Just After Midnight by Catherine Ryan Hyde is a heart-felt, uplifting novel about loss, friendship and the value of kindness to a stranger.

Faith has had enough of her husband’s abuse and escapes to her parents’ California beach house. She needs to make a plan for the rest of her life. While contemplating her situation, she sees a young girl sitting alone on the beach, looking desolate.

Sarah, fourteen, feels overwhelmed with the sudden, suspicious death of her mother. Not only that, but Sarah’s father has sold her prized horse, Midnight, saying he needed the money to pay off a debt. Sarah is staying at her grandmother’s beach house while the older woman is scrambling to get custody of her deceased daughter’s only child.

Faith approaches the forlorn young girl sitting on the beach. She listens to the girl’s story about her mother’s tragic death, but also about her beloved mare, Midnight. Sarah and Midnight were meant for each other, competing in shows with impressive results. But now Sarah’s world is shattered.

Just After Midnight is a story of hope in the face of tragic, life altering loss. Although I’m familiar with western horseback riding, this book features dressage, a form of horse riding performed in exhibition using English tack, the type of competition featured in the Olympics. In this story, Sarah, only fourteen, is amazingly accomplished with dressage, and I was fascinated with all that is involved in this highly competitive sport.

Typical of author Catherine Ryan Hyde, Just After Midnight features decent people with high values, and lessons learned while trusting your instincts. The author describes dressage and the amazing connection between rider and horse, and how the relationship between the two form a strong bond. I’ve read several novels by this author, and this is yet another worthwhile read.