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The Sureness of Horses

Do Not Think Badly of Me

The Sureness of Horses book cover.
Do Not Think Badly of Me Cover.png
Press

Press

"Kevin Arnold's new novel touches the raw places that are the material of our human lives. In The Sureness of Horses, Arnold moves us through the subtlety and texture of poetry, love, parenting, growing older, and yes, the uncertainty of our own sureness. It's a humble novel that speaks volumes."

- Persis Karim

Neda Nobari Chair of the Center for Iranian Diaspora Studies

San Francisco State University

"In the purest, most empathetic narrative tones, Kevin Arnold charts the forking paths of a moral wilderness in a society of ambitions achieved, ambitions pursued, and ambitions thrwarted."

- Louis B. Jones

Fiction Co-director - Squaw Valley Community of Writers

Author of five prizewinning novels

Kevin Arnold’s wisdom, sincerity, truth shine forth in these poems. His love of life and of language mingle like bare legs. You read bareback and are edified by their power and clarity: a life distilled.

– Jill Hoffman

Editor - Mudfish Magazine

Kevin’s poems turn ordinary events into compelling tales. The conventional becomes captivating; the pedestrian becomes provocative. Full of fact and feeling and, often, a clever twist, his words may leave you thoughtful or smiling, but always well-fed.

- Jayne Jaudon Ferrer

Editor - YourDailyPoem.com

"It's the rare novelist who can enhance a narrative - and move a reader - with the use of poems that amplify the story's arc. Arnold is one of those very fortunate writers."

- Julia Glass

Author of the National Book Award-winning Three Junes and a House Among the Trees

Kevin’s poetry delivers meaningful concepts with a gentle touch. His perceptive, often ironic, view of himself and the human condition leaves the reader with a warm awareness of our connectedness. This is why “Kevin’s Much-Loved Poems,” his featured series in US Represented, continues to perform so well with our appreciative audience.

– Eric Stephenson

Editor - USRepresented.com

"I recommend (The Sureness of Horses) to anyone who likes a romantic story...very well-written."

Bertha Jackson

OnlineBookClub.org

"(The Sureness of Horses) is a very honest tale of humanity at it’s finest and weakest and has a realistic plot which makes it a joy to read. I found this a very memorable story, a book I looked forward to picking up and getting lost in and one that will remain fondly in my memory."

- Jan Hughes

Reviewer - Everything Horse Magazine

"Lyrical, compelling, absolutely riveting. Arnold had me hooked from page one."

Sara Houghtelling

Fullbright Fellow

Winner of the 2016 Narrative Prize and author of the award-winning novel Pictures at an Exhibition

"Action-packed scenes ground Kevin's novel in a rich American tradition."

"I couldn't put the book down."

- Melinda K. Baxter

Master - MFHA

"I rate (The Sureness of Horses) 4 out of 4 stars. This is a well-written and satisfying read. The story is rich with relatable characters and events. It is a refreshing love story, not a sweep-you-off-your-feet romance. The characters are flawed and deal with real-life problems. While equestrians and animal lovers would like Wade’s story, I recommend this book to fiction readers who enjoy a suspenseful page-turner. The Sureness of Horses is a story that reminds the reader that life can change, for better or worse, in the blink of an eye."

- Jess N Wheeler

Contributor - Online Book Club

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Blog

Blog

Other Works

Other Works

About

About

Kevin Arnold

Photograph of autor Kevin Arnold.

  Author

A graduate of the University of Wisconsin and the US Navy, Kevin Arnold has published fifty stories and poems. He earned his Master’s in Fine Arts from San Jose State University in 2007, the same year he helped found Gold Rush Writers. He has ridden to hounds since 1999, earning his colors with the Los Altos Hounds, also in 2007. He served as President of Poetry Center San Jose for twelve years. Kevin is an Elder in the Presbyterian Church, USA. The San Francisco / Peninsula California Writer's Club recently named him Writer of the Year.

Contact

Contact

Thanks for writing! I'll return the favor shortly.

I had a wonderful time reading the collection, and if you're a poetry lover, you shouldn't miss this one.

- Pikasho Deka

Readers' Favorite

AUTHOR

KEVIN ARNOLD

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