Yesterday's Shadows

About the Book

Catherine Milford is a young woman who attempts to escape the memories of her son's death by moving from her Indiana home and the horse show world that she knows so well, to a completely different life.   Three years later, with the invitation to attend her best friend's wedding, she is beckoned to return to the place where her son was killed in a barn fire.  Catherine's journey back to the horses and the horse people who had once filled her life is a mixture of joy and sorrow.    She must grow in ways that are difficult and painful as she faces the tragedy of her loss when she goes back to the place she and her son had once lived.

Matt Newton is a divorced father, trying to build a new life for himself and his daughter after his wife and he split up.  A stranger to the horse world, and connected to Catherine Milford only by an introduction from their mutual friend, Matt must eventually decide how he can open his heart to a future different from the one he had planned on.  

These two people face the challenge of overcoming ghosts from their previous lives.  Abbey Newton, Matt's nine year old daughter, plays a big part in the chain of events that brings them to the conclusion of the book, where some choices end up being made for them all.

From the farm country of northeastern Indiana to a show ring in Devon, Pennsylvania, this story is about love and loss, friendship and devotion, and the incredible bond between riders and their horses that can be, at times, magical.

About the Author

Barbara Meadows took her first horseback riding lesson at the age of ten in a small town in Northern Germany, where the military had stationed her father and his family. From there sprang the passion for horses that has filled her life for close to 40 years. When her father retired near Annapolis, Maryland, Barbara rode and showed horses in the Maryland/Virginia area for most of her adult life, competing in the hunter, jumper, and combined training arenas. She now lives in Northeast Indiana with her husband and two daughters. Her three horses provide ample opportunity to continue riding and showing when she gets the opportunity, and an assortment of other pets keep her company and inspire her to write about the animals that have been, and continue to be, a major part of her life.