I have a new book releasing May 22. It takes place during and immediately following World War I.
This story grabbed onto my heart and didn't let go even after I finished writing it.
Part of the reason was due research the animals who were killed during the war. Approximately eight million horses and mules died in World War I. My brain doesn’t even want to wrap around that number.
World War I required hundreds of thousands of horses and mules to pull and pack artillery, supplies, communications, medical supplies and ambulances, and engineering services, as well as to carry the cavalry. When the war began in 1914, Europe did not have enough equines to support massive armies. France, England, and Germany looked to other nations to shore up their numbers of horses, mules, and donkeys.
British and French purchasing agents and their staff came to North America in search of horses. They selected animals based on size, breed, and type from specific regions, shipping them mainly from Newport News, Virginia, and Montreal, Canada. Ships were modified with stalls and fodder storage. By the fall of 1917, more than half a million American horses and mules had been sent to Europe for service.
When the United States entered the war in 1917, a single American Army division required approximately 7,700 horses. The AEF struggled to field adequate equine power in France. Between the U-boat threats, the urgent demand for soldiers and the supplies that had to go along with them, insufficient remounts, and an equine epidemic that came in 1917, it was hard to keep up with the demand. More than 1,000 horses were cut from divisional allotments with plans to cut an additional 2,800 more by motorizing divisional artillery regiments. To supplement the number of American horses, many wild horses were rounded up from southeastern Oregon, Nevada, and northeastern California.
One article reported an estimate of 500 American horses being shipped every day and a half in the last months of the war.
The animals faced the same hardships and challenges as the troops: miserable conditions, poor food, injuries, and poisonous gas. Because there weren’t enough ships available to haul everything the Americans needed, when a choice was made between supplies for humans or animals, the humans won, of course. But it meant that there were animals that starved to death. Animals that needed medical treatment didn’t receive it due to lack of equipment, staff, or animal hospitals.
The U.S. Army Veterinary Corps was established in June 1916 with the National Defense Act. At the beginning of World War I, there were approximately 70 veterinary officers and no enlisted men. As the war progressed, the numbers grew to 2,312 officers and 16,391 enlisted personnel. In August 1918, the American Veterinary Corps officers assumed key AEF staff and command posts in the Quartermaster Corps, combat divisions, and corps. However, there was a decided lack of American animal hospitals, veterinarians, and needed supplies.
Even before the war ended, efforts were underway to commemorate the sacrifices of the animals lost during the war. Today, there are monuments to the service of the horses, mules, and donkeys of World War I to honor the critical role they played in the success of the Allies.
I chose a Kiger Mustang for the hero in my story to bond with because the horse is unique to southeastern Oregon, and Keegan would have reminded him of home. On a fun side note, a Kiger mustang stallion named Spirit was the inspiration for the DreamWorks film “Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron.”
Keegan is a combination of several horses I read about that
were incredibly brave and courageous during the war, like Warrior, a
thoroughbred owned by British General Jack Seely. Warrior became one of the
most famous horses from World War I.
If you have plenty of tissues on hand and don’t mind a
heart-wrenching story, Steven Spielberg’s War Horse
is a gripping and emotional movie about one horse’s journey through World War I
and the young man who loves him.
Sarah releases May 22, but you can pre-order your copy today.
He longs for her love.
Can they find common ground when he returns forever altered by the war.
In a world turned upside down by World War I, all Sarah Richards desires is to love Brett Rawlings and build a future together. After graduating high school a year early, she’s ready to dive into her dreams of college and a home filled with laughter and love. But one impulsive decision threatens all her aspirations—as well as her relationship with Brett.
As the war rages on and men head off to fight, sixteen-year-old Brett reluctantly follows his twin brother, Ben, sneaking off to France to join the American Expeditionary Forces. As the months pass, Ben thrives amidst the chaos of battle, while Brett finds himself haunted by the girl he left behind and the uncertainty of his own heart. When Ben reveals a life-altering secret, the bond between the brothers is shattered, forcing Brett to grapple with betrayal as he faces the brutal realities of war.
Brett returns home a changed man, burdened with memories too heavy to bear, yet yearning to mend the fractures of the past. Will Sarah still be waiting for him, or have time and truth forged an unbridgeable chasm between them?
Find out in this heartfelt historical romance that weaves a tale of hope, grace, forgiveness, and sweet, enduring love.
When Shanna isn’t dreaming up unforgettable characters, twisting plots, or covertly seeking dark, decadent chocolate, she hangs out with her beloved husband, Captain Cavedweller.
Shanna is a member of Western Writers of America and Women Writing the West.
