In Willy Vlautin’s latest novel, The Horse, protagonist Al Ward is a 65-year-old musician living on an isolated mining claim that belonged to his uncle in the high desert of central Nevada. He’s fifty miles away from the nearest town, doesn’t have a working vehicle and lives on only meager provisions consisting mostly of Campbell’s soup and instant coffee. He spends his time recalling his past—his childhood, his long and labyrinthine stint as a touring musician in the Nevada casino circuit, and the women in his life, including his ex-wife, Maxine.
He also recalls his music. He was a talented songwriter—and a prolific one. His reveries are infused with the people he’s known, the places he’s been, the songs he’s written.
Al has returned to this little mining claim because he’s lost. The resolve to be sober is on the wane. He’s drinking again. He has insomnia, anxiety, and perhaps a depression that depletes him. The downward spiral has found him in his isolation—until one day a horse arrives on his doorstep. The horse is blind, wounded, helpless.
Is the horse real? Does it represent something for Al? As Al considers what he can do to help the horse, he begins to recall his lifetime of memories—his childhood, his music career, his friendships, his failures. As he moves in and out of these memories, he sees the horse is still there—right outside his door.
What will he do to save the horse—and himself?
Author Willy Vlautin knows a thing or two about horses and writing novels—and also about writing songs. He’s the founding member of the band Richmond Fontaine and The Delines.
Readers of The Horse will delight in encountering some 230 song titles interspersed throughout the book. There are also song lyrics here and there. And the songs add something of a guide for the arc of this story of Al’s. Fans of Willy Vlautin will recognize some of the songs from the latest album by the Delines, Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom.
Willy Vlautin is the author of the novels, The Motel Life, Northline, Lean on Pete, The Free, Don’t Skip Out on Me, and The Night Always Comes. He is a founding member of the bands Richmond Fontaine, and The Delines.
Read more about Willy Vlautin here.
The Delines, who have played sold-out shows and topped Americana charts across Europe for half a decade, are the joined forces of Amy Boone from legendary Austin, Texas, band The Damnations (Sire Records) and members of Americana cult heroes Richmond Fontaine, including songwriter and novelist Willy Vlautin. Based out of Portland, Oregon, Richmond Fontaine released 11 records and toured extensively in the US and Europe.
The Delines' latest album, Mr. Luck & Ms. Doom, features eleven new original songs that follow their well-established aesthetic of down-and-out character sketches set to rich folk-soul-country instrumentation.
The collection of songs makes a glorious playlist to accompany the sublime novel—The Horse.
