Falling from Horses

August 1, 2014

To distract himself from a family tragedy, 19-year-old Bud works through his heartache by leaving Oregon to fulfill his Hollywood aspirations. Gloss fans might recognize his parents, Martha Lessen and Henry Frazer, from The Hearts of Horses (2007). In September 1938 Bud meets Lily Shaw on a bus to Tinseltown; she also has a dream: to become a movie scriptwriter. As Bud unfolds his tale about his lumps and bumps as a movie stuntman, he also offers glimpses of his 30-year friendship with Lily and his years growing up in Oregon. Evidence of the author's research about silver screen cowboys and the working environment for both stunt riders and their mounts makes Bud a reliable narrator. VERDICT Not to be missed by fans of this writer and others who love Western-based historical fiction, Gloss's fourth novel will also draw horse lovers although they might be repelled by the revelations about the brutal conditions of early movie making. A fourth-generation Oregonian, the author has accumulated a number of literary awards, including the Oregon Book Award and the PEN Center West Fiction Prize; "If All Seattle Read the Same Book" used Wild Life (2000) for its 2002 campaign. [See Prepub Alert, 4/27/14.]--Wendy W. Paige, Shelby Cty. P.L., Morristown, IN

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