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Father Michael Trilogy #1
Riding Out the Wager: The Story of a Damaged Horse & His Soldier
Father Michael's brother-in-law has an impossible house guest - Justin, an army veteran suffering from PTSD. The man is making life miserable for his host family. The priest has no practical assistance to offer, until an incident in church gives him an idea. Naturally, his plan involves the ever-reluctant and newly-wed trainer Jack Harper. It will also require the help of Isaac, a very special but damaged horse on his farm. And a wager. Meanwhile Father Michael gives a podcast interview to a local atheist hoping to trip him up on Catholic matters. As soon as the podcast is aired, church attendance plummets and the priest is under intense pressure from his bishop to rectify the situation. Justin is no closer to coming back to the faith and the podcaster is rejoicing in his victory over the Church. Will God makes good come out of evil for those who love Him, as Father Michael wants to believe?
210 pages, Paperback
Published November 30, 2017
About the author
Hilary Walker
70 books29 followersHilary lives on Hilton Head Island in South Carolina with her husband and English bulldog.
She is the Christian author of 'The Jack Harper Trilogy: The Story of a Wounded Horse Healer,' its sequel, 'The Father Michael Trilogy: A Pastor Who Preaches through Horses,' and the concluding trio, 'The Laura Harper Trilogy.'
The Sinclair Island Romances are her Christian equestrian romance series.
Besides writing, Hilary's other passion is riding and competing in dressage on her home-bred gelding, Cruz Bay.
She is the Christian author of 'The Jack Harper Trilogy: The Story of a Wounded Horse Healer,' its sequel, 'The Father Michael Trilogy: A Pastor Who Preaches through Horses,' and the concluding trio, 'The Laura Harper Trilogy.'
The Sinclair Island Romances are her Christian equestrian romance series.
Besides writing, Hilary's other passion is riding and competing in dressage on her home-bred gelding, Cruz Bay.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 10, 2020
I got this for free, but with no obligation to review it. While it is the first in a series, there's apparently a series previous to this that introduces 99% of the characters and at least 90% of the background.
I've been reading all sorts of books lately. I understand some aspects of Roman Catholicism better than I understand some other Western religions, but there were parts that were mysteries to me, and not in a "Mysteries" of the rosary sense. I wasn't quite sure what those Mysteries were, either, but that wasn't as important. There were lines something like, "Father Michael felt like looking at the Exposed Body of Christ" that threw me, but I later realized that this was a reference to Eucharist wafers. I've heard the phrasing "The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven, the Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation" at Communion services, but not in an "Exposed Body" way of expressing it.
I was rather surprised this was included among a collection of books by Christian authors, because some fundamentalist or evangelical Protestant religions don't consider Catholicism to exactly be proper Christianity. Catholicism considers itself to be the proper Christianity, though.
Despite Father Michael feeling that his words were taken out of context at a certain point, I don't believe that "Love the sinner, hate the sin" is that enlightened an attitude in any event, when one is talking about gay people.
I did feel like Catholicism had more sophisticated reasoning to it than that of some Protestant sects, and also some more practical ways to live life and take some responsibility for one's actions. I would still not want to be Catholic, but I can see how some tenets of it could be useful.
I could see how Justin started out as a big challenge. I didn't feel like he'd become all that emotionally stable terribly quickly. I could see how interacting with Isaac the rescue horse could change someone, but Isaac alone wasn't a cure-all. Poor Isaac had been treated so badly. I was glad he was recovering from it.
The description of a nursing home took me right back, and I was quite young when I worked at one in the 1990s. I'd hoped they'd be better decades later, but the fictional one in this book was super-depressing in a very realistic way. This was pre-pandemic, so it was just the usual sort of very sad and awful that Father Michael felt the same way about that I did. That was a "Hey, it wasn't just me. Other people perceive nursing homes that way, too" moment for me. Or at least a character in a book had that kind of perception of what a nursing home was like.
I was glad when the book returned to the action at Jack's farm. There was hope there.
I've been reading all sorts of books lately. I understand some aspects of Roman Catholicism better than I understand some other Western religions, but there were parts that were mysteries to me, and not in a "Mysteries" of the rosary sense. I wasn't quite sure what those Mysteries were, either, but that wasn't as important. There were lines something like, "Father Michael felt like looking at the Exposed Body of Christ" that threw me, but I later realized that this was a reference to Eucharist wafers. I've heard the phrasing "The Body of Christ, the Bread of Heaven, the Blood of Christ, the Cup of Salvation" at Communion services, but not in an "Exposed Body" way of expressing it.
I was rather surprised this was included among a collection of books by Christian authors, because some fundamentalist or evangelical Protestant religions don't consider Catholicism to exactly be proper Christianity. Catholicism considers itself to be the proper Christianity, though.
Despite Father Michael feeling that his words were taken out of context at a certain point, I don't believe that "Love the sinner, hate the sin" is that enlightened an attitude in any event, when one is talking about gay people.
I did feel like Catholicism had more sophisticated reasoning to it than that of some Protestant sects, and also some more practical ways to live life and take some responsibility for one's actions. I would still not want to be Catholic, but I can see how some tenets of it could be useful.
I could see how Justin started out as a big challenge. I didn't feel like he'd become all that emotionally stable terribly quickly. I could see how interacting with Isaac the rescue horse could change someone, but Isaac alone wasn't a cure-all. Poor Isaac had been treated so badly. I was glad he was recovering from it.
