What a sweet little book this is. Perestroika is a thoroughbred filly called Paras for short. She has just won a race, and with it a ‘purse’. When her trainer accidentally leaves her stall open Paras takes her purse (she has just won it, after all) and heads out simply because she is curious. This curiosity leads her further and further away from the stable near the track in search of grass and other edibles. A homeless German short-haired dog named Frida comes across the horse and befriends her. Friday used to have an owner, a homeless musician who passed away the year before, but Frida has learned to act as though she belongs to someone, and depends on the kindness of strangers for food. The two pair up and are befriended by a raven named Raoul, who is very intelligent, just ask him, and finally by a young boy who lives with his great-grandmama in an old house with a sheltered courtyard.
The story is of course so highly unlikely that you can’t really believe it, but somehow I wanted to! Very sweet, the animals, who talk of course are entertaining, but the people who interact with them also warmed my heart. Looking out for other tales to read by this author.