As a horse lover, I just had to read this thoughtful and unusual fiction, describing the search for and restoration of the Mongolian wild horse scientifically named the Przewalski's Horse. These stout, dun horses have an upright mane and two extra chromosomes and are THE LAST WILD HORSES in that their ancestors were never domesticated.
The chapters show alternate timelines. A dystopian element runs through the novel as one segment describes life in a future Norway. This segment claims to address climate change, but the whole book portrays the accumulated human impact on the planet. The author Maja Lunde is Norwegian and previously wrote The History of Bees.
Mikhail Kovrov lives in St Petersburg, where in 1880 the Russians have heard of truly wild horses in Mongolia – thought to be extinct until an army officer sends back a hide and skull. Mikhail immediately makes plans to capture some for display at the zoological garden where he works, constantly short of funding. He sets out in 1884 with Wilhelm Wolff, a German adventurer, and wild animal dealer. We see that by capturing some horses, several horses are killed, yet the captives are later bred in zoos across Europe, ensuring the breed survives.
In 1992, a German biologist Karin flies several Takhi horses (the Mongolian name) to Ulan Bator and attempts a reintroduction project. Bred for a century away from their native Mongolia, can they survive where the original herds have been driven extinct? I have to say, I was extremely cross with Karin. She's supposed to be a biologist and she thought it was a good idea to release three wild stallions with only a few mares. What did she think would happen? She also decided that if any of these Takhis which are more valuable than Thoroughbreds, got injured, she would not give antibiotics. This character is fictional, we are assured in an author's note at the end. I hope the real project managers had more sense.
2064 shows us a Norwegian family barely coping with the impacts of climate change. Eva and her young teen daughter Isa, running a farmstead hidden away from a crumbling civilization, are not far enough away, because in Norway in 2064 marauders come after food. Louise, a traveler, turns up starving and exhausted, and Eva decides to give her shelter. The only connection is that Eva has been caring for some rare breeds, which include a Takhi mare and foal. They are partly what keeps her at the farm instead of moving on to somewhere less cold and rainy. If there is anywhere.
Diane Oatley has translated the work from Norwegian and, like many Nordic stories, THE LAST WILD HORSES feels dark and violent in places. We see death and birth as common themes. Some other topics I frankly skipped over, as they were not related and were spoiling the story for me. I came here for the horses. So, do I recommend this work to horse lovers? Yes and no. Adults only, and be prepared for distressing scenes. I am glad the Przewalski's Horse has featured in another novel, the second I've seen, and this work by Maja Lunde will help build a genre about rewilding.
Mikhail lives in Russia in 1881. When a skeleton of a rare wild horse is brought to him, the zoologist plans an expedition to Mongolia to find the fabled Przewalski horse, a journey that tests not only his physicality, but his heart.In 1992, Karin, alongside her troubled son Mathias and several Przewalski horses, travels to Mongolia to re-introduce the magnificent horses to their native land. The veterinarian has dedicated her life to saving the breed from extinction, prioritizing the wild horses, even over her own son.
Europe’s future is uncertain in 2064, but Eva is willing to sacrifice nearly everything to hold onto her family’s farm. Her teenage daughter implores Eva to leave the farm and Norway, but a pregnant wild mare Eva is tending is about to foal. Then, a young woman named Louise unexpectedly arrives on the farm, with mysterious intentions that will either bring them all together, or devastate them one by one.
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