Salthill: A Novel [Paperback]

Judith Barnes (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2003

One evening in 1946, a hungry stranger joins the family at Salthill, a horse ranch in the Skillihawk Valley in British Columbia. Grey St. Oegger welcomes the young African-American, who gives his name as simply Harris, in for a meal. But after dinner, when he sees Harris's affinity for horses, he extends that welcome indefinitely, offering Harris a job and a place to live.

Over the next five years, Harris seems to settle in at Salthill, becoming a partner and nearly a son to Grey, who breeds and trains horses while raising his two daughters and his son. Harris even buys a horse of his own, a magnificent but temperamental creature they call the Red. But even Grey sees a rage in Harris, simmering like the Red's own wild streak below Harris's quiet exterior. None of the St. Oeggers know much about him or what he really wants. For the more he becomes part of the family, the more an explosion seems inevitable-especially once Elsa, Grey's youngest daughter, returns from school a headstrong and beautiful young woman and turns her eye on Harris.

Judith Barnes has written a lush and compelling historical novel about family and relationships, love and rage, loyalty and betrayal, all set against the beautiful backdrop of the Canadian wilderness and the ranching life.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Barnes's debut novel spans the years 1946 to 1957, chronicling the life of Garnet Harris and his struggle for acceptance in the rugged Canadian west. An African-American gifted at handling horses, Harris heads north to escape poverty, drug addiction and the savage, debilitating racism of the American South. Arriving hungry and penniless at Salthill, a ranch in British Columbia, he is befriended by Grey St. Oegger, the ranch's expatriate Englishman owner. Though both are guarded men, they bond over their love of horses and honest labor. Then St. Oegger's youngest daughter, free-spirited and passionate Elsa, falls in love with Harris, complicating life at Salthill. She and Harris begin a turbulent, clandestine affair that ends when Harris flees the ranch, knowing he has betrayed St. Oegger's trust. The story is already melodramatic enough, laden with overripe imagery and an excess of figurative language, but the passages about Harris's subsequent self-induced exile and wanderings take it over the top. Despite the often graphic scenes detailing intolerant attitudes toward blacks, Barnes's attempts to explore Harris's past and the insidious effects of racism are uneven and ambivalent: a fresher perspective on prejudice would have lent the novel greater depth. Barnes has talent-as evidenced by her sharp, informative descriptions of horses, ranch life and the natural wonders of the Canadian landscape-but her debut would've benefited from a tighter hand on the reins.
Copyright 2002 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

In post-World War II Canada, British widower Grey St. Oeggers is establishing a prominent horse ranch with his family; his eldest son, Gordon; and his two daughters, Flavia and Elsa. To his disappointment, Gordon does not want to take over the family ranch; he leaves for Montreal to study medicine. Grey's older daughter, Flavia, goes to her aunts for "finishing" instead of college, and the youngest daughter, Elsa, stays behind on the ranch, where she becomes an accomplished horsewoman and very proficient with firearms. She also develops a fierce crush on the mysterious stranger, Harris, whom Grey has taken in to help on the ranch. Harris is truculent, with a lightning-quick temper and a past that alludes to violence. He also possesses an otherworldly affinity for Grey's horses. This uneven first novel is marked with clunky prose, non sequiturs, and abrupt unexplained actions and plot twists. Prolonged descriptions of minute objects and the surroundings add little to the atmosphere or plot of the novel. Nevertheless, insatiable Horse Whisperer fans will be inquiring about it. Kaite Mediatore
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (November 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312320159
• ISBN-13: 978-0312320157
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.2 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,124,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Horses, Romance & Race Relations, January 18, 2003

By 

Lee Armstrong (Winterville, NC United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Salthill: A Novel (Hardcover)

Judith Barnes' freshman novel is an expansive tale set mostly in Canada. She does so many things well. The story is one that captures our attention. Garnet Harris is a black man who as a youth experiences a difficult beating and family history. He escapes his tangled history and acquires the skills of an excellent horse trainer. In 1946, ragged and worn, he stumbles upon Salthill, a ranch in British Columbia owned by Irish immigrant, the aristocratic Grey St. Ogger, who welcomes him and gives him a job. Over the next five years these two men bond in a special way. Grey's own son Gordon decides he wants to become a doctor, much to the dismay of this family of horsemen. Harris seems to step into the role of an adopted son. Sister Flavia marries and starts her family. Grey helps Harris buy a nearly wild horse, Red, who becomes one of the most well drawn animal characters I've read. Barnes encompasses and brings to life the independence and passion of this amazing horse. Daughter Elsa who was left in Ireland with an abusive grandmother early in life goes to school and magically returns a young woman. Elsa's and Harris' chemistry connects in an exploding passion that despite her youth and the difference between their races cannot be denied. Barnes takes the novel fully into this steamy, seemingly ill-fated romance. Harris feels something between guilt and betrayal toward his benefactor Grey despite his inability to resist Elsa's advances. This lead Harris to pack up and leave. The novel jumps years ahead as the consequences of this unresolved romance come to light as well as the hidden history behind the St. Oggers of Salthill. As Barnes writes him, Harris is hardly the most likeable of protagonists, an abrupt man who is haunted by his history as well as drawn by his ability. Elsa, a talented artist and painter, has a bit of the Irish vinegar running in her veins as the two bash and smash at coming to terms with their illogical and irresistible romance. By the conclusion the novel seems to have run its course rather than achieving a magical denouement. This is an excellent read that makes us hope for more magic in Barnes' sophomore effort. Enjoy!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Dense, Earthy Read, December 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Salthill: A Novel (Hardcover)

I read a good review of Salthill in the Globe & Mail. It talked about the lyric writing and full-bodied characters. Besides, I like horses! So I bought the book. Salthill turned out to be about lots of other things too; family and redemption, and the nature of love. It's not a light read, but it was so involving the pages seemed to fly by. The setting, a horse ranch in the Canadian wilderness in the 1940s, was intriguing. I would recommend Salthill to anybody.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I loved it!, October 20, 2003

By 

David Drum (Los Angeles, California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Salthill: A Novel (Hardcover)

Salthill is ..., not unlike The Thorn Birds, but set in the tangled wilderness of rural Canada. It reads like a seriously sexy movie, but with unusual poetry and depth. I can see it as a movie with Denzel Washington playing the lead character of Harris, a ... muscular black American with a good heart and a horrible past. For the love interest, I'd cast Gwyneth Paltrow. It's a book about family loyalty, and ultimately about love. This book just grabbed my interest and wouldn't let go. It's a page-turner. I would definitely recommendthis book for a good read on a cold winter's evening.