Customer Reviews

Salthill: A Novel

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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!

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.

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.

Salthill is a great book for anyone who likes a combination of horses, a love story, and the Canadian wilderness. Its historical, set in the 1940s, right after WWII. A dense read, but the characters are richly drawn and the story pulled me along. I was sorry when it ended.

Barnes' mastery of imagery is superlative. She has written a thoughtful, entertaining and powerful novel. If you don't read it, you'll never know.