The Whole Sky by Heather Henson

The Whole Sky by Heather Henson. August 22, 2017. Atheneum/Caitlyn Dlouhy Books, 256 p. ISBN: 9781442414051.  Int Lvl: 5-8; Rdg Lvl: 6.4; Lexile: 720.

When a devastating sickness spreads through a thoroughbred farm community, a young horse whisperer is determined to find out why all the foals are dying in this tightly woven, tender coming-of-age novel from award-winning author Heather Henson.

Twelve-year-old Sky and her father are horse whisperers—their preternatural tenderness and understanding of horses, and Sky’s uncanny ability to actually understand what they’re saying become their livelihood during the foaling season at multimillion dollar horse farms. They’re sought after by the most prestigious farms in the country to keep pregnant horses calm and stress-free until they give birth. But this spring, something awful is happening…foal after foal is a stillborn, and no one knows why. And worse for Sky, who lost her mother only months earlier, her most beloved horse is about to have her first foal. In agony, Sky takes it upon herself to figure out what the vets are missing, and stop it before even more foals are lost.

Potentially Sensitive Areas: None

 

Reviews

Publishers Weekly Annex (July 3, 2017)
Twelve-year-old Sky has spent her life working with horses, helping her father, who has passed on a special gift to her: both can speak to horses. When they arrive at Shaughnessy Farms to help birth this year’s foals, both father and daughter are mourning the recent death of Sky’s mother. Homeschooled Sky rarely spends time with kids her age, but she befriends Archie, grandson of the farm’s kindly owners. Then the foals are almost all stillborn for reasons no one understands, and Sky’s father, who has started drinking, disappears. As Sky attempts to discover what is killing the foals, Henson (Dream of Night) brings readers deep into the world of Kentucky horse farms, smoothly weaving in details about Sky and her father’s work. Sky’s grief is palpable, and her slow-building friendship with Archie is moving, as is Sky’s growing understanding of his flaws and struggle to love him in the face of that humanity. But the heart of the story is Sky’s preternatural bond with the animals she loves. Ages 10-12.

Kirkus Reviews (July 15, 2017)
A girl who can communicate with horses learns why thoroughbred foals are dying all over Kentucky. In the wake of her mother’s death, 12-year-old Sky Doran, a white girl of Irish descent, accompanies her father to the prestigious breeding barn where he works each year during foaling season. Sky’s family has always been nomadic, but Shaughnessy Farms feels like home, and Sky is relieved to be reunited with the mares she loves, especially her favorite, Poppy, who is expecting her first foal. Sky and her father share a secret family trait: they can talk to the horses telepathically. This year, to everyone’s horror and astonishment, the foals are born dead or dying—hundreds of them in farms all across Kentucky. No one can understand why. Making matters even worse, Sky’s father, who has battled trouble with alcohol before, shows up at a difficult delivery drunk. He leaves Sky among friends on the farm while he enters rehab. When Poppy’s foal survives birth, Sky finds healing from her own wounds by caring for the fragile baby and uses her telepathy to uncover the reasons behind the epidemic. Mare reproductive loss syndrome, a real disaster stemming from 2001, forms the backdrop to a story of loss, growth, and friendship. Sky’s first-person narration rings true, as do the details of everyday life among horses. This literary middle-grade tale with a touch of magic will find eager readers among horse enthusiasts. (Fantasy. 9-13)

About the Author

Heather Henson was born and raised in central Kentucky in a summerstock theater her father founded in 1950, and her family still owns and operates. After moving to New York City to study theater and filmmaking, Heather decided to focus on her first love: writing. She graduated from The New School University with a degree in creative writing and literature, and went on to work as an editor of children’s books at a major publisher. After many years living in Brooklyn, NY, she returned to her home state of Kentucky to focus on her writing, which has always been deeply influenced by her roots. In her writing for young readers, Heather likes to focus on unsung heroes in history and celebrate their achievements. Her latest picture book, “Lift Your Light Little Higher: The Story of Stephen Bishop, Slave-Explorer,” illustrated by Caldecott-Honor and Coretta Scott King-Award winner, Bryan Collier, “recovers an important piece of African-American history,” said Kirkus in a starred review. Her picture book, “That Book Woman,” illustrated by Caldecott-Medal winner David Small, celebrates the Pack Horse Librarians who brought the gift of reading to countless families in Appalachia during the 1930’s. “That Book Woman” won the prestigious Christopher Medal, as well as the Great Lakes Book Award, among other awards. Heather lives on a farm in the heart of the Bluegrass with her husband and three children.

Her website is heatherhensonbooks.com

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