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In Green: Two Horses, Two Strangers, a Journey to the End of the Land
A bewitching journey with two young strangers and their horses along Italy, France and Spain's wilder paths, written in lush, stylish prose that evokes classic writers such as Cervantes, Laurie Lee and Bruce Chatwin
Abandoning temporary jobs and all ideas of a career plan, twenty-six-year-old Louis D. Hall decided that he needed to take a very long ride on an unknown horse on forgotten mountain tracks. Channelling Don Quixote, he was unprepared for most of the dangers that faced him and Sasha, the resilient and patient sixteen-hand bay Arab he first meets in a castle near Siena. He was even less prepared for the lessons that both Sasha and the young woman who joins them part way taught him about life's potential and its complexities.
A glorious piece of rich, romantic travel writing that takes the reader along old paths, into ancient villages, sharing rural homes and stables of farmers and shepherds in the Ligurian Alps, Pyrenees, Basque country and Galician coast, from a brilliant new talent.
Abandoning temporary jobs and all ideas of a career plan, twenty-six-year-old Louis D. Hall decided that he needed to take a very long ride on an unknown horse on forgotten mountain tracks. Channelling Don Quixote, he was unprepared for most of the dangers that faced him and Sasha, the resilient and patient sixteen-hand bay Arab he first meets in a castle near Siena. He was even less prepared for the lessons that both Sasha and the young woman who joins them part way taught him about life's potential and its complexities.
A glorious piece of rich, romantic travel writing that takes the reader along old paths, into ancient villages, sharing rural homes and stables of farmers and shepherds in the Ligurian Alps, Pyrenees, Basque country and Galician coast, from a brilliant new talent.
320 pages, Hardcover
Published April 1, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
February 17, 2026
Bought this a good year ago and only picked it up 2 weeks ago. If only I’d known how much I was missing out on. Incredible book, I wish it had never ended
May 25, 2026
'That night I go back to Lourdes. The energy is a drug. The protruding neon-blue cross overlooking Chateau fort de Lourdes beams from above. I make my way up onto the stone stairs of the Basilica where I can observe the hundreds of people below, praying, singing, grieving. Flags and candelight fill up the night air. From where I watch and stand, I am hit with the transmissable power of total unity, cohesiveness; a healing power of a body of people all dreaming of a heartfelt thing. Its scintillating. Over sx million people from all backgrounds, non-beliefs and beliefs visit Le Sanctuaire Notre-Dame de Lourdes each year. Processions and prayers are held each day. Everyone prays for miracles to happen. The steeple wears a cloth of opal light. All the people hum on the cement ground, shuffling forwards in unison, chanting in their different langauges, believing in hope. I wonder what Bernadette Soubrius, the fourteen year old girl who saw an apparition of Mary Magdalene , would think of what Lourdes has become. It was on 11th February 1858 that she witnessed her first vision of Mary....Because of her, these people see God here.'
'My mattress lies on the floor and books are piled up all around me: Joseph Conrad, Albert Camus, sartre, Kundera. I hang my socks out of the glassless window...Together we eat bread, olive oil, beef pate, anchovies, courgette, local sheep's cheese and sausages. We drink red wine and Morgan tells me of her winters and her summers spent as a shephard....Thunder wakes me in the night. Rain falls like pebble drops onto the square and slides down the face of the graffiti girl. I have always been terrified of the clap of thunder. Unable to sleep I reach out to read something from Heart of Darkness in a bid for comfort. It only makes things worse.'
'As we cross inot Spain, I find a bluff high on the south side of Larrun that faces the land we are about to cover. Spains draws itself out before us like a collection of jade and cayenne stamps, pressed down upon folding hills. Frank films with his phone as I sit upon Sasha and read an extract from Winnie the Pooh:
...Christopher gathered all of his friends together and began walking back down the hill. They were all busy discussing the memories they had with each other. 'Christopher?' Pooh said, looking up at Christopher as they walked hand in hand. 'You arent coming back, are you?' Christopher looked at the ground and took a moment before he responded. 'No Pooh. I won't be coming back this time.' They walked in silence, listening to the sound of the crunching leaves underneath their feet. Pooh suddenly stopped and looked intently into the ground. 'I believe I am going to miss you Christopher,' he said with a soft broken voice. Christopher leaned down and took his lifelong friend into his arms. 'I will miss you too Pooh. I will miss you very, very much.
