Mare

A middle-aged Englishwoman seeks fulfillment while reflecting on her choice not to have children in the insightful if diffuse debut novel from picture book author and illustrator Haworth-Booth (The Last Tree). As the unnamed narrator enters menopause, she revives a childhood obsession: “Horses began to return to my thoughts at the same time that change began to happen in my body.” She answers an ad to become a “sharer” of a white and black horse owned by another woman (the “true mother”), tending to the horse a few days a week. In between caring for the horse, writing children’s books, and attending a residency, she looks after her neighbor’s children, who she refers to as “not-my-daughter” and “also-not-my-daughter.” As the months pass, her relationship with the horse blossoms from a chosen chore to something deeper and more sustaining. Stretches of self-reflection are punctuated by chipper emails from a child-free friend who espouses the wonders of their lifestyle: “What’s your favourite thing to do instead of the school run?” Some readers will find themselves wanting more from the fragmentary narrative, which often leaves thoughts half formed, but Haworth-Booth ably captures early middle-age disquiet and the soothing balm of animal companionship. Fans of Sheila Heti will appreciate this. Agent: Ed Wilson, Johnson & Alcock. (May)