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Flicka #2
Thunderhead
ISBN 0 416 86590 9 alternate cover
'Ken's face was deathly white. His body ached as if it had been beaten. His fingers in Thunderhead's mane clung merely because they were stiffly locked. He had lost all hope of ever getting control of her horse ... the hills were sweeping past - the herd was thundering behind him. Where was Howard? Where was the key-hole, and safety, and Flicka?
The McLaughlin family and the horses of Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming, made famous in My Friend Flicka, are again the leading figures in Thunderhead.
How Flicka's self-willed, fiery colt, Thunderhead, reacts to Ken's training, how he adventures into a far distant valley to encounter his fabulous gransire, the Albino, and how finally he follows the call of the wild, makes a gripping story.
'Ken's face was deathly white. His body ached as if it had been beaten. His fingers in Thunderhead's mane clung merely because they were stiffly locked. He had lost all hope of ever getting control of her horse ... the hills were sweeping past - the herd was thundering behind him. Where was Howard? Where was the key-hole, and safety, and Flicka?
The McLaughlin family and the horses of Goose Bar Ranch in Wyoming, made famous in My Friend Flicka, are again the leading figures in Thunderhead.
How Flicka's self-willed, fiery colt, Thunderhead, reacts to Ken's training, how he adventures into a far distant valley to encounter his fabulous gransire, the Albino, and how finally he follows the call of the wild, makes a gripping story.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1943
30 people are currently reading
1636 people want to read
About the author
Mary O'Hara
131 books120 followersMary O’Hara Alsop, an American author, screenwriter, and composer, was born July 10, 1885, in Cape May, N.J., to Reese Fell Alsop and Mary Lee (Spring). She grew up in Brooklyn Heights, N.Y., where her father was an Episcopal clergyman.
In 1905, Ms. O'hara married Kent Kane Parrot, whom she later divorced. Her second marriage to Helge Sture-Vasa from Sweden in 1922 also ended in divorce in 1947. Ms. O’Hara had two children from her first marriage, Mary O’Hara who died of skin cancer during her teens, and Kent Kane, Jr.
Ms. O’Hara moved to California after her first marriage where she became a screenwriter during the silent film era through the advent of talking movies.
In 1930, during her second marriage, Ms O’Hara moved to a ranch in Wyoming where she wrote her three novels, the classic “My Friend Flicka,” and the sequels “Thunderhead” and “Green Grass of Wyoming,” about the McLaughlin family and the younger son and his horse, Flicka.
In addition to writing, Ms O’Hara was a successful composer and published numerous songs for the piano. She also wrote a musical play called "The Catch Colt" which she later turned into a novel, first published in 1979 in Great Britain. The rights to performing this as a play or a musical can still be obtained through Dramatists Play Services, New York.
While she claimed her first love was musical composition, she continued writing fiction and nonfiction.
A year after her divorce from her second husband in 1947, Ms O’Hara returned to the east coast where she lived in Connecticut until 1968. She died Oct. 14, 1980, in Chevy Chase, Md. Her literary works are maintained by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
(sources: Current Biography, 1944; Contemporary Authors, 1981)
In 1905, Ms. O'hara married Kent Kane Parrot, whom she later divorced. Her second marriage to Helge Sture-Vasa from Sweden in 1922 also ended in divorce in 1947. Ms. O’Hara had two children from her first marriage, Mary O’Hara who died of skin cancer during her teens, and Kent Kane, Jr.
Ms. O’Hara moved to California after her first marriage where she became a screenwriter during the silent film era through the advent of talking movies.
In 1930, during her second marriage, Ms O’Hara moved to a ranch in Wyoming where she wrote her three novels, the classic “My Friend Flicka,” and the sequels “Thunderhead” and “Green Grass of Wyoming,” about the McLaughlin family and the younger son and his horse, Flicka.
In addition to writing, Ms O’Hara was a successful composer and published numerous songs for the piano. She also wrote a musical play called "The Catch Colt" which she later turned into a novel, first published in 1979 in Great Britain. The rights to performing this as a play or a musical can still be obtained through Dramatists Play Services, New York.
While she claimed her first love was musical composition, she continued writing fiction and nonfiction.
A year after her divorce from her second husband in 1947, Ms O’Hara returned to the east coast where she lived in Connecticut until 1968. She died Oct. 14, 1980, in Chevy Chase, Md. Her literary works are maintained by Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
(sources: Current Biography, 1944; Contemporary Authors, 1981)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 93 reviews
June 19, 2024
This is a really bizarre book, a bit schizophrenic at times. That's only appropriate since the main character, the first foal from Flicka (from My Friend Flicka) goes through a phase where he is known as Goblin and then matures into Thunderhead. Thunderhead/Goblin is arguably the most interesting character in the My Friend Flicka trilogy but his surroundings can be appalling at times.
