Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across America: In 1974 John Egenes rode his young horse across the United States. The story of a young man coming to terms with himself, and how a little Quarter Horse named Gizmo showed the way. Ride with them as they make their incredible journey across an America that no longer exists.
The Book has been self-published via Delta Vee Publishing and is available as eBook and Paperback - 290 pages - released in August 2017.
About the Book
In 1974 a disenfranchised young man from a broken home set out to do the impossible.
With a hundred dollars in his pocket, a beat up cavalry saddle, and a faraway look in his eye, John Egenes saddled his horse Gizmo and started down the trail on an adventure across the North American continent. Their seven month journey took them across 11 states from California to Virginia, ocean to ocean.. As they left the pressing confinement of the city behind them, the pair experienced the isolation and loneliness of the southwestern deserts, the vastness of the prairie, and the great landscapes that make up America.
Across hundreds of miles of empty land they slept with coyotes and wild horses under the stars, and in urban areas they camped alone in graveyards and abandoned shacks. Along the way John and Gizmo were transformed from inexperienced horse and rider to veterans of the trail. With his young horse as his spiritual guide John slowly began to comprehend his own place in the world and to find peace within himself.
Full of heart and humor, Egenes serves up a tale that's as big as the America he witnessed, an America that no longer exists. It was a journey that could only have been experienced step by step, mile by mile, from the view between a horse's ears.
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| Click to Read an Excerpt |
Reviews (Excerpts)
- "My pal Daniel Boling (songwriter and singer) posted about this on Facebook. Bought it on Kindle, now buying hard copies for two friends. A great adventure story with snakes, scorpions, human predators, an extraordinary friendship between the author and a 4-year-old Quarter Horse gelding and America. The lovely thing about the written word is the chance it gives readers to vicariously experience such stuff!" - P. W. Peterson
- "A must read! I love stories of long journeys, and this one works for me. It's a tale of adventure and a kind of coming of age that could maybe only happen in 1974 - and perhaps only be written now. The world has moved on and we have changed. The author looks back on this rich journey across his native America with the perspective of time, exploring his early life, from learning to be alone to the growing impetus to to take on such a momentous ride and beyond. [...]" - Lindsey Shields
- "[...] As a serious distance rider I really appreciated the skill it took to get through and details that a horseman would appreciate, like that Gizmo wore a double 00 shoe, and the make of his saddle, details that we care about. It was very comforting to read his accounts of being in my shoes, sharing such a huge chunk of our lives with a horse and just to feel someone else understood how close the bond can be. Thank you for this book. It is a gem." - Angie (Amazon)
- "[...] His writing reminded me of James Herriot, who in his books, likewise showed respect for both the people and the animals he encountered. I also appreciated that the writer did not include details on sexual encounters and swear words were minimal. Anyone who ever imagined taking off on a horse for parts unknown, outdoor lovers, or even people like me who prefer to read about adventures rather than take off on them, would enjoy this book." - Jadaros (Amazon)
About the Author
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| Author John Egenes |
John Egenes has been a musician, a saddlemaker, a dog catcher, a university lecturer, and a hobo, among other things.
His life is a highway that he views through a windshield full of squashed bugs.
These days he makes his home in New Zealand.
Links to the Author & the Book
Connect with the Author on the Author's Website
Connect with the Author via the Author's Facebook Pagee
Connect with the Author via on Twitter: @jegenes
Link to the Paperback Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across America on Amazon
Link to the eBook Man & Horse: The Long Ride Across America on Amazon
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