighter. Shiloh has not had
an easy life either. When she is placed in Jessalyn's foster
home, she is determined not to show any weakness. She wants
nothing to do with the horses on Jessalyn's farm. With Jessalyn's
calm, non-intrusive caring, will Night and Shiloh be able to put the
past behind them and find a new life? Can horse and girl find in
each other the companions each so desperately needs?
In DREAM OF NIGHT, Heather Henson brings together three different
stories, giving each a distinct narrative voice. The story
alternates between these three points of view. Sometimes one
reinforces the other, giving depth to the other's story. Other
times, one story alternates provides different insights into caregiver
and those under Jessalyn's care, allowing a reader to see the
differences between them. Heather Henson's narrative structure
inspires a reader's imagination and is best suited for children able to
handle a less direct plot line. Heather Henson does an excellent
job at developing similar themes between the narrative voices for
younger readers. Adults readers, of course, might find these more
obvious.
Heather Henson deftly handles a difficult subject. A story could
easily tend towards sappiness or simplification, but the author avoids
those pitfalls. Heather Henson creates believable
characters. Jessalyn knows when to step back and allow both horse
and girl space. Progress is not instantaneous nor the happy
ending overdone. Indeed, DREAM OF NIGHT is all the more
satisfying for the author's ability to measure description,
characterization and emotion. Heather Henson does not gloss
over the difficult, abusive situations experienced by Night or Shiloh,
and yet DREAM OF NIGHT is a story of hope and renewal rather than one
focused on violence or abuse. A slight bit of humor adds a nice
touch to this emotional story. As such, the details are age
appropriate.
DREAM OF NIGHT is an excellent choice for the young and adult horse
lover. If as an adult, you still hold dear your past readings of
Walter Farley, Marguerite Henry, etc., DREAM OF NIGHT is a must for the
collection that will add a sense of newness and variety to those great
classics. For young readers, the same holds. DREAM OF NIGHT
is more realistic than Walter Farley's horse novels and appeals to the
desire for variety for precisely that reason. A horse lover just
can't get enough of well written horse books, whether be more fantasy
or more realistic!
DREAM OF NIGHT would also make a good reading choice for those families
who have adopted a rescue or special needs pet from a shelter or are
thinking about doing so. Whether or not one's own pet reacts like
Night, Night's voice inspires a reader to think about an animal's needs
and responses. Of course, DREAM OF NIGHT would make an excellent
gift for any friend involved in horse rescue, any other kind of animal
rescue or shelter volunteer work. Heather Henson does an
excellent job at educating readers about the needs for animal rescue
without sacrificing the story itself. A reader does not sense
that this book preaches at one, but rather, this reader feels DREAM OF
NIGHT, like Jessalyn's approach, opens a door gently, bringing the
reader into the world of the characters and instilling hope within.
Publisher: Atheneum (May
4, 2010)
Website
Reviewed by Merrimon,
Merrimon Book Reviews
Review Courtesy of Amazon Vine
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