This series is one of those books which were considered perfectly innocent books for children's libraries when I was young. Now I wonder if in a few years these will be moved into the adult library or just banned altogether for the violence. I think the violence is mild but you know there's going to be those hyper-sensitive parents that equate their precious children having a (GASP) nightmare equates with the Holocaust.
As I get older, I am getting increasingly uncomfortable with how violently the horses are treated -- which was not considered violent at the time, I know. So maybe we all become wusses as we age. But I feel for my fictional equine friends who I've grown up with. Do they get beaten worse the more times I read the books? It's thoughts like these that keep me awake all damn night.
So now I consider this a historical novel of a supremely weird time in the West where men were men, women were women and horses were incestuous fire-breathing dragons.
One other point -- there are no such things as albino horses. There are horses who appear white, but they are not albinos. Albino foals do not survive long after foaling since they are always born with an incomplete digestive system. Horse color genetics were not known at all back when this was published. Or horse training. Or the effects of inbreeding.
The book is (predictably) different from the 1945 movie of the same name starring Roddy McDowell. In some ways I liked the movie better than the book since a lot of the violent scenes were removed -- although Banner dies in the movie. The movie and the book are like two different but tasty flavors of ice cream. Unless you're Banner. Then the movie sucks.
This series is one of those books which were considered perfectly innocent books for children's libraries when I was young. Now I wonder if in a few years these will be moved into the adult library or just banned altogether for the violence. I think the violence is mild but you know there's going to be those hyper-sensitive parents that equate their precious children having a (GASP) nightmare equates with the Holocaust.
As I get older, I am getting increasingly uncomfortable with how violently the horses are treated -- which was not considered violent at the time, I know. So maybe we all become wusses as we age. But I feel for my fictional equine friends who I've grown up with. Do they get beaten worse the more times I read the books? It's thoughts like these that keep me awake all damn night.
So now I consider this a historical novel of a supremely weird time in the West where men were men, women were women and horses were incestuous fire-breathing dragons.
One other point -- there are no such things as albino horses. There are horses who appear white, but they are not albinos. Albino foals do not survive long after foaling since they are always born with an incomplete digestive system. Horse color genetics were not known at all back when this was published. Or horse training. Or the effects of inbreeding.
The book is (predictably) different from the 1945 movie of the same name starring Roddy McDowell. In some ways I liked the movie better than the book since a lot of the violent scenes were removed -- although Banner dies in the movie. The movie and the book are like two different but tasty flavors of ice cream. Unless you're Banner. Then the movie sucks.
April 16, 2023
Quotes to remember:
"I've got it all figured out about cats and dogs. Dogs are like lovable children. But cats are entirely adult."
"Ken, you can't always win. Much more of life is failure than success."
"Growing pains were beginning already. No such seed as fortitude can be planted in a young heart without pain."
"Faith."
"You know what that is. That's believing when you can't understand. You believe in God; you know He's there and He made us, and He is wise. And in the end will bring everything out right if we don't spoil things."
"An old woman was standing beside the car, her thin gray hair, which had pulled loose from the little knob at the back, whipped by the wind. It was a face often seen on marginal farms and ranches deep in the country. A face of character and refinement -- the beak of a nose just a blade-like bone covered with skin, the long hanging jaw, the small shiny false teeth, the walnut-colored skin quilted with deep line, and in the sunken colorless eyes, the look of endurance that had begun ages ago -- and would never end."
"Well, I've decided that life is a gymnasium. It you take it that way -- a training school, not just a vacation or a pleasure trip, then you're not too upset when you find yourself up against things you can't handle -- you just know it's the apparatus -- you're making muscle -- spiritual muscle --."
"Now and then people ought to overhaul themselves the way you would an engine. Overhaul your habits. Take inventory. See if you've got any traits on your shelves that are no use to you! Stock up with different goods."
"I've got it all figured out about cats and dogs. Dogs are like lovable children. But cats are entirely adult."
"Ken, you can't always win. Much more of life is failure than success."
"Growing pains were beginning already. No such seed as fortitude can be planted in a young heart without pain."
"Faith."
"You know what that is. That's believing when you can't understand. You believe in God; you know He's there and He made us, and He is wise. And in the end will bring everything out right if we don't spoil things."
"An old woman was standing beside the car, her thin gray hair, which had pulled loose from the little knob at the back, whipped by the wind. It was a face often seen on marginal farms and ranches deep in the country. A face of character and refinement -- the beak of a nose just a blade-like bone covered with skin, the long hanging jaw, the small shiny false teeth, the walnut-colored skin quilted with deep line, and in the sunken colorless eyes, the look of endurance that had begun ages ago -- and would never end."
"Well, I've decided that life is a gymnasium. It you take it that way -- a training school, not just a vacation or a pleasure trip, then you're not too upset when you find yourself up against things you can't handle -- you just know it's the apparatus -- you're making muscle -- spiritual muscle --."
