As a young girl on the idyllic Milky Way Farm, author Karen Vanderlaan initially believes life is full of magic, wonder, and horses. All too quickly, however, her innocence is lost when her mother gets involved with an abusive, manipulative woman named Bunny. Bunny subjects Karen and her younger siblings to unspeakable cruelties—all in the name of God. Karen's spirit is deeply scarred by Bunny's inhumanity, but the adversity serves to solidify in Karen an inner strength and calmness that carry her through even greater challenges later in life. Karen's story is at once uplifting and heart-wrenching. It reveals the best and worst of human nature in a riveting, true-life tale of the author's journey to change life for herself, her siblings, her children, and her beloved horses.
