In a Land of Awe: Finding Reverence in the Search for Wild Horses

by Chad Hanson

A stirring invitation to awe--and to what it means to be wild. Out on the edges of our frantic twenty-first-century nation, bands of wild horses stand nestled together, calmly nuzzling each other to maintain the bonds of family. Prairie hills unfurl around them, and the sky provides their shelter. In the same states where factories churn, offices bustle, and cell phones demand our attention, remote places of solace and beauty rest, mostly undiscovered, in a parallel world that lies closer than we often imagine. Through the lens of the wild mustang, social scientist and poet Chad Hanson gives us new ways to see and meaningfully engage our world as we enter new considerations about how we understand animals and our landscapes, our history, and ourselves. What is a wild animal? How do feelings of reverence reconnect us with nature? What can we learn from our wisdom traditions? And in the end, what would it look like if we managed public land with the common good in mind? With wisdom gathered from the histories of the American West, geography, philosophy, theology, and sociology, we meet awe anew. In the tradition of the great literary and nature writers, In a Land of Awe serves as a plea for what we stand to lose if we don't find the courage to protect the planet's most beautiful, and vulnerable, others.

Genres: Nonfiction

219 pages, Hardcover

Published September 13, 2022

About the author

Chad Hanson hails from the north woods—Minnesota. Today he lives in Casper, Wyoming with his wife, Lynn, and their two cats: Skye and River. Some of his favorite things include guitars, bicycles, and cameras. He also likes Big Star, pan-style pizza, and The Royal Tenenbaums. For more information, visit: www.chadhanson.org.

Reviews

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely in awe on so many levels. Chad Hanson’s words resonate near to my heart. We need our wild horses and our wild lands. We need our wild spaces to bring our hearts and minds back to our true vibrations of our innate wildness. Chad Hanson has a wonderful way of making an awe inspiring photograph in our minds as we read. I couldn’t put this book down.

[Gabriel Cirillo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I find it enchanting to hear someone discuss what they are passionate about, and this book was no exception. Chad Hanson explains what wild horses are and makes you fall in love with them through his sharing of personal experiences that turned him into an "awe"dmirer.
These tellings highlight the personalities and beauty in these animals, and Hanson supports his strong argument for why we need to have such legendary beings in our lives and on these lands. I found this book to be informative, interesting, and special.

[Randell Carlton Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well written & taught me a lot about a new subject - two of the best characteristics a non-fiction book can have. Spiritual & thoughtful exploration of life - using mustangs as a helpful conduit. It’s a thought-provoking book with stories from the heart. Oh, and features some spectacular photos too! 🐴

[Pj · Rating 5 out of 5]

With “In a Land of Awe: Finding Reverence in Search of Wild Horses” Chad Hanson challenges us to spend time in our wild places with our wild horses (and other wildlife) because we NEED this. The author reminds us we are creatures narrative and our wild places (public lands) and wild horses are a huge part of our personal and national narratives, and we are far too close to losing all of this by writing wild horses and wild lands right out of the story as agribusiness and other special interests take over our wild places, round up our wild horses, and exterminate our wild predators. Have you ever felt awe looking at a wild vista? Have you had your breath taken away by the beauty of a wild animal? Have you heard the sound of hundreds of hoof beats galloping across our plains and deserts? Or just sat and watched the intricate and beautiful interactions between members of a wild horse band? Chad Hanson reminds us of the importance of these kinds of experiences and the value it has for both our souls and our society at large. We need these things. Read this book.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is more than a testimony of the author’s encounters with wild mustangs. He uses research, quotes and observations, primarily connecting us back to nature and perhaps the need for such connection. He mentions in the end, the transcendental movement of Thoreau and Emerson as “uniquely American, and uniquely historic approach to life and philosophy”. The horse’s roots are North American, so the plaines and prairies are their home.

