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The Horse and I
Not yet published
Expected 17 Nov 26From the award-winning film director and New York Times bestselling author of If Cats Disappeared from the World, a dark, introspective novel about a woman and a horse.
A horse stood on the highway.
Yuko Setoguchi, a lonely clerk at a shipyard whose life has passed her by, is making her regular commute when she has a fateful encounter with a former racehorse, Strada, who seems to have escaped from his trailer just to cross her path. Yuko feels strangely compelled by Strada, following him to the outskirts of town, riding him at the struggling Mugikura Riding Club, and forging an instant and special connection. In a world overflowing with words, Yuko feels a love that is more powerful in its silence.
But in order to be with Strada, she will need more than just love; she needs money, too. And she knows just where to find it.
With dreams of restoring the horse to his former glory, Yuko turns to the shipyard union's coffers, falsifying the books and embezzling what she considers a temporary loan, but which rapidly exceeds a hundred million yen. And when a coworker discovers her secret, the pressure is on for Yuko to make a decision: turn herself in, or commit to making Strada a champion, regardless of the cost.
A horse stood on the highway.
Yuko Setoguchi, a lonely clerk at a shipyard whose life has passed her by, is making her regular commute when she has a fateful encounter with a former racehorse, Strada, who seems to have escaped from his trailer just to cross her path. Yuko feels strangely compelled by Strada, following him to the outskirts of town, riding him at the struggling Mugikura Riding Club, and forging an instant and special connection. In a world overflowing with words, Yuko feels a love that is more powerful in its silence.
But in order to be with Strada, she will need more than just love; she needs money, too. And she knows just where to find it.
With dreams of restoring the horse to his former glory, Yuko turns to the shipyard union's coffers, falsifying the books and embezzling what she considers a temporary loan, but which rapidly exceeds a hundred million yen. And when a coworker discovers her secret, the pressure is on for Yuko to make a decision: turn herself in, or commit to making Strada a champion, regardless of the cost.
- GenresFiction
176 pages, Hardcover
First published September 19, 2024
About the author
Genki Kawamura
25 books867 followersAssociated Names:
* Genki Kawamura (English)
* 川村元気 (Japanese)
* คาวามูระ เก็งกิ (Thai)
Genki Kawamura (川村元気) is a Japanese film producer, writer, screenwriter.
中文 >> 川村元氣.
Genki Kawamura is an internationally bestselling author. If Cats Disappeared from the World was his first novel and has sold over two million copies in Japan and has been translated into over fourteen different languages. His other novels are Million Dollar Man and April Come She Will. He has also written children's picture books including Tinny & The Balloon, MOOM, and Patissier Monster. Kawamura occasionally produces, directs, and writes movies, and is a showrunner. He was a producer of the blockbuster anime film Your Name, which is currently being developed into an live-action film by J. J. Abrams.
* Genki Kawamura (English)
* 川村元気 (Japanese)
* คาวามูระ เก็งกิ (Thai)
Genki Kawamura (川村元気) is a Japanese film producer, writer, screenwriter.
中文 >> 川村元氣.
Genki Kawamura is an internationally bestselling author. If Cats Disappeared from the World was his first novel and has sold over two million copies in Japan and has been translated into over fourteen different languages. His other novels are Million Dollar Man and April Come She Will. He has also written children's picture books including Tinny & The Balloon, MOOM, and Patissier Monster. Kawamura occasionally produces, directs, and writes movies, and is a showrunner. He was a producer of the blockbuster anime film Your Name, which is currently being developed into an live-action film by J. J. Abrams.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
Thank you to Edelweiss and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was so much to think about - in a good way. The Horse and I is short enough that describing much of it would probably spoil the experience, but I really appreciated the unreliable yet compelling narrator that Kawamura has crafted.
She's an incredibly lonely individual who struggles to connect to others after an incident in her once-happy childhood; despite the story being from her perspective, Yuko doesn't speak a word until near the end of the book. Her life primarily consists of working as a clerk in a shipyard, doing the finances for the shipyard's union, and doomscrolling on her phone. This changes after a chance encounter with Strada, a former racehorse who escapes on the way to his new home at a rundown riding club. He quickly becomes the center of her life, with Yuko even embezzling funds from her union to quickly buy Strada and block another rider at the club from purchasing him first.
