Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan

Paint the Wind by Pam Munoz Ryan

Maya has only a few memories left of her mother – since her parent’s death she’s been living with her rigid and controlling grandmother. Her grandmother blames Maya’s mother for causing her son’s death and does everything she can to crush any sign of “wildness” from Maya. Maya believes her mother’s family has forgotten her or doesn’t want to see her until her grandmother suddenly dies and she realizes that her grandmother was the one who broke off the contact.

Sent to live with her aunt and uncles in Wyoming, Maya must try to reconcile her memories and the reality of the having real family. She’s spent so long avoiding people and creating lies to color her world that fitting in is a struggle. Her fate is intertwined with a wild horse, Artemisia, which used to belong to her mother. Artemisia’s separated from her herd and is desperate to protect her young foal. As Maya and Artemisia grow closer to the point where their lives intertwine, both must decide on a path to survive and find hope.

There’s so much more to this story than the standard “horse” fair that young girls love – a very satisfying read.