One of my favorite chapters was “Finding Reverence in Roosevelt” since I had just visited the Theodore Roosevelt National Park several months ago. It is the only US national park that has horses. I liked his accounts of President Roosevelt who kept a home in the area. The author mentions the misty eyes and tears most people have on their first encounter with a herd of wild horses. I can personally attest to that. But it’s probably not until the end, the “Coda: Steppes of Everlasting Bliss” that the reason for that became clearer for me.

[Genna · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to love this book. In a Land of Awe speaks beautifully of solitude and wilderness and introduced me to the revelatory idea and image of "thin places". Hanson's writing is deeply wise, yet also deeply prejudiced and narrow minded. It was not the discussion of wild horses that attracted me to this book, but that of awe. I have a complicated relationship with the former subject and term, as there is no such thing as a truly wild horse in the United States. These are feral creatures, meaning non-native, and while iconic and wildly romantic to see, without proper management they have a damaging impact on wildlife and plant species that are indigenous to the continent.

In retrospect, In a Land of Awe was not written for me, as Hanson is clearly a vehement advocate for the feral horse, even citing sources with questionable provenance or validity, and going so far as to allow his passion for the species to grossly malign his views of people in agriculture and scientific experts trusted with the profound responsibility of managing our cherished lands. Othering farmers and ranchers by stereotyping them all as haters of wildlife and the natural world does nothing to propel his argument and is frankly offensive. Hanson is a man who claims to appreciate the oft-maligned and misunderstood prairies of our nation, and yet in the same breath denigrates the ranchers who are often the final bastion protecting and restoring many of our native grasslands, preventing them from being turned into the suburban scourge plaguing much of the country. His disdain for regions of the nation that lack whatever special sauce he's preoccupied with is clear, despite his half-hearted claim that "flyover" states are still important. Also lumped in with the anti-nature crowd is every employee of the BLM, apparently all government peons harboring personal vendettas against public lands and the wildlife that inhabit them. While I understand and relate to his romanticism, Hanson is certainly guilty of over-romanticizing the horse. He describes horses as being special due to their "innocence", their lack of "hidden motives or agendas". As though other wild creatures possess ill will? Agendas of mass destruction? Unfortunately, it is nearly impossible to appreciate and absorb the beauty of Hanson's words and the pockets of wisdom regarding our relationship with wild lands, as his bias and narrow views are blinding.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

So I have some very mixed feelings about this book....

It is a terrific book. And the wild mustangs certainly DO fill you with awe.

But at the same time it is a very sad book. Upsetting. Because it tells you what is going on out west with the herds. And that news is just awful.

The book will tell you all about the BLM. Bureau of Land Management. And how they are mistreating the mustangs. There is even news of how they want the wild horses to be declared a "foreign species" to north America. But horses are native to north America. It is the cow (cattle) that is the invader. But they cannot make money off of the horse. So yes it is sad.

But the author also tells you of his own personal experiences with the mustangs. And those are truly magical stories. Very well worth reading.

I learned a lot from this book. About how things are out west these days. Before that I really didn't know anything about the BLM or what happened to the land from grazing cattle. I didn't even know that cattle and horses eat different plants or that they grazed in different styles. I must admit I really know nothing about cows. I am learning about horses. And that itself is a ton of stuff to learn.

The mustangs represent freedom. The American west. But the desire for more money and cattle seems to be wrecking everything.

If you like horses this is definitely worth a read but realize parts of it is sad because the reality of the west is changing.

[Nicholle · Rating 5 out of 5]

So powerful.
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2023 Extreme Book Nerd Challenge - Book you've seen on someone else's bookshelf

[Ellen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author does a nice job of describing wild horses, their habitat in Wyoming and how he is drawn to them. The scenes where the horses are close and he describes their behaviors are really nice.

[James Easterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The horse’s feet are mirage, his gait rainbow; sun strings his bridle, black rain his tail, cloud with little rain his mane; his ears are of distant lightning, his eyes big star twinkling, his teeth of white shell, his voice of black flute, his lips of large bead, his face of vegetation, his belly of dawn.” ~Navajo Wildlands “as long as the rivers shall run”