"Now and then people ought to overhaul themselves the way you would an engine. Overhaul your habits. Take inventory. See if you've got any traits on your shelves that are no use to you! Stock up with different goods."
September 18, 2015
This is the best of O'Hara's trilogy. Everybody secretly wants a horse like Thunderhead -- even people who have horses and should know better. Goblin / Thunderhead is a fierce personality wrapped up in a horse's body. As he comes into his own, he wavers on the edge between triumph and infamy, and this novel explores the tragedy that is always twinned with greatness.
Be forewarned, this book is brutal in places -- but so is real life when the sanitation of what we call civilization is stripped away. I appreciated the author's balance in those instances; O'Hara handles those moments with realism but no sadistic descriptions of gore or deliberate use of the shock factor. The novel is a violent play on emotions from the heights of fierce triumph to desperate unhappiness and heartbreak; it ends well, but leaves a lingering, wistful thought of what could have been but will never be. Unforgettable.
Be forewarned, this book is brutal in places -- but so is real life when the sanitation of what we call civilization is stripped away. I appreciated the author's balance in those instances; O'Hara handles those moments with realism but no sadistic descriptions of gore or deliberate use of the shock factor. The novel is a violent play on emotions from the heights of fierce triumph to desperate unhappiness and heartbreak; it ends well, but leaves a lingering, wistful thought of what could have been but will never be. Unforgettable.
January 4, 2020
An enjoyable and readable adventure that deals more with the interpersonal relationships on the farm than one would have expected from a YA book about horses. The book was initially aimed at an adult market and this can be seen in the sometimes overwrought descriptions of the emotions experienced by parents Nell and Rob.
Some descriptions of the landscape, although evocative, are a bit drawn out and halt the pace of the story, which is already thinly spread over almost 400 pages. The cruelty of nature fits the setting but is nevertheless upsetting and the relish O'Hara ostensibly feels in describing horse brains being eked out onto the ground, for example, is a bit disturbing.
But the love between boy and horses Thunderhead, Flicka and Touch And Go is brought vividly to life as well as Ken's struggle to become a man and "to take it".
Some descriptions of the landscape, although evocative, are a bit drawn out and halt the pace of the story, which is already thinly spread over almost 400 pages. The cruelty of nature fits the setting but is nevertheless upsetting and the relish O'Hara ostensibly feels in describing horse brains being eked out onto the ground, for example, is a bit disturbing.
But the love between boy and horses Thunderhead, Flicka and Touch And Go is brought vividly to life as well as Ken's struggle to become a man and "to take it".
November 20, 2011
My favourite childhood book. I read the trilogy it belongs to dozens of times. Actually, although I was horse mad, the angst and effort of the boy Ken is as engaging as that of the eponymous equine hero. The three books - My Friend Flicka is the first, this the second and The Green Grass of Wyoming is the third - totally entranced me, and left me with a lifelong wish to see Wyoming. Ot at least the Wyoming of the book. I still mentally quote from it!
February 25, 2016
I read the entire trilogy multiple times in childhood. Thunderhead was always my least favorite. As a preteen, crazy for horses, Flicka was my favorite. As a young teen, the romance in Green Grass appealed to me the most. Rereading the triology now, as an adult wife and mother, I have found Thunderhead to be my favorite of the three. As a child, I found Nell and Rob's story extremely boring and skipped over many parts. Those parts are the most enjoyable now
September 28, 2020
I’ll be honest: I didn’t expect to enjoy reading Thunderhead. It was among some old books of my Dad’s and – according to a label inside the cover – he was awarded it as a school prize, so I thought I’d read a few pages just out of curiosity and nostalgia. It hooked me, and I’m happy to admit that the whole story was a pleasant surprise.
Even as a child, I was never a girly girl and I always gave trite tales of ponies and princesses a wide berth. In case you share similar aversions, let me reassure you. Thunderhead is no cute little pony; he’s a formidable stallion, a force of nature. This is not a book for children, or for those delicate souls who like their animals fluffy and good-tempered. Mary O’Hara’s book feels honest, never sugar-coated or predictable.
The story is set on a sprawling ranch in Wyoming, home to the McLaughlin family: tough outdoorsman Rob, his wife Nell, and their two sons Howard and Ken. The life they have chosen is not an easy one, and the author never shies away from describing its harsh realities including loneliness and despair, money worries, marital strife, hard work and the brutalities of nature itself and of man’s attempts to tame it. However, it’s ultimately an exhilarating and uplifting account, set against the raw majesty of the wild, rugged countryside. In fact, the natural environment is such a commanding presence throughout the book that it’s almost a character in its own right.
Although Thunderhead was written in 1943, O’Hara’s prose feels intelligent and timeless, with many of her insights striking as astute and relevant, even today. Where the novel does shows its age, this tends to be in interesting ways that serve to highlight how much the world has changed over the past 70+ years. It’s a bit of a wake-up call that, generally speaking, women’s rights have come a long way, children have it really easy (and perhaps we’re doing them a great disservice by being so soft on them), our lives are now dominated by technology and trivia, and respect and common sense have become endangered species. Oh, and at one point Nell casually mentions that the world’s human population then stood at just two billion. Our numbers have quadrupled within living memory and, for me, that was far more scary and disturbing than any bloody fight scene.