But it isn't enough for the two to just ride together: Yuko wants to make Strada a champion - if not in racing, then as a competitive jumper - and costs to keep Strada are adding up. Yuko has to decide what she's willing to do to keep Strada and her together.
Without saying too much, this is a story about the human-animal connection and the way humans can project onto animals. How much do we know about animal feelings? What does it mean to have a silent connection with another being?
I don't think Kawamura gives readers answers to these questions, but he does give us a lot to think about and question, and especially about Yuko's perspective. A slim but thought-provoking story.
This was so much to think about - in a good way. The Horse and I is short enough that describing much of it would probably spoil the experience, but I really appreciated the unreliable yet compelling narrator that Kawamura has crafted.
She's an incredibly lonely individual who struggles to connect to others after an incident in her once-happy childhood; despite the story being from her perspective, Yuko doesn't speak a word until near the end of the book. Her life primarily consists of working as a clerk in a shipyard, doing the finances for the shipyard's union, and doomscrolling on her phone. This changes after a chance encounter with Strada, a former racehorse who escapes on the way to his new home at a rundown riding club. He quickly becomes the center of her life, with Yuko even embezzling funds from her union to quickly buy Strada and block another rider at the club from purchasing him first.
But it isn't enough for the two to just ride together: Yuko wants to make Strada a champion - if not in racing, then as a competitive jumper - and costs to keep Strada are adding up. Yuko has to decide what she's willing to do to keep Strada and her together.
Without saying too much, this is a story about the human-animal connection and the way humans can project onto animals. How much do we know about animal feelings? What does it mean to have a silent connection with another being?
I don't think Kawamura gives readers answers to these questions, but he does give us a lot to think about and question, and especially about Yuko's perspective. A slim but thought-provoking story.
September 16, 2026
THE HORSE AND I follows an unfulfilled woman who meets a horse on a highway and is suddenly compelled to embezzle money in order to provide for him, It's a very brief read, and I found it compelling in parts, although I think a narrower focus could have greatly benefited the story; several scenes in here felt extraneous, which given the size of the book is surprising. I'm not sure if this was a translation issue, but a lot of the prose felt scarce and flat; I didn't note any especially beautiful lines
I did like the comment that this book made on the collision of mundane life with the extraordinary thrill and beauty of horses. I'm a horse girl trapped in suburbia, so I really related to that part-- I think it's a good angle to take with this specific narrative. Especially poignant is the amount of money it costs to own an animal which was once part of our everyday lives. I would have liked it if the book sank more into this.
But speaking of the horse angle, that didn't fully come together for me either. Strada supposedly won at the national level as a racehorse, yet he was not retired & put to stud? That's very unusual. It's not unheard of for a Thoroughbred with a poor pedigree to get results and still be shunted off into a secondary career instead of being bred, but I find it surprising. This book didn't really show me any new side of horsemanship or the equine industry (aside from a tired comment on owners anthropomorphizing their horses), which is what I"m always looking for in a horse book, but it also failed as literary fiction: Yuko wasn't that interesting, the story was predictable, and the language was stilted.
Overall a disappointing read.
I did like the comment that this book made on the collision of mundane life with the extraordinary thrill and beauty of horses. I'm a horse girl trapped in suburbia, so I really related to that part-- I think it's a good angle to take with this specific narrative. Especially poignant is the amount of money it costs to own an animal which was once part of our everyday lives. I would have liked it if the book sank more into this.
But speaking of the horse angle, that didn't fully come together for me either. Strada supposedly won at the national level as a racehorse, yet he was not retired & put to stud? That's very unusual. It's not unheard of for a Thoroughbred with a poor pedigree to get results and still be shunted off into a secondary career instead of being bred, but I find it surprising. This book didn't really show me any new side of horsemanship or the equine industry (aside from a tired comment on owners anthropomorphizing their horses), which is what I"m always looking for in a horse book, but it also failed as literary fiction: Yuko wasn't that interesting, the story was predictable, and the language was stilted.
