If Wishes Were Horses

If Wishes Were Horses, Anne McCaffrey, Roc Books, 1998

This short fantasy novel explores the power of hope and love, and that dreams really can come true.

Lady Talarrie Eircelly has a well-known gift for healing in their small country village. Whether the malady is physical or emotional, she is The Person To See. Her husband, Lord Emkay Eircelly, is known as a fair ruler of the village. They have several children, including teenage twins, Tirza and Tracell. Life is pretty good in the village, until a messenger arrives from the king with news of war.

Lord Emkay rides off to war, along with every able-bodied man in the village, leaving Lady Talarrie in charge. The entire village goes into crisis mode. Flowers are pulled up, and vegetables are planted. Hunters scour the forest for any old or lame animals that would have died during the upcoming winter, and cull them earlier than expected. Nothing is more important than getting ready for the upcoming winter.

The war comes to the village, destroying most of the houses. This forces the whole village to move into the manor house for the winter. It's tight, but with lots of improvising, they survive the winter. When spring comes, the first priority is to start rebuilding the village. After a winter crammed into close quarters, people's tempers are almost gone.

An important part of growing up is receiving a present from your parents on your 16th birthday. Tirza's gift is all set, a special crystal from her mother to wear around her neck. Tracell, her brother, has always wanted a horse of his own; not just any horse, but a Cirgassian war horse. The war has not only taken all the able-bodied men, it has also taken all the able-bodied horses. Tracell's gift is hardly a sure thing.

This story is less than 100 pages, but it's pretty good. It's a very quick read, and it's worth the reader's time.