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Christy Cashman

Fourteen-year-old Reese’s dream of winning the Black Elk race is shattered when her beloved horse, Trusted Treasure, falls at the last jump and the vet suggests they put him down. While still reeling from that loss, her family suffers a second tragedy—one that results in the end of their family business, the sale of Trusted Treasure, and irreparable damage to Reese’s relationship with her father.

Heartbroken and still longing to find Trusted Treasure, Reese meets Wes, a selective mute, whose way of training horses is unlike anything she’s ever seen. If anyone can win the Black Elk, it’s Wes—but he’s struggling with his troubled past, and having a teenage girl hanging around his barn isn’t exactly what he’d planned. Through heartaches and triumphs, Reese must prove her worth if she wants to heal her family, help Wes, and show them all that some dreams are worth fighting for.

A spellbinding tale in which every teenager has magical powers within them just waiting to be discovered, this book will have you laughing and crying—sometimes on the same page—all the while rooting for Reese, the most unlikely of heroes.

“With all of the unpredictable thrill of a horseback ride, The Truth about Horses took me deep into the mind of a teenage girl searching for her post-traumatic truth. It is a beautiful, moving story that I’m glad to know and certain to remember.”

—Harry Connick Jr., Emmy Award–winning actor and Grammy Award–winning musician

 

“What an irresistibly readable novel Christy Cashman has written! Her young heroine, Reese, is an astonishing creation, warmly sympathetic, impulsive, unpredictable, brash, loyal and loving, endearing, exasperating, most of all memorable—a triumphant portrait of tumultuous adolescence in our time. The Truth about Horses plunges us into a beautifully evoked rural world in which horses are both magnificent beasts requiring human love and devotion, and iconic creatures out of mythology.”

—Joyce Carol Oates, National Humanities Medal–winning author of A Garden of Earthly Delights and Blonde

 

“Christy Cashman has written a beautiful, thrilling tale about a teenage girl’s journey from fear to courage, from anger to forgiveness, from broken-heartedness to openness. The Truth about Horses is so much about the mysterious forces, within us and around us, that are always there to guide us, and the way in which people enter our lives exactly when we need them—if only we’ll let them.”

—Jane Seymour, actress, author, and co-founder of the Open Hearts Foundation

 

“In her first novel, The Truth about Horses, Christy Cashman proves herself to be a worthy successor to Harper Lee. Cashman’s protagonist, Reese, instantly captures the reader in the same way that Scout does in To Kill a Mockingbird—and takes the reader with her into her world for a magical examination of the human heart.”

—Arthur T. Vanderbilt II, Author of Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt

 

“This is a heartwarming novel about facing down the perils of adversity. It’s also an examination of how and why we become stronger at the broken places. Christy Cashman has written a book for everyone, young and old, who wants to know about the elemental gallop of the heart.”

—Colum McCann, author of Apeirogon and Let the Great World Spin

 

“From the first gripping pages, this beautifully written, vividly imagined novel had me hooked. As the chapters galloped by, I felt closer and closer to 14-year-old Reese

and the horses she loved. She now feels like a friend, one to whom I am immensely grateful for her flaws, her insights, and her courage. Anyone who remembers being a teen, or loving horses, or has lost a loved one, will find deep meaning in this book.”

—Sy Montgomery, New York Times–bestselling author of How to Be a Good Creature and The Soul of an Octopus

 

“Don’t waste another moment reading these simple lines of praise. Go straight to the horse’s mouth. By the way, it’s a winner.”

—Carly Simon, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame musician, singer, songwriter, and memoirist

 

“The Truth about Horses is a fast-moving, emotionally compelling story about friendship, courage, and healing. Christy Cashman knows a lot about girls and horses, and also about loneliness and grief, and she writes with admirable honesty and insight.”

—Tom Perrotta, bestselling author of Election and Tracy Flick Can’t Win

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Christy Cashman is an author, actress, and producer who has appeared in more than twenty films, including American Hustle, Joy, The Women, Ted 2, and The Forger. An active member of the Boston community and beyond, she is on the board of directors for the Associates of the Boston Public Library and co-chairs its Literary Lights committee. Christy also serves on the board of the Commonwealth Shakespeare Company and supports the nonprofit Raising A Reader.Her first novel, The Truth About Horses, published in August 2023, has earned significant praise in the literary world and admiration from the equestrian community. Christy is also the author of two children’s books, The Not-So-Average Monkey of Kilkea Castle and Petri’s Next Things, inspired by the true story of a heroic monkey who lived at that historic Irish castle.In 2021, Christy founded YouthINK, a nonprofit that connects passionate teenaged creators with leading industry creatives to provide a supportive, encouraging, and nurturing space for mentorship and artistic expression. Established in Ireland, YouthINK debuted in the U.S. in August, 2023, for its first immersive workshop in Boston, Decisions We Make—Macbeth. Christy also founded YOUthink Creative Wellness Retreats in 2024 which were established to provide a spiritual, creative and physical oasis for guests while supporting YouthINK teen mentorship programs.The second youngest of ten children, Christy was named after Catherine Marshall’s novel Christy, and grew up in North Carolina where her love for horses began at a young age. When she’s not writing or working on production projects, she is most likely riding throughout New England and Ireland. Christy lives with her husband, Jay; two sons, Jay Michael and Quinn; their three dogs, Ben, Lucy, and Dan; and three horses, Calvin, Butterscotch, and Victor. The family lives in Boston and spends their time in Ireland and on Cape Cod.She is currently working on her second novel, Beulah, and her third children’s book, The Cat Named Peanut Shrimp Cookie Fry Muffin Who Lives on Staniel Cay.