It is 1914. The world is focused on The Great War. An orphaned boy, Jim is to live on his Uncle Martin and Aunt Hanna’s ranch in Rush town of Taylorsville. Jim goes fly fishing on Indian Creek when he is done with his ranch chores. There Jim meets York, a local boy from the Maidu tribe.
They meet with Blind Charlie, a famous Maidu elder storyteller, who tells them the ancestral myths and legends. There is a legendary wild horse
That lives in the desert. The stallion, Meshuga—part mustang and part giant Percheron draft —is a stallion so strong that he becomes a mythical, inspirational fable. Meshuga is destined to compete in a long-distance race through the mountains and valleys against the nation’s best Arabian horses. With York’s death, Jim decides that he must fulfill what his friend knew all along—that he and Meshuga would learn to conquer the challenge of the race of the century. Will they win?

This is a story of the Old West with historical details. It is a novel about family relationships and coming-of-age in early twentieth-century California.
I enjoyed the friendship of the two boys and “meeting” Blind Charlie. I am not a native of California but am always looking for a chance to learn California’s history. (I grew up in the Midwest.). This is a book not to be missed.

This is a well-written and enjoyable sketch of life in Northern California in the early 20th century, complete with Cowboys and Indians (peacefully coexisting), cattle drives, new-fangled automobiles, gold mines, wild horses, snakebites, and crippling boxing matches. Told from the viewpoint of a newly-orphaned boy who finds himself in this wonderland, it's a modern take on a Jack London-esque adventure story.

I have mixed feelings about this book. It was reminiscent of Westerns I have read. but almost more of a memoir, though it was fiction. It moved slowly in places. By the description I thought it would be a story mainly about a horse, though that did play a part, it was more about a young man growing up in the early twentieth century on a ranch in California, and life lessons learned. I found the parts about the Native Americans in the area interesting. I was more impressed with the story after reading the author's notes. It was well researched and included some of his personal story as well.
I was given the advance copy by the publisher in return for my honest opinion. It was worth the read!

It is a great adventure story for those who love horses and the Old West. It is well-written and will transport you to that period, making you feel like you are present in the story.

This was such a beautifully done story in the time-period, it had that feel for the Old California and felt like it was supposed to. The characters were everything that I wanted from this type of story and had a strong feel in the world. I enjoyed how good Michael Dennis Cassity wrote this and was glad I got to read this.