Author(s): Susan Brocker

New Zealand titles - children

A moving and exciting adventure story for 9-12 year olds, set against the sweeping landscape of the North Island's volcanic plateau and Desert Road, RESTLESS SPIRITtells the story of a wild white Kaimanawa stallion who cannot be tamed and the two young troubled teens who come to love him. Lara is new in town and resents it - Kahu is a talented carver, outwardly cocky and confident but riddled with doubts and fears. Hunters slaughter the young stallion's family and he learns to fear and distrust humans, but when a brutish trainer targets the white stallion during the annual DOC muster, he must learn to trust Lara and Kahu if they are to have any chance of saving him. To accomplish this, Lara and Kahu must both reach out - Lara to her peers and her estranged mother, and Kahu must reveal his hidden talent. Both must also face the reality that to help the stallion, they must ultimately lose him. Parallel to their journey, the white stallion must face and overcome his fears. He must call on the strength and wisdom of his ancestors and place his trust in Lara and Kahu.