As I finish, I look up to see Kiki crying in front of me. She then turns and walks away. Not wanting to disturb her, I follow slowly behind, silent.'
December 13, 2025
In Green is an excellent “long-rider” travel memoir. Louis Hall and his trustworthy Arabian horse, “Sasha” travel through Italy, France and Spain. As a team they journey up and down mountains, through cities, farmland, heat, rain, day and night. During a good portion of this ride Louis and Sasha are accompanied by Kiki and her Arabian, “Istia”. Throughout the entire journey the wellbeing of the horses is always a priority…so much so that a very good portion (miles and days straight) of the long ride consists and Louis walking and carrying supplies on his own back while he leads Sasha due to a swelling on Sasha’s withers. Kiki’s horse also suffers an injury and she leads her horse to the first place they could stop for shelter and vet care and stays behind while her horse heals. This is not a story of people abusing horses, not at all. As these two horses bond Louis and Kiki agree that these horses must stay together for their lifetime…so even the horse’s emotions are given priority. Arabian horses are well known for their stamina and desire to keep going regardless of injury, pain, or fatigue. These two horses had riders who knew this, and knew to over-ride that Arabian desire and give the long rests when needed.
Louis D. Hall is a long-rider and horseman I respect as he put’s his horse before his own exhaustion and desires. An eloquent writer, he describes the landscapes, the people, his own feelings and the adventure with beautiful and imaginative prose that puts the reader there….walking along beside the horse and man partnership.
Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to,read and review #InGreen. I highly recommend this memoir for those of us who love true tales of long-riders.
Louis D. Hall is a long-rider and horseman I respect as he put’s his horse before his own exhaustion and desires. An eloquent writer, he describes the landscapes, the people, his own feelings and the adventure with beautiful and imaginative prose that puts the reader there….walking along beside the horse and man partnership.
Thank you #netgalley for allowing me to,read and review #InGreen. I highly recommend this memoir for those of us who love true tales of long-riders.
April 10, 2025
Where the journey is the destination
—
I believe that in youth we are allowed to make mistakes, for how else are we to learn? The author’s steady account of his 2000 mile trek through Italy and to Cape Finisterre, the last point of Europe before the Atlantic takes over, feels like something he had to do but also something into which he fell. Hall is, at his own admission, not the best of planners and his trip begins with capricious dealings with horse owners until he finds the perfect horse; days and nights of trekking with only his horse Sasha, going off path, depending on the kindness of strangers; finding himself wholly unprepared for the journey. After all, who amongst us would be? And then his part stranger, part companion on the road joins him, and now he is not alone, not alone at all.
I never got immersed in Hall’s journey and his motivations to attempt it. There is a sense of entitlement to his tackling something so momentous, so hubristic, and yes, Quixotic that only a white man of a certain age and background might even consider it. I felt a distance between me and the young man who took on the journey that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief, even when good things happened to him; the whole journey, after all, was a choice that he made, and a choice that few of us could even consider, for the world is still not made hospitable to anyone and everyone to take on such an adventure. I can appreciate that this was a feat for anyone, not least for an inexperienced Scot with some sort of quarter-life crisis, but I wasn’t moved by it.
Three stars: well written but not for me.
—
I believe that in youth we are allowed to make mistakes, for how else are we to learn? The author’s steady account of his 2000 mile trek through Italy and to Cape Finisterre, the last point of Europe before the Atlantic takes over, feels like something he had to do but also something into which he fell. Hall is, at his own admission, not the best of planners and his trip begins with capricious dealings with horse owners until he finds the perfect horse; days and nights of trekking with only his horse Sasha, going off path, depending on the kindness of strangers; finding himself wholly unprepared for the journey. After all, who amongst us would be? And then his part stranger, part companion on the road joins him, and now he is not alone, not alone at all.