Even as a child, I was never a girly girl and I always gave trite tales of ponies and princesses a wide berth. In case you share similar aversions, let me reassure you. Thunderhead is no cute little pony; he’s a formidable stallion, a force of nature. This is not a book for children, or for those delicate souls who like their animals fluffy and good-tempered. Mary O’Hara’s book feels honest, never sugar-coated or predictable.
The story is set on a sprawling ranch in Wyoming, home to the McLaughlin family: tough outdoorsman Rob, his wife Nell, and their two sons Howard and Ken. The life they have chosen is not an easy one, and the author never shies away from describing its harsh realities including loneliness and despair, money worries, marital strife, hard work and the brutalities of nature itself and of man’s attempts to tame it. However, it’s ultimately an exhilarating and uplifting account, set against the raw majesty of the wild, rugged countryside. In fact, the natural environment is such a commanding presence throughout the book that it’s almost a character in its own right.
Although Thunderhead was written in 1943, O’Hara’s prose feels intelligent and timeless, with many of her insights striking as astute and relevant, even today. Where the novel does shows its age, this tends to be in interesting ways that serve to highlight how much the world has changed over the past 70+ years. It’s a bit of a wake-up call that, generally speaking, women’s rights have come a long way, children have it really easy (and perhaps we’re doing them a great disservice by being so soft on them), our lives are now dominated by technology and trivia, and respect and common sense have become endangered species. Oh, and at one point Nell casually mentions that the world’s human population then stood at just two billion. Our numbers have quadrupled within living memory and, for me, that was far more scary and disturbing than any bloody fight scene.
March 4, 2020
I can't believe I hadn't yet entered this one on Goodreads, but I'll add it now as I re-read and touch up the review afterwards if needed. I didn't love this one as much as Flicka, mostly because I read it as a kid and the long gloomy marital problems upset and depressed me. I wanted more horses and less of Nell's musings. But I'm eager to return to the blazing, windswept, storm-shaken, hauntingly beautiful world of the Goose Bar Ranch and visit my lifelong friends again.
Okay, I'll leave the 4 stars because the beauty remains, although the humans in it don't hold up as well. It's less about reading it as an adult, I think, and more about reading it as someone who has moved from the 'master the beast' type of horsemanship I was taught as a child to the natural horsemanship I've since learned. Having Ken mature into manhood through spurring and whipping his recalcitrant stallion, and Thunderhead learning respect and obedience and even love through being manhandled, just doesn't work for me as it did when I bought into it unquestioningly. Plus I wanted to revisit the touching sweetness of Ken and Flicka's relationship, and it's not a part of this book at all. Occasionally we see her eagerly seeking his approval, but he never gives her a soft word in the entire book.
And Nell's submission to Rob's bullying just doesn't sit well at all.
But there are still the violent storms, the breathtaking summer skies, the myth-haunted mountains, the glory of horses who aren't subject to or judged on their usefulness to humans.
Okay, I'll leave the 4 stars because the beauty remains, although the humans in it don't hold up as well. It's less about reading it as an adult, I think, and more about reading it as someone who has moved from the 'master the beast' type of horsemanship I was taught as a child to the natural horsemanship I've since learned. Having Ken mature into manhood through spurring and whipping his recalcitrant stallion, and Thunderhead learning respect and obedience and even love through being manhandled, just doesn't work for me as it did when I bought into it unquestioningly. Plus I wanted to revisit the touching sweetness of Ken and Flicka's relationship, and it's not a part of this book at all. Occasionally we see her eagerly seeking his approval, but he never gives her a soft word in the entire book.
And Nell's submission to Rob's bullying just doesn't sit well at all.
But there are still the violent storms, the breathtaking summer skies, the myth-haunted mountains, the glory of horses who aren't subject to or judged on their usefulness to humans.
July 16, 2022
God bog, flotte beskrivelser af vildhestes liv, men knap så fængende som første bind.
March 6, 2023
Loved it. Great story about a boy, his horse, and how they both come of age.
October 18, 2023
Sooo good except for the part where they talk about horse libido ok wait that part was good too tbh 🙈
June 13, 2018
Glorious Thunderhead! (Disclaimer before I continue: if you are looking for a breezy, light read for kids… check it yourself first. Marital conflict (no cheating, no sex, no violence, just tension and arguments) and bloody fights between wild animals are described. In addition, if you are looking for an accurate portrayal of wild horses… This isn't it.) This IS, however, a wonderfully written and captivating tale centered around the teenaged Ken and his loyal mare's colt, Thunderhead/Goblin. Thunderhead is a wild creature, unable to be fully tamed, and with a purpose yet to be determined. Ken is struggling through the angst of a boy becoming a man and trying to understand the disappointments of life. Meanwhile, Nell and Rob struggle with a division deeper than they have ever known. Will this family come together when it counts, and will Thunderhead be the champion they so desperately need?
