If Wishes Were Horses is a moving coming-of-age novel that explores the depth of friendship, the hope for redemption, and the heartbreaking choices one must make in a difficult, brutal world.
It's 1974, and 16-year-old Star Hennessey is living with three other foster children in a broken-down central New York town. The daughter of an alcoholic prostitute, Star has so far escaped the gritty, painful circumstances of her life through the poems and stories she writes and recites in her head.
When she discovers she is pregnant, Star's search for the right course of action brings her face-to-face with the cruel exploitation she fears is her legacy-but culminates in her personal and spiritual triumph.
If Wishes Were Horses is a stunning story expertly told by Merry Whiteford, a graceful writer who delves into Star's harsh reality with compassion, hope, and beauty.
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Praise for Merry Whiteford and If Wishes Were Horses
"Written with fierce grace and a retentive eye and ear, If Wishes Were Horses fairly canters to its conclusion: a coming-of-age story in which innocence contends with rage, and loss with hard-earned gain. For Star Hennessey and her creator, Merry Whiteford, the love of language, truth-telling and inventiveness all emerge intact." -Nicholas Delbanco, author of What Remains
"If Wishes Were Horses lives up to the shining promise of Merry Whiteford's first two novels. Here is a narrative that will joyously break your heart. A writer to watch." -Harry Crews, author of A Feast of Snakes
"If Wishes Were Horses enlightens and entertains. In the course of this beautifully written novel, we are uplifted and gently assured of the power of the human spirit to soar above even the darkest times through love, forgiveness, and redemption. A great read that will stay with you forever." -Kathleen Brehony, author of After the Darkest Hour
"This person is a writer. This person has a lot to tell us." -Kurt Vonnegut
Merry Whiteford is the award-winning author of two other novels, Dog People and Burning Down the House. She lives in Virginia with her husband Neil.
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. Stated: First Edition: March 2003. Full number line. Not price-clipped, remaindered or library withdrawn. Mylar-protected dust jacket. Dust jacket shows minor wear. Book is unmarked and appears unread. Shipped padded in a box with tracking number provided on domestic shipping. Seller Inventory # 001497
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