I never got immersed in Hall’s journey and his motivations to attempt it. There is a sense of entitlement to his tackling something so momentous, so hubristic, and yes, Quixotic that only a white man of a certain age and background might even consider it. I felt a distance between me and the young man who took on the journey that I couldn’t suspend my disbelief, even when good things happened to him; the whole journey, after all, was a choice that he made, and a choice that few of us could even consider, for the world is still not made hospitable to anyone and everyone to take on such an adventure. I can appreciate that this was a feat for anyone, not least for an inexperienced Scot with some sort of quarter-life crisis, but I wasn’t moved by it.
Three stars: well written but not for me.
September 9, 2026
I’ve just finished In Green, or more accurately, finished listening to it, and wanted to write while it was all still so vividly with me.
I thought it was incredible. Genuinely gripping. The writing about the experience and the landscape was poetic. Louis writes beautifully and creatively, with such a vivid sense of place, but it never feels overdone or self-conscious. I felt as though I was right there with you on the journey.
What I had not expected was the emotional thread involving Kiki. It added an entirely different dimension to the story and had me completely hooked. When I reached the part where you had lunch under the tree in the long grass, I literally shouted out loud in the car. On my own.
More broadly, it was the human connections you made along the way that brought so much colour and depth to the story. I also thought the relationship with his sister was incredibly sweet. The bond between you comes through so clearly, and those moments added such warmth and tenderness.
It is a beautiful story: adventurous, intimate, vulnerable and wonderfully human. I absolutely loved it.
I thought it was incredible. Genuinely gripping. The writing about the experience and the landscape was poetic. Louis writes beautifully and creatively, with such a vivid sense of place, but it never feels overdone or self-conscious. I felt as though I was right there with you on the journey.
What I had not expected was the emotional thread involving Kiki. It added an entirely different dimension to the story and had me completely hooked. When I reached the part where you had lunch under the tree in the long grass, I literally shouted out loud in the car. On my own.
More broadly, it was the human connections you made along the way that brought so much colour and depth to the story. I also thought the relationship with his sister was incredibly sweet. The bond between you comes through so clearly, and those moments added such warmth and tenderness.
It is a beautiful story: adventurous, intimate, vulnerable and wonderfully human. I absolutely loved it.
July 6, 2025
In Green is an excellent book. Such a joy to read a true tale of slightly reckless adventure by the young man who undertook it. A real antidote to the dreaded admonition of “stay safe” so prevalent in this day and age.
A tale woven on several layers from the deeply personal soul searching and anguish to the very real fear of failure to complete the journey thus causing hurt to others. Not to mention the vivid descriptors of the terrain and search for food and shelter each and every night.
Two beacons stood out for me.
Firstly the kindness of strangers in that search.
Secondly the author’s clear fascination and respect for horses. His anecdotes concerning specific breeds is illuminating. And his admiration of the animal that moved from food stock to revolutionary is well-informed and fascinating.
Clearly Louis D Hall is a talented writer and I much look forward to his next book concerning the Celestial Horse.
A recommended read
A tale woven on several layers from the deeply personal soul searching and anguish to the very real fear of failure to complete the journey thus causing hurt to others. Not to mention the vivid descriptors of the terrain and search for food and shelter each and every night.
Two beacons stood out for me.
Firstly the kindness of strangers in that search.
Secondly the author’s clear fascination and respect for horses. His anecdotes concerning specific breeds is illuminating. And his admiration of the animal that moved from food stock to revolutionary is well-informed and fascinating.
Clearly Louis D Hall is a talented writer and I much look forward to his next book concerning the Celestial Horse.
A recommended read
October 29, 2025
An adventure from another age! This book has all the magic of a Patrick Leigh Fermor whilst being wildly funny at the same time. An eternal ode to old Europe, to the the soul of horses and adventure - and of course to love.
In Green shows what is possible in life if we push ourselves, dream bigger than we dare and what happens when we - act and do. There are always new pastures to explore , strangers to meet - and liquors and beverages to drink.
An incredible read. I could not put it down and I will likely read it again this winter when it is cold and grey and one dreams of summer adventures.
