Coal Black Horse

Set during the Civil War, this harrowing coming-of-age story finds 14-year-old Robey Child on a journey to find his father, a soldier, on the fields of Gettysburg. Accompanied by an almost mystical black horse that he acquires shortly after setting out, he encounters unrelenting cruelty, deceit, and carnage along the way. This journey forces him to grow up too soon and alters his understanding of himself and the world. Ed Sala takes a respectful, matter-of-fact approach that allows listeners to endure the grim unfolding of the narrative. His gravelly voice, which is low and calm, provides a perfect counterpoint to the violence and chaos. While not for the squeamish, this powerful audiobook will resonate with listeners long after the story ends. M.H.N. (c) AudioFile 2008, Portland, Maine

October 23, 2006
Olmstead's new work (after Stay Here with Me
) is a convulsive, bloody Civil War tale that tracks a boy's search for his father on the battlefield at Gettysburg. At 14, Robey Childs is on the cusp of manhood when he sets off from the family farm at his mother's behest to find his soldier father and bring him home. A sympathetic farmer loans Robey an uncommonly beautiful and sturdy black horse. On the road, Robey passes carts carrying the maimed and dead, and bands of Native Americans and runaway slaves. A chain of horrific trials begins for Robey when a man dressed as a woman shoots him and steals the horse. He's taken prisoner as a suspected spy, witnesses a girl's rape and is caught up in a carnage-drenched raid. However, he survives the attack, is reunited with the stolen horse and sets out again, days later finding his father on the battlefield, mortally wounded. Robey can't save his father, but he can try to save the raped girl, Rachel, from further violence. His return home and his testimony to what he saw forms a powerful, redemptive narrative.