August 21, 2018
In part two of the My Friend Flicka trilogy Flicka has two babies, Rob and Nell's marriage suffers because of finances, both Ken and Howard mature and The Albino returns.
Flicka's first foal turns out to be a snow white throwback to his grandfather The Albino. He's a crazy little guy who earns the nickname "Goblin" but soon he becomes what he is destined to be, the fast and furious Thunderhead. Will he become the racehorse that helps the ranch get out of the red? Will Rob and Nell reconcile? Will I read part three next? YES.
I wonder if all 3 installments have been published under one cover. I'd buy it. There is absolutely no change in tone or flavor between the first two, I don't remember the third book very well so stay tuned!
P.S. This is NOT a children's book due to animal violence and death and descriptions of marital stress. Who the heck tagged it as children's?
Flicka's first foal turns out to be a snow white throwback to his grandfather The Albino. He's a crazy little guy who earns the nickname "Goblin" but soon he becomes what he is destined to be, the fast and furious Thunderhead. Will he become the racehorse that helps the ranch get out of the red? Will Rob and Nell reconcile? Will I read part three next? YES.
I wonder if all 3 installments have been published under one cover. I'd buy it. There is absolutely no change in tone or flavor between the first two, I don't remember the third book very well so stay tuned!
P.S. This is NOT a children's book due to animal violence and death and descriptions of marital stress. Who the heck tagged it as children's?
November 23, 2021
I believe this is the third time I've read this novel. On the one hand, I found many truisms about life that I wanted to think about. On the other hand, this time I was not as happy with the ending whereas before it seemed to be a perfect ending. It's interesting how the same story can affect the reader differently each time it's re-read, especially if it's many years between. Anyway, this story was a lot more about Nell than it was about the horse or even Ken...but as a married woman now, that's why I liked the story. I could relate to her experiences and emotions.
June 24, 2015
I didn't read this book for a while even though I had read Flicka as I didn't like the name of the book. I was young at the time though and that is what I based my decision on. When I finally decided to read it, I thought it was a very enjoyable book. I would say though, personally that as a horse lover, I did get upset at certain point and I personally would not recommend to children under 12 years old.
October 17, 2017
I am not sure what it is about this book,but it is just such a wonderful read. I loved it!
O'Hara is a wonderful writer. She brings the characters to life, she expands on life on the ranch, the joys and difficulties. With weather, the animals and family.
I loved the way Kens dad and mom instilled strength and good unselfish decision making in their sons.
The first book, My Friend Flicka is just as enjoyable.
O'Hara is a wonderful writer. She brings the characters to life, she expands on life on the ranch, the joys and difficulties. With weather, the animals and family.
I loved the way Kens dad and mom instilled strength and good unselfish decision making in their sons.
The first book, My Friend Flicka is just as enjoyable.
July 15, 2009
Another great "slice of American life" but so much more too. The relationships between father and son, husband and wife, brothers... something young readers can handle and yet very mature themes for us adults. Grand. Everything you want in a book, when you're looking for a really good book to read.
November 7, 2018
I was crazy about this series of books as a kid. I think I was crazy about anything to do with horses. This is my first time rereading this book as an adult. As a kid, I didn't know how amazing Wyoming landscapes are. Now I live here and it still amazes me every day. The author's descriptions of Wyoming are so perfect. That's what jumps out at me now, more than the horse story.
April 17, 2024
Review of April 17, 2024: Yep, Rob is still a sociopath. Great character, but I am so glad I wasn't a woman in the 1940s.
Original review of November 7, 2020: Wow, this book was intense. At one point, it turned into a study of a marriage to a sociopath masquerading as a book about horses. It was great. I don't think this trilogy is really for kids. I love it.
Original review of November 7, 2020: Wow, this book was intense. At one point, it turned into a study of a marriage to a sociopath masquerading as a book about horses. It was great. I don't think this trilogy is really for kids. I love it.
July 29, 2011
If you love animals and the outdoors, this is sure to be one of your favourites! A sequel to My Friend Flicka, this book about Flicka's son completely outshines both the previous book and the one that follows, Green Grass of Wyoming. A real tour de force!
January 11, 2014
Finished Mary O'Hara book "Thunderhead". I have read this book a number of times as a kid and still love it as an adult.
Great "horsey" story. Very quick read with glimpses of a slower paced life on a horse ranch.
Would I recommend this book to others: Yes. Would I read it again: Yes,
Great "horsey" story. Very quick read with glimpses of a slower paced life on a horse ranch.
Would I recommend this book to others: Yes. Would I read it again: Yes,
November 12, 2022
The sequel to My Friend Flicka, Ken McLaughlin is 2 years older and Flicka is pregnant with her first foal. The family believes they know what comes next - a beautiful sorrel colt out of Banner, who will have Flicka's gentle temperament and the perfect Polo confirmation. But Ken wants a race horse, he dreams of racing him on the track and bringing fortune to his family after so many years of struggle. And so Ken, as hard-headed as his father Rob, carries a secret that will soon be revealed. The result is an ugly white colt who is written off as a "Goblin," though Ken successfully petitions his mother for a better name - Thunderhead. As Thunderhead grows, rapidly, the family starts to think he'll grow into his name yet. Still, the colt has a stormy path to follow, and Ken must find a way to "take it."
A gorgeous novel that continues to bring us the combination of beauty, fierceness, and heartbreak that is a rancher's life, O'Hara has outdone herself. This book is not short, but is begs to be read in one sitting - staying up all night, on pins and needles because Ken is a sweet boy that must grow up even though we don't want to see him become hardened like his father. Surprisingly (something I'd forgotten in the years since my first read through), the book is as focused on Ken's parents, Rob and Nell, as it is on Ken and his horses. I think that's a bit of the story I probably paid more attention to this time around, and can certainly appreciate the nuances of better as an adult. Howard, Ken's older brother, continues to be a side character brought in when Ken needs sibling support (or torment).
Since Ken is away at school often, Ken's parents can keep the narrative of the horse going (though O'Hara never hesitates to just switch over to the horses' points of view, sharing with us things none of the humans could possibly know about their lives and trials out in the acres and acres of land they roam). I was enthralled by it all, including the surprise appearance of a second foal, Touch and Go, who was absolutely delightful and a nice break from the heavier stories of the other horses. Thunderhead is a fascinating horse, and this is an engrossing novel. It's also Ken's coming of age story, moreso than My Friend Flicka though he's continued his growth throughout the series. He's such a precocious boy, and his relationship with his parents and his brother continues to grow and mature as he himself does. Above all, though, his love for the horses shines through at all times, and is like sunshine in the rain.
A gorgeous novel that continues to bring us the combination of beauty, fierceness, and heartbreak that is a rancher's life, O'Hara has outdone herself. This book is not short, but is begs to be read in one sitting - staying up all night, on pins and needles because Ken is a sweet boy that must grow up even though we don't want to see him become hardened like his father. Surprisingly (something I'd forgotten in the years since my first read through), the book is as focused on Ken's parents, Rob and Nell, as it is on Ken and his horses. I think that's a bit of the story I probably paid more attention to this time around, and can certainly appreciate the nuances of better as an adult. Howard, Ken's older brother, continues to be a side character brought in when Ken needs sibling support (or torment).
Since Ken is away at school often, Ken's parents can keep the narrative of the horse going (though O'Hara never hesitates to just switch over to the horses' points of view, sharing with us things none of the humans could possibly know about their lives and trials out in the acres and acres of land they roam). I was enthralled by it all, including the surprise appearance of a second foal, Touch and Go, who was absolutely delightful and a nice break from the heavier stories of the other horses. Thunderhead is a fascinating horse, and this is an engrossing novel. It's also Ken's coming of age story, moreso than My Friend Flicka though he's continued his growth throughout the series. He's such a precocious boy, and his relationship with his parents and his brother continues to grow and mature as he himself does. Above all, though, his love for the horses shines through at all times, and is like sunshine in the rain.
February 20, 2021
Unfortunately, this copy, as it turned out, was missing a page. So I had to order another copy from eBay seller Thriftbooks. Today I (finally) finished the story.
O'Hara again has a winner. What I so appreciate about these stories is how realistic and plausible they are. Nothing comes across as contrived. The characters are well-drawn as though taken straight from life. It's obvious O'Hara was intimately familiar with Wyoming as the landscape and weather are described in a fashion no outsider could have achieved. The ending, while happy, is not what you'd expect. In fact, the whole book has so many unexpected twists that nothing is predictable. Just like in real life.
I was surprised that this time she brings up God and makes some pretty astute observations concerning suffering that coincide with my own beliefs. There's lovely symbolism in the scene involving an old hen aching for a brood she cannot hatch. Outside intervention suddenly deposits twenty-four chicks, purchased through mail order, into her world. Again and again, we can be thwarted in achieving our own desires, and then comes the day we are suddenly and overwhelmingly blessed beyond our expectations by Someone bigger than us.
And so while our characters experience many heartaches, they do eventually get their hearts' desire. And it's a beautiful thing.
Two typos:
p.138: Referring to Goblin (later known as Thunderhead) and his sister, it says, "She would reach up her little muzzle to touch her face and neck." Should be touch "his" face and neck.
p. 152: Nell says, "Oh, Rob let's us never--" Should be "let".
O'Hara again has a winner. What I so appreciate about these stories is how realistic and plausible they are. Nothing comes across as contrived. The characters are well-drawn as though taken straight from life. It's obvious O'Hara was intimately familiar with Wyoming as the landscape and weather are described in a fashion no outsider could have achieved. The ending, while happy, is not what you'd expect. In fact, the whole book has so many unexpected twists that nothing is predictable. Just like in real life.
I was surprised that this time she brings up God and makes some pretty astute observations concerning suffering that coincide with my own beliefs. There's lovely symbolism in the scene involving an old hen aching for a brood she cannot hatch. Outside intervention suddenly deposits twenty-four chicks, purchased through mail order, into her world. Again and again, we can be thwarted in achieving our own desires, and then comes the day we are suddenly and overwhelmingly blessed beyond our expectations by Someone bigger than us.
And so while our characters experience many heartaches, they do eventually get their hearts' desire. And it's a beautiful thing.
Two typos:
p.138: Referring to Goblin (later known as Thunderhead) and his sister, it says, "She would reach up her little muzzle to touch her face and neck." Should be touch "his" face and neck.
p. 152: Nell says, "Oh, Rob let's us never--" Should be "let".
April 3, 2019
There are at least three story lines intertwined in this novel. There is Thunderhead's story, who is Flicka's first foal sired by a racehorse but who is a throw back to Flicka's sire, a wild horse called the Albino. There is Ken's story, a young boy growing to young adulthood who is Flicka's owner and therefore the foal's owner. There is Nell's story, who is mother to Ken, wife to ranch owner Robert, and the only person to whom Thunderhead gives his trust.
O'Hara beautifully describes the Wyoming landscape, the inner struggles of the family members and their relationships with one another, and plausibly imagines for us those of the horse. I appreciate the "teaching moments" between both parents and their two sons and the personal growth each of the family members experiences during Thunderhead's first three years.
This would be a great family read-aloud for parents and teens, with the caveat that there are passages involving estrangement between Robert and Nell for a time, and a hint at intimacy between husband and wife.
O'Hara beautifully describes the Wyoming landscape, the inner struggles of the family members and their relationships with one another, and plausibly imagines for us those of the horse. I appreciate the "teaching moments" between both parents and their two sons and the personal growth each of the family members experiences during Thunderhead's first three years.
This would be a great family read-aloud for parents and teens, with the caveat that there are passages involving estrangement between Robert and Nell for a time, and a hint at intimacy between husband and wife.
February 15, 2021
4 stars
Ack this book was just great!!! The characters, the vivid descriptions the horses!
Here is the list:
Things I liked:
The writing was out of this world. It was so vivid and lovely! It's worth the read just for the gorgeous writing.
I loved Ken and Nell a lot. I related to them the most and they were just effortless to read about.
Landscape, I guess this is kinda included in writing but the landscape was SO amazing to read about!!!
Things I disliked:
Rob. Rob was just nasty and awful for a lot of the book, thankfully he got better but I didn't like the way he treated Nell in the beginning.
It took me a long time to read. Part of it's just me but this wasn't a quick book it took a LONG time to read.
Cursing. It wasn't anything too awful but there was the D words as well as taking God's name in vain.
Conclusion: This isn't a kids book, it definitely has some more adult themes, but I think it's a worthwhile and interesting read for old teens and adults (I'm 15 for reference)
Ack this book was just great!!! The characters, the vivid descriptions the horses!
Here is the list:
Things I liked:
The writing was out of this world. It was so vivid and lovely! It's worth the read just for the gorgeous writing.
I loved Ken and Nell a lot. I related to them the most and they were just effortless to read about.
Landscape, I guess this is kinda included in writing but the landscape was SO amazing to read about!!!
Things I disliked:
Rob. Rob was just nasty and awful for a lot of the book, thankfully he got better but I didn't like the way he treated Nell in the beginning.
It took me a long time to read. Part of it's just me but this wasn't a quick book it took a LONG time to read.
Cursing. It wasn't anything too awful but there was the D words as well as taking God's name in vain.
Conclusion: This isn't a kids book, it definitely has some more adult themes, but I think it's a worthwhile and interesting read for old teens and adults (I'm 15 for reference)
October 26, 2022
I didn’t realize until recently that there existed a sequel to “My Friend Flicka”, which is one of my favorite books. I’m happy to say “Thunderhead” did not disappoint!
“Thunderhead” is not a gentle book. There is a depth to this book that resonates with me, the characters and circumstances feel real. In part because the author does not sugar coat life, nor the harsh realities of life and death on a ranch. There are many emotions that are explored through internal dialogue within all the characters, both human and animal. Some serious conflicts to work through between the main characters, centering very much around “fortitude” as a character quality worthy of developing.
I again was very drawn to Nell, I relate to some of her mental and emotional struggles very much, especially as a woman. I appreciated her gentle words of wisdom and faith to her boys.