Overall a disappointing read.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
A short but poignant story about a young Japanese woman who dreams of bringing a horse back to its former glory changing the trajectory of her life as well.
Yuko is a lonely, unnoticed shipyard clerk whose life is a series of grey endless days until she meets a former race horse she first sees on the road after it escaped from its trailer. From that moment when they look at each other as if to say: “Found you,” life changes for Yuko who remembers the sign on the trailer, Migikura Riding Club, and tracks the horse, Strada, down. She becomes close to the horse and learns the maxim: “Horses reflect who we are.” What begins as an interest turns into an obsession and Yuko faces a difficult decision. Because this is such a short book, to summarize more of it might ruin the story. Suffice it to say, it’s a most thought provoking read.
Yuko is the book’s narrator and is a bit unreliable. She’s silent until the very end believing silence is the best way to express herself. But when she does speak, the result is not what she expects. The ironies abound in this slow burn psychological story. It’s probing glimpse into what freedom means for those trapped by social norms or by bodily limitations is thought provoking. And the maxim of horses reflect who you are is turned up on its head at the end.
This is a book for readers who enjoy pithy examinations of life’s complexities.
My thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books (and the translator) for granting me access to this very interesting ARC.
Yuko is a lonely, unnoticed shipyard clerk whose life is a series of grey endless days until she meets a former race horse she first sees on the road after it escaped from its trailer. From that moment when they look at each other as if to say: “Found you,” life changes for Yuko who remembers the sign on the trailer, Migikura Riding Club, and tracks the horse, Strada, down. She becomes close to the horse and learns the maxim: “Horses reflect who we are.” What begins as an interest turns into an obsession and Yuko faces a difficult decision. Because this is such a short book, to summarize more of it might ruin the story. Suffice it to say, it’s a most thought provoking read.
Yuko is the book’s narrator and is a bit unreliable. She’s silent until the very end believing silence is the best way to express herself. But when she does speak, the result is not what she expects. The ironies abound in this slow burn psychological story. It’s probing glimpse into what freedom means for those trapped by social norms or by bodily limitations is thought provoking. And the maxim of horses reflect who you are is turned up on its head at the end.
This is a book for readers who enjoy pithy examinations of life’s complexities.
My thanks to NetGalley and Flatiron Books (and the translator) for granting me access to this very interesting ARC.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio, for the advance copy of this audiobook.
The Horse and I was not a bad story, but I had a hard time connecting with Yuko because she felt deeply delusional for much of the book. Her encounter with the former racehorse Strada sends her down a path that becomes increasingly extreme, including using shipyard union funds in an attempt to restore the horse’s former glory. I understood that the story was meant to be dark, introspective, and somewhat surreal, but Yuko’s choices often made it difficult for me to fully sympathize with her. At times, I found myself more frustrated by her reasoning than invested in what would happen next. Still, the novel’s premise was unique, and I appreciated its exploration of loneliness, obsession, and the connection that can form between a person and an animal. This was a quick, unusual read that may work especially well for readers who enjoy character-driven stories about flawed people making questionable decisions. While it was not entirely for me, I am glad I gave it a chance.
The Horse and I was not a bad story, but I had a hard time connecting with Yuko because she felt deeply delusional for much of the book. Her encounter with the former racehorse Strada sends her down a path that becomes increasingly extreme, including using shipyard union funds in an attempt to restore the horse’s former glory. I understood that the story was meant to be dark, introspective, and somewhat surreal, but Yuko’s choices often made it difficult for me to fully sympathize with her. At times, I found myself more frustrated by her reasoning than invested in what would happen next. Still, the novel’s premise was unique, and I appreciated its exploration of loneliness, obsession, and the connection that can form between a person and an animal. This was a quick, unusual read that may work especially well for readers who enjoy character-driven stories about flawed people making questionable decisions. While it was not entirely for me, I am glad I gave it a chance.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thanks to NetGalley, Flatiron Books and Macmillan Audio for providing me with advanced copies.
