40/ MAY 2023 THE RIDER


Pub date April 29, 2023 (Douglas & McIntyre) From her first clever


little bay pony, Stroller, to


Mirror Horse: A Memoir Canadian indie musician Tamara Williamson offers an unbridled ribbon-winning grappling with what


account of a life in the world of horses.


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Williamson recalls the many significant horses in her life,


means to be horse-obsessed and what drives this desire to connect with horses. As Williamson discovers, dur- ing the tumultuous years of relationships with people and horses, these compli- cated equine creatures re- flect back to us our best and worst selves. Woven throughout the


stories of individual horses in Williamson’s life is her own story of a creative, chaotic, challenging and ad- venturous life. Raised by an eccentric family, with a dis- tant mother who disap- peared into alcoholism and a charismatic father who left one sunny morning with a younger


woman,


Williamson struggles with dyslexia and a sense of in- creasing


detachment.


Horses, and the exacting sport of dressage, provide her with opportunities to connect, sometimes imper- fectly. Her drive for accom- plishment


in equestrian


sports, whether as a trainer or a rider, is regularly at odds with the fear that lingers from a traumatic childhood riding accident. While reckoning with


the financial and psycholog- ical expense of training and competition, and with the multitude of industries that benefit


2559 Wharton Glen Avenue, Mississauga, ON L4X 2A8 Williamson never


from horses, loses


sight of the enormous bur-


den of responsibility she


feels characters, toward


horses and the respect she has for their indi- vidual


memories and in- stincts. On the sur- face, The Mirror Horse is a book about horses—but beyond the


bridles braided and manes,


Williamson crafts a complex story about courage, family, and the unexpected places where we find a re- flection of our souls. As a rider you


can confuse yourself with being the teacher, but horses are con- stantly showing us something important about ourselves. They are holding up a mirror. “I have decided to do-


nate 20 per cent of my roy- alties to a cause that is very important to me, The Cana- dian Horse Defence Coali- tion,” said Williamson. “CHDC works to help


stop inhumane horse slaugh- ter as well as the shipping of live horses to other coun- tries for slaughter. To learn more information, get in- volved or make a donation, please visit https://canadian- horsedefencecoalition.org/ ”


What others are already saying: “Honest, humorous,


the world is trying to teach us when we don’t even realize it. Williamson is an en- gaging writer, telling a personal story with universal


reso-


nance.— Michael Barclay, author of Hearts On Fire: Six Years That Changed Canadian Music 2000-05 *


The Canadian


and full of wit and wisdom, Mirror Horse is a life’s jour- ney of self-discovery told through horses. Tamara Williamson takes courage and aims right at the heart of how these creatures can be frustratingly difficult to un- derstand and yet so deft at holding up a mirror to our souls. Whether you’re an equestrian or not, these horse tales will keep you hanging onto the reins.” — Marie Caloz, journalist * Mirror Horse is about an equestrian life, but it’s also about an examined life: about what our relationships with animals teach us about ourselves, about the lessons


Horse Defence Coali- tion was offered a first glimpse at Tamara’s wonderful book Mir- ror Horse in 2021. It was an immense pleasure to read her reminisces and the life lessons that her love of horses in-


stilled in her. Tamara writes with expected passion, but it was the honesty of her words that spoke; without guile, her prose is sincere and not masked with overt sentiment. Mirror Horse will naturally appeal to horse lovers of all ages, but it should also appeal to a wider audience interested in the animal-human bond and how this bond shapes our lives. We applaud Tamara’s first book and sincerely hope this is the first of many more.—The


Canadian


Horse Defence Coalition Tamara Williamson is a


multidisciplinary storyteller, musician, songwriter, pro-


ducer, playwright, multime- dia artist, podcaster and equestrian. She has toured internationally as a musi- cian, recording albums as a solo artist and with her band Mrs. Torrance. Her award winning alternative musical- theatre debut The Break-Up Diet received rave reviews. Williamson is a lifelong horse enthusiast and eques- trian coach. She runs a busi- ness creating music for dressage


performances.


Born and raised in London, England, she now lives in Uxbridge, ON. For more in- formation, visit www.tama- rawilliamson.ca.


Events – more event infor- mation on Tamara’s website join her for music and enter- taining stories! Thursday, May 11, 2023 – Toronto book launch (Apo- ria, 714 Gerrard St E, Toronto), 6-8:00 pm ET Saturday May 13, 2023 – Guelph book launch at re- nann isaacs contemporary art ( 5 Gordon St., unit #107, Guelph ON), 8-10:30 pm ET Wednesday May 17, 2023 – Hamilton book launch at Epic Books (226 Locke St. East, Hamilton ON) 7:00 pm ET Saturday May 27, 2023 – Uxbridge book launch at Banjo Cidery (614 Sanford Rd. Uxbridge) 5-7:00 pm ET


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