Rough Magic

February 15, 2019
A young Englishwoman takes on the world's longest and most difficult horse race.In 2013, Prior-Palmer came across a photograph of the Mongol Derby: "long-maned ponies streaming over green steppes, space poured wild and free--in Mongolia." The deadline was fast approaching, and the race's organizer gave her a discount to help defray the costly entry fee. The Derby, a "truly peculiar invention," is a seven-day, 1,000-kilometer race on 25 wild Mongolian ponies, descendants, writes the author, of "Genghis Khan's famed Takhi horses, the ones that shouldered his empire's postal system from the thirteenth century onwards." Every 40 kilometers, at stations called urtuus, tired horses are replaced with new ones; riders rest, eat, and use the toilets (holes in the ground). Each of the competitors has a rough map of the course, a not-always-reliable GPS device, and "nylon endurance saddles." In this feisty and exhilarating debut memoir, Prior-Palmer smoothly recounts what happened over her momentous week in August. Right at the start, she fell behind: "Where to go? I was hoping to follow someone....I can see only sun." Over the next seven days, she fought aching bruises, torrential rain, brutal heat, and a rough fall. She continuously scoured the vast horizon for "hamster cities," the holes of which could seriously injure a horse, and she dodged herds of nibbling goats while the horses dealt with Mongolian families' nipping dogs. The author personalizes the horses with names: Brolly, Dunwoody and "7." As she raced, carrying a copy of Shakespeare's The Tempest, she channeled her Aunt Lucinda, "my go-to ahead of any equestrian event," to help her get through each arduous day. After the apparent winner was penalized for overheating her horse, the author, who was second, was declared the winner--the youngest ever and the first woman.Although the narrative occasionally veers off course, horse lovers will adore this inspiring and spirited memoir.

COPYRIGHT(2019) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

May 1, 2019

In this debut, Prior-Palmer describes her journey to participating in the Mongol Derby--being the first woman to win the race and the youngest person ever to finish. The race is 1,000 kilometers across the steppe of Mongolia, on a series of 25 semiwild ponies over the course of ten days, a re-creation of the horse messenger system established by Genghis Khan. With some riding experience but no training at endurance events, 19-year-old Prior-Palmer entered the race on a whim. Using a fresh, irreverent voice and a quick wit, she tugs readers along on her ill-equipped adventure: over rough terrain and experiencing bruising falls, terrifying storms, and bouts of illness and dehydration. It's a story worthy of the best adventure writers, and Prior-Palmer does not disappoint. VERDICT An appealing account that will capture the imagination of a wide audience, including young adults. Readers who enjoyed Cheryl Strayed's Wild and James Campbell's Braving It will want to join Prior-Palmer on her once-in-a-lifetime trek.--Susan Belsky, Oshkosh P.L., WI

Copyright 2019 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 1, 2019
Restless and adrift the summer she was 19, Englishwoman Prior-Palmer entered the Mongol Derby on little more than an impulse. Based on a messenger system implemented by Genghis Khan, the debilitating 1,000-kilometer race sees riders running semiwild ponies across the Mongolian steppe, switching mounts at scattered checkpoints. Riders are penalized if they let their ponies' heart rates rise too high, but they themselves are subject to the elements; many are unable to complete the race each year due to illness or injury. Dead last after the first day, Prior-Palmer hoped only to finish; eventually, though, she settled into the rhythms of the land and its people, and went on to become the youngest and first female winner of the long, arduous challenge. Prior-Palmer writes with grace, giving a measured, reflective account of the race she was unprepared for but still won, the rivalries and partnerships that sprung up between the competitors, and the ruggedly lovely, lonely landscape she traversed. An engaging profile of humans and horses, and a searing, soulful examination of endurance.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)