This was intense. That ending was crazy, it will haunt me for a long time. I definitely did not see that coming though in retrospect I should have. This to me, is a story about obsession, how far will you go to make a mark in this world. Despite being a short book, it was really deep. I liked how her character development was shown, despite being irrational when you think about it, Yuko's character is relatable in some sense. What is it that you want so bad and will you do everything you can for it, I liked that concept. Things really came together for me at the end but I don't want to give spoilers so you'll have to read it for yourself. I would definitely recommend this to everyone who likes their fiction with some darkness and character studies.
The audiobook was narrated brilliantly. The narration ensured that I was always on top of the story and didn't miss anything. Would definitely recommend.
This was intense. That ending was crazy, it will haunt me for a long time. I definitely did not see that coming though in retrospect I should have. This to me, is a story about obsession, how far will you go to make a mark in this world. Despite being a short book, it was really deep. I liked how her character development was shown, despite being irrational when you think about it, Yuko's character is relatable in some sense. What is it that you want so bad and will you do everything you can for it, I liked that concept. Things really came together for me at the end but I don't want to give spoilers so you'll have to read it for yourself. I would definitely recommend this to everyone who likes their fiction with some darkness and character studies.
The audiobook was narrated brilliantly. The narration ensured that I was always on top of the story and didn't miss anything. Would definitely recommend.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I really enjoyed the writing in Horse and I and finished this novel quickly. I was surprised by how little dialogue Yuko has. At times, I honestly thought she was mute! Yet her character development was so well done, and I was impressed by how much we learn about her through her inner thoughts and the small details of her outward world. The writing challenged me as a reader to make inferences and piece together who she was and what shaped her.
The story kept me engaged throughout, and I loved how the novel explored human behavior, particularly the ways we seek connection with animals. Yuko’s bond with Strada is unsettling, and the lengths she goes to for that connection raises interesting questions about love and obsession.
The ending left me speechless and wanting to know what happens next.
The story kept me engaged throughout, and I loved how the novel explored human behavior, particularly the ways we seek connection with animals. Yuko’s bond with Strada is unsettling, and the lengths she goes to for that connection raises interesting questions about love and obsession.
The ending left me speechless and wanting to know what happens next.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and MacMillian Audio for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 rounded up
I thought the translation was really good and I liked the audio Narrator. On the surface this is a story about a girl and a horse, which I already love. I thought Yuko and Strada's relationship was an interesting way to explore loneliness and societal oppression/expectations. I really liked Yuko because it's not immediately clear if she's unreliable or not, and I found her hardly speaking a really interesting device in the story. Overall a quick read but really thought provoking.
3.5 rounded up
I thought the translation was really good and I liked the audio Narrator. On the surface this is a story about a girl and a horse, which I already love. I thought Yuko and Strada's relationship was an interesting way to explore loneliness and societal oppression/expectations. I really liked Yuko because it's not immediately clear if she's unreliable or not, and I found her hardly speaking a really interesting device in the story. Overall a quick read but really thought provoking.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you NetGalley for the free ARC!
My unbiased review: horse girl’s origin story.
A chance encounter between a horse and a woman. The similarities between the two are quite synchronous, or maybe that’s just what she wants to believe. How far will she go? Further than me, but hay (pun intended), a girl has to do what a girl has to do.
BUT honestly I really enjoyed it. It was weird but really well done. I find her silence deafening really. But also is it just a take on dissatisfaction of life and being pushed to the side and walked on?
My unbiased review: horse girl’s origin story.
A chance encounter between a horse and a woman. The similarities between the two are quite synchronous, or maybe that’s just what she wants to believe. How far will she go? Further than me, but hay (pun intended), a girl has to do what a girl has to do.
BUT honestly I really enjoyed it. It was weird but really well done. I find her silence deafening really. But also is it just a take on dissatisfaction of life and being pushed to the side and walked on?
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Yuko works as a clerk at a shipyard. Her life has become stale until she meets a horse that seems to look at her to the depths of her soul. And she will stop at nothing to possess it.
4 stars
Many thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
4 stars
Many thanks to Net Galley and Macmillan Audio for an audio ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews