Seventh-grader Allison has decided that she is finished with horses. Her best friend Cara has an adorable pony called Dumpling, and she invites Ali to ride her mother's horse any time. Allison declines. The girls become concerned about two Appaloosas on a neighboring farm that are emaciated.  

It seems that Ali's parents are invested in converting her back to horse craziness after her pony Max died. They invite the two Apps to recover on their farm. She loves them, but she is unsure if she is able to provide the meticulous care that they require in order to fully recover from their ordeal.

Ali's brother Danny is a war veteran from Afghanistan. She is glad that he is home, but is seems that he is plagued by the symptoms of PTSD. A certain anger and touchiness pervades his soul. This makes it difficult for Ali and her parents to figure out how to effectively help him move on... despite the fact that he lost part of one leg.

The horses have a rocky time of it. Ali, her parents, Cara and Danny make a go of rehabilitating the horses, in hopes that their fragile condition will not preclude them from living normal, happy and full lives. To Ali's surprise, Danny takes an interest in the horses that he has never shown in equines before.

Wind Dancer by Chris Platt, 2014

This blog post was inspired by an episode on Book TV about a book that a physical therapist wrote about her experience treating veteran amputees: Run, Don't Walk.

• Chris Platt's web site
• Equine Advocates
• National Association of Senior Veterans
• Books about amputees
• Books about horses
• Books about PTSD