The description of a nursing home took me right back, and I was quite young when I worked at one in the 1990s. I'd hoped they'd be better decades later, but the fictional one in this book was super-depressing in a very realistic way. This was pre-pandemic, so it was just the usual sort of very sad and awful that Father Michael felt the same way about that I did. That was a "Hey, it wasn't just me. Other people perceive nursing homes that way, too" moment for me. Or at least a character in a book had that kind of perception of what a nursing home was like.
I was glad when the book returned to the action at Jack's farm. There was hope there.
February 13, 2018
Riding Out The Wager by Hilary Walker
Love how this starts out with healing powers horses have. I've yet to ride one but they do fascinate me and the things they can do.
First time reading this author and enjoy the exploration into her works-want to read more already!
Starts out where a priest is spending dinner at one of his relatives and parishions house for dinner and meets the brother, Justin who is back from Iraq and very hostile.
Priest, Father Michael makes a wager he can get him to believe in God by Easter...
We learn of others confessions and how they are handled.
Love hearing of the step by step instructions on how to set up the saddle and everything associated with it, so very detailed and precise.
All different problems that are our everyday lives and solutions for troubles, priceless!
Although there are a lot of characters it's easy to keep them all straight. Amazing story! Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
What I liked the most is that there are different age groups, each facing different troubles in their lives and there is an answer to them all. Pray.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
Love how this starts out with healing powers horses have. I've yet to ride one but they do fascinate me and the things they can do.
First time reading this author and enjoy the exploration into her works-want to read more already!
Starts out where a priest is spending dinner at one of his relatives and parishions house for dinner and meets the brother, Justin who is back from Iraq and very hostile.
Priest, Father Michael makes a wager he can get him to believe in God by Easter...
We learn of others confessions and how they are handled.
Love hearing of the step by step instructions on how to set up the saddle and everything associated with it, so very detailed and precise.
All different problems that are our everyday lives and solutions for troubles, priceless!
Although there are a lot of characters it's easy to keep them all straight. Amazing story! Other works by the author are highlighted at the end.
What I liked the most is that there are different age groups, each facing different troubles in their lives and there is an answer to them all. Pray.
Received this review copy from the author and this is my honest opinion.
December 5, 2020
A broken horse and a broken man find peace in each other.
Justin is a man who is in agony over what happened in Iraq when on deployment. He suffers from PTSD and is making him family miserable, including himself. He has turned from God and needs Him badly.
Father Michael's brother-in-law is hosting Justin and they are about at their wits end. When Father Michael is invited to the farm that Jack owns, to go horseback riding, an idea forms in his mind.
Jack is fostering a poor neglected and scared horse names Isaac.
Father Michael makes a wager with Justin then introduces him to Isaac. They form a fast bond.
I recommend this book to all who like horses and a good clean story.
Justin is a man who is in agony over what happened in Iraq when on deployment. He suffers from PTSD and is making him family miserable, including himself. He has turned from God and needs Him badly.
Father Michael's brother-in-law is hosting Justin and they are about at their wits end. When Father Michael is invited to the farm that Jack owns, to go horseback riding, an idea forms in his mind.
Jack is fostering a poor neglected and scared horse names Isaac.
Father Michael makes a wager with Justin then introduces him to Isaac. They form a fast bond.
I recommend this book to all who like horses and a good clean story.
September 16, 2017
Touching story of the healing of a soldier and a horse
An amazing story of how a soldier with PTSD is helped when he learns to comfort an abused horse. Father Michael ,who is working with the soldier, has a major part in helping Justin, the soldier. The author makes the characters so believable and keeps the plot developing to keep the reader engaged. This Christian book was a joy to read and I look forward to reading more in this series.
An amazing story of how a soldier with PTSD is helped when he learns to comfort an abused horse. Father Michael ,who is working with the soldier, has a major part in helping Justin, the soldier. The author makes the characters so believable and keeps the plot developing to keep the reader engaged. This Christian book was a joy to read and I look forward to reading more in this series.
September 28, 2017
This book deals with a difficult subject, namely PTSD suffered by an army veteran who receives help for his crippling problem from the Catholic priest, Father Michael and also an abused horse.
The story is extremely well written and I particularly liked the character of Father Michael who isn't above using a bit of emotional blackmail to achieve his ends, but only in the best of causes.
This is a very uplifting and quite emotional story with an important message, it is well worth reading.
The story is extremely well written and I particularly liked the character of Father Michael who isn't above using a bit of emotional blackmail to achieve his ends, but only in the best of causes.
This is a very uplifting and quite emotional story with an important message, it is well worth reading.
September 15, 2017
This is the story of Justin, a war veteran who is suffering from PTSD and his road to
recovery after he meets Isaac the horse.
I really enjoyed reading this book and will definitely look for the other two books in the
trilogy.
recovery after he meets Isaac the horse.
I really enjoyed reading this book and will definitely look for the other two books in the
trilogy.
September 24, 2017
A really enjoyable and educating read.
March 3, 2026
This story has a heart rending storyline, along with a couple of lighter ones.
Of course God will make a way where we see none. This time it's actions that speak louder than words.
Of course God will make a way where we see none. This time it's actions that speak louder than words.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews