Yesterday's Shadows

Book excerpt: Catherine Milford is a young woman who attempts to escape the memories of her son's death by moving from her Indiana home and the horse show world that she knows so well, to a completely different life. Three years later, with the invitation to attend her best friend's wedding, she is beckoned to return to the place where her son was killed in a barn fire. Catherine's journey back to the horses and the horse people who had once filled her life is a mixture of joy and sorrow. She must grow in ways that are difficult and painful as she faces the tragedy of her loss when she goes back to the place she and her son had once lived. Matt Newton is a divorced father, trying to build a new life for himself and his daughter after his wife and he split up. A stranger to the horse world, and connected to Catherine Milford only by an introduction from their mutual friend, Matt must eventually decide how he can open his heart to a future different from the one he had planned on. These two people face the challenge of overcoming ghosts from their previous lives. Abbey Newton, Matt's nine year old daughter, plays a big part in the chain of events that brings them to the conclusion of the book, where some choices end up being made for them all. From the farm country of northeastern Indiana to a show ring in Devon, Pennsylvania, this story is about love and loss, friendship and devotion, and the incredible bond between riders and their horses that can be, at times, magical.