Find a comfy chair and settle in. Molly Gloss’ Falling from Horses is hard to put down.
Bud Frazer and Lily Shaw meet on the long bus ride from Eastern Oregon to Hollywood, California. Bud, nineteen, considers himself a pretty fair hand with horses and cattle. His folks run a ranch and he grew up knowing how to ride and rope. He has his sights set on being a stunt rider and work with the great screen cowboys of his youth. The story takes place in the 1930s.
Bud has never met anyone like Lily Shaw. She says what’s on her mind and has unwavering ambitions to become a screenwriter. The only thing these two have in common is that they arrive in Hollywood at the same time. They form a friendship and see one another from time to time, take in Sunday movies, play cards, and talk. Along the way we learn about Hollywood-style cowboying and screen writing.
Hollywood isn’t anything like Bud expects. Stunt riding is a tough business–tough on riders and especially tough on horses. Knowing the gentle care his folks give their stock, seeing the mistreatment of horses is sickening to Bud. It isn’t pretend when the movie sets run horses off cliffs, use wires to trip them while at a fast run, seriously, if not fatally, injuring both horses and riders.
The “myth of the cowboy West” carries harsh realities. Coming from the real thing, Bud’s eyes are open to these fake, fast-paced scenes. He had never run a horse so fast or recklessly while actually working on a ranch. The false bloodless fistfights are almost comical. The costumes often uncomfortable. He becomes disillusioned, but hangs in there, always hoping to get a big part.
The novel toggles between Bud’s Hollywood experiences and his youth. The narrative voice is natural and insightful; the characters real and compelling. The stark contrast between the real thing, cowboys working on ranches, and Hollywood’s interpretation, is entertaining, but also an eye-opener. Nowadays there are animal protection laws, but this book made me wonder how closely those laws are followed.
Falling from Horses is a beautifully written novel. To learn more about bestselling author, Molly Gloss, visit http://mollygloss.com/