The Iron Horse - Premium Stainless Steel Water Bottle for Hiking, Gym & Outdoor Adventures | Leak-Proof, BPA-Free, Eco-Friendly

Alternating between a gripping read and a tale too gritty to take in large chunks, this is a coming of age story. A girl named Sunshine, growing up in New England in the 1980's, is the subject of The Iron Horse. Loss of innocence can come in many forms. Sunshine shares with her reader a pretty full gamut of such losses. These range from the iconic (giving-up-of-the-dream-of "A Girl and Her Horse") to the excruciating (girl-becomes-a-junkie-and-then-lets-go-of a drug named horse). In between and during these we have other losses, most of which are more familiar to the average reader: disillusionment with family, a problematic body image, inexplicable physical pain, and a growing suspicion that hard work brings only callouses and more hard work.The impressive thing about this novel is how first-time author, Dawn Erin, conveys this burden of pathos without diminishing her moments of triumph and happiness. She judiciously uses unsent letters and mental asides that are funny and poignant, providing comic relief at just the right time. The narrative flows with freshness, grace, humor, and a rhythm usually found in the writing of much more experienced writers. Sunshine teaches us, not subtly, but always honestly, about struggle, pain and loss. And, at the end she teaches us about love, loyalty, perseverance, and self-esteem.A good novel carries you along. You feel you must keep reading. This book does that. And does it in service of self-redemption. The characters and what they do always came across as real, never contrived. Getting to know this young woman in such intimate detail did not feel very comfortable during the tsunami of said details. But by the end I felt enriched, indeed. Riding this Iron Horse was worth the price of the ticket.