For anyone interested in language, culture, horses or adventure- I cannot recommend it enough! An absolute classic.
In Green shows what is possible in life if we push ourselves, dream bigger than we dare and what happens when we - act and do. There are always new pastures to explore , strangers to meet - and liquors and beverages to drink.
An incredible read. I could not put it down and I will likely read it again this winter when it is cold and grey and one dreams of summer adventures.
For anyone interested in language, culture, horses or adventure- I cannot recommend it enough! An absolute classic.
tbr_life-stories
April 21, 2026From Daunt Books website:
In his mid-twenties, city-bound and restless, Louis D. Hall found himself uncertain.
How to create a life he wanted to lead?
Inspired by Don Quixote, he decided to fulfil a childhood dream – to make an uncharted journey on horseback.
After finding his horse, Sasha, in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, Louis set off and headed west.
His destination: Cape Finisterre, ‘the end of the land’.
For three weeks Louis and Sasha survived storms, snow, wolves and the untrodden partisan paths of the Ligurian Alps.
In his mid-twenties, city-bound and restless, Louis D. Hall found himself uncertain.
How to create a life he wanted to lead?
Inspired by Don Quixote, he decided to fulfil a childhood dream – to make an uncharted journey on horseback.
After finding his horse, Sasha, in Italy’s Apennine Mountains, Louis set off and headed west.
His destination: Cape Finisterre, ‘the end of the land’.
For three weeks Louis and Sasha survived storms, snow, wolves and the untrodden partisan paths of the Ligurian Alps.
April 17, 2025
What an adventure! This is a tender, beautifully written ode to the transformative power of journeying, both across landscapes and into the self. You are invited into a reflective expedition through Europe, not just by the hooves of two horses, but by the fragility of human uncertainty. I felt I was there every step of the way. A beautiful, immersive book that has made me want to embrace life with a bit more courage!
February 17, 2025
This is normally a favourite type of book for me. Part memoir, part nature, part reflective. I found I couldn’t connect with the character/author and his journey. It felt a little stilted. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.
April 5, 2025
I couldn’t put this book down. Hall’s journey is raw, honest, and deeply human. A young man wrestling with purpose, pain, and connection. His bond with his horse, the brutal landscapes, and the emotional twists with a fellow traveler kept me hooked. Thoughtful, gripping, and unexpectedly moving.
January 21, 2026
This is a beautiful tale of a young man's brave adventure into the unknown. To read it is to immerse yourself in the journey and to witness love as a kind of bravery. Molly Beardall's other-worldly illustrations catapult the book into a classic!
January 23, 2026
This is an excellent debut. Enjoyable, adventurous and thought provoking.
Written with a style that channels generations of classic travel writing, a romantic journey that contrasts wonderfully with the idiosyncrasies of contemporary society. Bravo
Written with a style that channels generations of classic travel writing, a romantic journey that contrasts wonderfully with the idiosyncrasies of contemporary society. Bravo
April 2, 2025
This was fine but I found the author so pretentious I’m sorry - people can do things for whatever reason they want and just cos you’ve walked farther doesn’t make you more legitimate.
October 28, 2025
A fantastic read. Reminded me of Eric Newby. Hall's description of place is brilliant. Enthralling and romantic! Well worth reading!
August 8, 2026
i don’t think this is a book for everyone but to me it really scratched an itch i didn’t know i had
August 19, 2026
Gorgeous
June 7, 2026
I would love to give this book more than three stars, because some moments genuinely touched me and will stay with me. there was a lot of beauty in this book, but i think it was occasionally constrained by the speed with which the author went through it.
the important moments were given their due weight, and i appreciated the lack of a cohesive emotional narrative, because it is ofc a real person and so not linear.
travel writing as a concept may just be a hard concept for me to get behind tbh, it just always feels a tad self serving
the important moments were given their due weight, and i appreciated the lack of a cohesive emotional narrative, because it is ofc a real person and so not linear.
travel writing as a concept may just be a hard concept for me to get behind tbh, it just always feels a tad self serving
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews