THE HORSEMAN’S TALE

by Tom Equels

Narrated by: Steven Bramham LLC

Production by: Tom Equels

Skillfully Crafted

Haunted by the loss of his infant son and, years later, the love of his life, Jake Montgomery reluctantly turns to “journal therapy” to confront the pain he has long buried beneath anger, alcohol, and distraction. As he writes, long-guarded memories surface—beginning in the racially segregated Ocala of the 1950s, where his closest friend was a Puerto Rican jockey, and moving to Ireland, where a summer as a stable apprentice ignites a powerful new passion. His reflections pull him back through the free-love era of the 1960s, the life-and-death decisions of Vietnam’s battlefields, and the shadowy work of an intelligence officer in Eastern Europe. What starts as a record of youthful discovery soon spirals into a reckoning with loss, revenge, and the brutal choices that shaped him, until the life of one extraordinary horse offers him a fragile thread of purpose and a reason to keep going.

Author Tom Equels delivers a powerful and nuanced story rooted in loss, pain, anger, and the destructive thoughts that shape a life. He develops each character with depth and clarity, while presenting Jake Montgomery’s internal world in a manner that is both enlightening and fully immersive. Jake’s journey is portrayed with meticulous detail, offering insights that engage the listener from beginning to end. The emotions—grief, longing, and the weight of hard choices—are rendered with vivid authenticity, and the journal-style inner dialogue adds an intimate, moving layer to the narrative.

The narrator, Steven Bramham LLC, offers a stellar performance that brings Jake’s struggles, emotions, and pivotal choices to life with remarkable precision. His well-timed pauses, resonant voice, and thoughtful tonal inflections deepen moments of reflection and heighten the story’s emotional impact.

A skillfully crafted reflective novel, rich in emotion and deeply immersive.

There were no issues with the quality or production of this audiobook.

Disclaimer: This Audiobook was provided free of charge by the author, narrator, and/or publisher in exchange for a non-biased, honest review.