One Hundred and Four Horses: A Memoir of Farm and Family, Africa and Exile - Softcover

Retzlaff, Mandy

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0062204394 ISBN 13: 9780062204394

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks, 2014

Synopsis

Pat and Mandy Retzlaff enjoyed a hard but satisfying farming life in Zimbabwe. After their children, the couple's true pride and joy were their horses. But in early 2001, their lives were thrown into turmoil when armed members of President Robert Mugabe's War Veterans' Association began violently reclaiming farmlands owned by white Zimbabweans. Under the threat of death, they were forced to flee.

As families across the country abandoned their land, they left behind dozens of horses. Devoted animal lovers, Pat and Mandy—virtually homeless themselves—vowed to save these beautiful animals, risking their lives to bring them to safety: Shere Khan, the queen of the herd; Tequila, the escape artist forever trying to walk back to his original home; Grey, the silver gelding and leader; Princess, the temperamental mare; and the numerous others they rescued along the way.

One Hundred and Four Horses recounts their unforgettable journey and the remarkable horses they protected. It is a love story and an epic tale of survival and unbreakable bonds—those that hold us to land and family, but also those between man and the most majestic of animals, the horse.

About this title

About the Author:

Mandy Retzlaff is a lifelong horse lover and farmer. Today, Mandy and her husband, Pat Retzlaff, run a horse safari company on the Mozambique coast, taking tourists on rides through the wild and wonderful country that they now call home.

From Booklist:

As terror swept Zimbabwe’s farms early this century, a couple known as the horse people began to shelter the animals left behind. Retzlaff recounts the journey she and her husband undertook in this plainspoken, heartfelt memoir. Hounded from farm to farm for years by hordes of President Robert Mugabe’s men, they belong to a community besieged. Their escape is filled with midnight rescue runs, forced departures in a matter of hours, theft, and betrayal. Retzlaff is at her best in her loving descriptions of the horses’ personalities, allowing the reader to get to know the animals as individuals. The Retzlaffs’ deep feeling for their charges will appeal to animal lovers of all stripes. Overall, the writing lacks shine, but the story of the brave battle the Retzlaffs wage on behalf of the vulnerable herd does not require sparkling prose to make an impression. The couple’s story—a drastic example of standing up for those you love—showcases the seemingly small but deeply significant heroism of doing the right thing, --Bridget Thoreson

About this edition

• Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
• Publication date: 2014
• ISBN 10: 0062204394
• ISBN 13: 9780062204394
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 288