The beautiful descriptions of Wyoming in all its seasons were intriguing, the vastness and wildness of it well described. Made me long to sit my horse and ride for days without seeing another human being.
“Thunderhead” is not a gentle book. There is a depth to this book that resonates with me, the characters and circumstances feel real. In part because the author does not sugar coat life, nor the harsh realities of life and death on a ranch. There are many emotions that are explored through internal dialogue within all the characters, both human and animal. Some serious conflicts to work through between the main characters, centering very much around “fortitude” as a character quality worthy of developing.
I again was very drawn to Nell, I relate to some of her mental and emotional struggles very much, especially as a woman. I appreciated her gentle words of wisdom and faith to her boys.
The beautiful descriptions of Wyoming in all its seasons were intriguing, the vastness and wildness of it well described. Made me long to sit my horse and ride for days without seeing another human being.
December 31, 2023
Even though I read My Friend Flicka several times as a child, I'd never tracked down the two sequels. And this came as a complete surprise. I'd always thought of 'Flicka' as a children's story, and, while Thunderhead has the same magical qualities of a story about a boy and his horse, it deals with a lot of issues that only an adult would understand. The whole Nell and Rob storyline - the arguments and marital problems - was beautifully written, but I'm not sure how much of it I would have empathised with as a child. I always thought Rob was a bit of an idiot in many ways, and here he acts true to type, trying to be the 'man of the house' and not involving his family with his financial worries. But like a children's story, it has a nice, happy ending, with everything sorted out, even if not prefectly.
A hugely enjoyable read and one that I'm glad I didn't track down earlier in my life.
A hugely enjoyable read and one that I'm glad I didn't track down earlier in my life.
August 21, 2017
Having NOT read My Friend Flicka, or any others in the series, this book about a rare white stallion, Thunderhead, and Ken, a adolescent boy, is superb. I found the correlation between Thunderhead and Ken's maturation, similar and in the end gratifying. Descriptions of the Western mountains and valleys are enrapturing and thought provoking. The struggles of being a wild stallion, and confrontations with other stallions protecting their mares in the wild, are just thrilling, but sometimes down right gruesome. Ken, trying to be mature and take responsibility for this White horse ( at one point called Ghost) tries his best despite the horse's resistance to control and supervision. Ken wants to save his family from economic collapse and turn this horse into a paying winner at the track. Enjoy this one, and revel in its conclusion, as I did!
November 19, 2023
This was not what I had expected but in a good way. When you thought you knew how the plot would play out, the story took a completely 180 degree the other way, which was cool because it made the story more interesting.
I like how you see and hear the story from all points of views, even the horses. It is a long and sometimes a bit boring but it is okay.
Again the book here is way better than the book and love how the book also tells about the parents problems and that not everything is pink and roses in this world. I'm a big fan of the fact that O'Hara described Thunderhead as a weird little satant, ugly duckling look alike, and doesn't get more beautiful when it get older but rather more stronger and has it's own way. And that the horse dosen't bond completely and only with Kent but rather Kent's mother.
Good book!
I like how you see and hear the story from all points of views, even the horses. It is a long and sometimes a bit boring but it is okay.
Again the book here is way better than the book and love how the book also tells about the parents problems and that not everything is pink and roses in this world. I'm a big fan of the fact that O'Hara described Thunderhead as a weird little satant, ugly duckling look alike, and doesn't get more beautiful when it get older but rather more stronger and has it's own way. And that the horse dosen't bond completely and only with Kent but rather Kent's mother.
Good book!
August 31, 2021
I've read My Friend Flicka several times over, and was glad to find out there were two sequels.
Thunderhead focuses on Flicka's son, a complete 'throwback' as they call him, to the Albino. And he is just as fast and strong as the Albino.
This book is of course, focusing on stallions. And the wildness of a true stallion, his pride, his dignity. It's a dangerous, beautiful, fully alive dignity that a stallion has. Which is fully impressed upon the reader in this book. Mary O Hara has a way of doing that, of making you see and feel what I call 'sorrowful beauty.' The author of Misty also has that talent.
One thing I found interesting was that, in the middle of the story, the focus seems to go to Nell. Nell and her struggle with Rob because of the ruin the ranch is facing. However, I didn't mind it too much.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The character development of Ken was great to see.
Thunderhead focuses on Flicka's son, a complete 'throwback' as they call him, to the Albino. And he is just as fast and strong as the Albino.
This book is of course, focusing on stallions. And the wildness of a true stallion, his pride, his dignity. It's a dangerous, beautiful, fully alive dignity that a stallion has. Which is fully impressed upon the reader in this book. Mary O Hara has a way of doing that, of making you see and feel what I call 'sorrowful beauty.' The author of Misty also has that talent.
One thing I found interesting was that, in the middle of the story, the focus seems to go to Nell. Nell and her struggle with Rob because of the ruin the ranch is facing. However, I didn't mind it too much.
Overall, it was an enjoyable read. The character development of Ken was great to see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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