Ghost Medicine by Andrew Smith

Anyone who has ever gone wandering through the wilderness or wanted to should love this wonderful story. Horse lovers especially can find a lot to like here. First, the title gets its name from something elusive and ultimately special that comes the way of the three main characters via their relatives and horses which are no longer living. Tommy, Stotts and Gabe become close friends during one magical summer of working together on the horse farm belonging to Gabe's father, Camping under the stars, participating in an annual riding event and helping an elderly lady in getting supplies and caring for her horse herd. They rescue her herd and hoped they had rescued her from a wild fire. Things sour when the trio come upon the local bully hurting Gabe's sister Luz who Stotts love and a later encounter with him and his buddy ends in death. Still Stotts has inherited land from the elderly neighbor and has already begun to make money from the horses in the herd. The ending is bittersweet but hopeful. JDW 3/24/09