Review of The Stallions of Heaven

[Laura Ungureanu]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Stallions of Heaven" by Martin Dolan.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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The Stallions of Heaven by Martin Dolan presents the issue of an unconventional choice between convent life and farm life. Christine is an orphan girl who is trying to finish school at The Convent of Sainte Hélène in Ontario, Canada. She struggles with severe dyslexia, being unable to read and write. It seems like her future depends on the convent, so the religious life appeals to her. However, she also has a calling for animals, taking a summer job at a nearby horse farm. The farm is owned by a cranky old man called Mr. Engstrand. He despises everything that has to do with religion. His health is frail, so he is concerned about the future of his farm. While choosing between the religious life and the farm life is an incredibly hard choice for Christine, romance manages to also strike in this mix, complicating things even further when Christine meets Mr. Engstrand’s neighbors. What is stronger, a calling to lead a lonely but dedicated life to God or a calling to lead a life dedicated to horses? Read The Stallions of Heaven to find out.

The book raises problems of dyslexia, which wasn’t taken seriously in 1975, when the action takes place. I loved the way the characters were written. They were given enough physical details and personality traits to be credible and relatable. The emphasis is on their emotions, so we are given beautiful introspective passages, such as “she seemed about to withdraw from reality, and enter one of those strange little trances that sometimes came over her, when she was a child” on page 256. The struggle Christine is facing is something that would make everyone think about what they would do, especially since there is so much at stake. I was impressed by the way Mr. Engstrand was portrayed. His character develops in such a way that would definitely shock the reader. I definitely know I was shocked by his actions, but they still made sense with his character. The nuns were also interesting and complex characters to discover, all with different personalities. The author connects all the characters and their stories together, so even the side characters are important.

Christine is a very strong, smart, and sassy character. I enjoyed her little remarks, especially when she was bickered by the nuns. Fortunately, she knew how to keep it inside, but letting things slip could become a disaster. The story has many twists and turns, so reading it was a pleasure. Things get more and more interesting as the ending approaches.

This book was a very nice surprise. I didn’t expect to enjoy it as much as I did. However, there are some small things that bothered me. One of them is the fact that a portion of the action seems to be skipped after Christine meets Mr. Engstrand. I expected to see some episodes of them fighting and bonding, but the author decided to cut things short, which is a pity. I also feel like Christine’s background could’ve been better explained, especially since it plays a role later in the book.

The biggest problem I found was the editing, which had numerous errors. I had to stop counting them because of how many they were. Most of them were unnecessary repetitions of words. I’m sure that another round of editing could fix this problem. Although religion is a big subject in this book, I never felt it was intrusive or offensive to my own beliefs. It was just a portrayal of life at the convent. Also, Mr. Engstrand is an atheist, which adds a new perspective on things. While there is a conflict in this difference of beliefs, the author doesn’t stress it. After all, everything is about Christine’s choice. Profanity is limited, but there are some sexual allusions.

I give The Stallions of Heaven 3 out of 4 stars because of the editing problems. I wouldn’t give it a lower rating because it was simply too good. I recommend it to everyone who enjoys coming-of-age stories or just books with well-written characters. People who love animals would also like this book.

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The Stallions of Heaven
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[Summer Henrietta]

Christine's character intrigues me. I wonder how she had to face life as an orphan and still lived with dyslexia.
Your review was really engaging.
Kudos.

[Mae Marzan]

Interesting book that was a little hard to find. It brought up some interesting topics with respect to teen interaction in the 70s, religious education and convent life, First Nation issues, and grumpy old men. Good Canadian read with a lot of Canadian culture.

[Amy Luman]

I am really not into horses, but I am till interested in how Christine deals with her problems. I hope that the romance contained in here is a relatively small part of the story.