Book Review: ‘Magnificent Midnight’s Marvelous Memories’

A personal story of love, loss, and healing.

Title: Magnificent Midnight’s Marvelous Memories
Author: Tally L. Russell
Pages: 109
Publisher: authorHOUSE

Every horse lover has a story of how they came to love their first horse. They have a longer story of how that horse changed their life and their perspective. And most have a story of how they were dealt the cruel blow of mortality, and were able to start again. Tally Russell bravely shares each of these momentous experiences through her own eyes, as well as through the eyes of her beloved therapy horse, Midnight.

The first half of Magnificent Midnight’s Marvelous Memories is told through the anthropomorphic eyes of Midnight, as she describes how she came to live at the Russell home and be a therapy horse. Her new owner would be Tally, an adolescent girl who was born with spina bifida and came to love horses immensely through therapeutic riding. Tally always wanted a horse of her own, and Midnight was the answer to her prayers.

The book chronicles many of their adventures together, as well as documenting the many ways that Midnight provided therapy to Tally, both in and out of the saddle. For more than a decade, the two had a deep bond, and fought for each other through both human and equine medical setbacks.

The second half of the book is told through Tally’s eyes as she processes the loss of her companion, who they believe died of old age. Tally bravely chronicles the pain that many horsemen know when you lose a friend with whom you share a special relationship, and in the book’s conclusion begins to move toward healing and perhaps loving another horse in the future.

Tally and Midnight’s story is personal and sweet, and could be a helpful read for families who are considering utilizing a therapeutic riding program or are currently in one. It’s also a potentially good read for someone who is currently processing the loss of their own horse, and seeking comfort and closure.

This title is available in paperback and Kindle form from the publisher, as well as on Amazon.com.