Calling all readers of historical fiction, fans of spirited heroines, and horse lovers, this book is for you. Poetic, powerful, and deeply humane, A Clan Chief’s Daughter is a reminder that sometimes, it takes just one person, one rider, one dreamer, one daughter to change the course of history.
In this Q&A, we talk with author Sarah V. Barnes about her process of writing a series that is lyrical and emotionally layered, and immerses you so completely in their world that you look up hours later, dazed, as if waking from another life.
She Who Rides Horses imagines the story of the first human to form a bond with a wild horse. What inspired you to create this origin story?
I did not intend to start writing a novel. My background is in academic history and horse-training – I have a PhD and taught on the college level for over a decade, and then I taught riding as a meditative art and offered equine-facilitated wellness workshops and retreats for several years. In 2016, while attending a workshop with Linda Kohanov (author of The Tao of Equus), Naya’s story simply came to me. Elizabeth Gilbert describes the experience in Big Magic, her book about the creative process – sometimes an idea finds its way to you, wanting to manifest out of the ether. With my background as both a historian and a horse person, I suppose I’m well-suited to serve as the storyteller for this particular story. Being chosen by the Universe for such a task is a rare privilege.
It’s also humbling and comes with a sense of responsibility. The relationship between humans and horses has a long history. With their help over the past 6,000 years, we have transformed the world. Along the way, however, humans have often forgotten how to live in partnership with horses and instead have chosen in many instances to exploit them, along with the rest of the natural world. Naya’s story allows us to explore the possibilities for relationship that horses offered humans at the beginning. They have always been available to serve as our teachers about how to live in harmony with ourselves and Nature. By considering the choices that were made in the past, along with the consequences of those choices, perhaps we can better understand the possibilities for the future. My role as a storyteller is to present this message in a particular form – historical fiction – that might resonate with readers.
How important was historical accuracy versus creative storytelling in writing Naya’s journey?
Initially, the writing process was all about creative storytelling, based on what wanted to come through. I’d sit down at my desk, open the manuscript on my laptop and wonder what’s going to happen today? Details would insert themselves, and only pages or sometimes chapters later would I discover their significance. Eventually, however, the historian in me asserted herself and I stepped back and began to do some research – actually quite a lot of research. My quest to make the story as historically accurate as possible led me into several different disciplines, including archeology, anthropology, paleo-linguistics and archeogenetics – the study of ancient DNA. In addition, in an effort to gain a better understanding of certain images and themes, I turned to texts on mythology, cosmology and Jungian archetypical psychology. In almost every case, the results of my academic research confirmed what was already present in the images that had come to me.
In the end, the answer to the question is that historical accuracy and creative storytelling are equally important in recounting Naya’s journey. There will always be a gap between what we can know about the past and what actually happened. That gap is where imagination lives – the place where stories dwell.
Much of the novel focuses on independence, courage, and coming of age. How do these themes mirror challenges faced by young people today?
These themes are timeless. For Naya, learning who she is and how to embrace her unique gifts are challenging tasks, just as for any young person. Additionally, she is the daughter of a clan chief, and must cope with the expectations arising from her situation. The semi-nomadic pastoralists who domesticated horses 6,000 years ago originated the hierarchical social structure now known as patriarchy, with all its assumptions and limitations in regard to gender. Naya’s experience as a young woman is shaped by this world view, just are the lives of young women today. The difference is that there are elders in Naya’s life – particularly her grandmother – who remember a more egalitarian alternative… which leads to the next question…
The relationship between Naya and her grandmother, Awija, is pivotal. What did you want readers to take away from their intergenerational connection?
Awija is the voice of the wisdom of the ancestors, those who recall an earlier time and a different way of being in relationship with the natural world. She loves Naya fiercely and understands that her granddaughter has been given a special task when it comes to the wild horses. Her bond with Naya is less complicated than Naya’s relationship with her mother, and she is more free to speak her mind in support of Naya’s dreams and aspirations. By the same token, as becomes clear in Book Two, as Naya’s wise and devoted grandmother, Awija does not hesitate to let her granddaughter know when she’s not being true to herself. Their relationship reminds readers that such intergenerational connections, even at their most challenging, are to be cherished.
The bond between humans and horses is portrayed as something almost sacred. What do you believe this ancient relationship tells us about ourselves as humans?
The bond is indeed sacred – as is our connection with Nature in general — something we seem to have forgotten. Naya’s story reminds us that long ago, horses offered humans a choice about how to be in relationship, not only with horses, but with each other and the rest of nature. Six thousand years later, despite everything, the horses have stuck with us and continue to offer us the same lessons and the same choices. They still have so much to teach us about what’s possible when it comes to being human. More than any other species, they possess a unique capacity to call us to be our best selves.
The emotional core of the novel often rests in unspoken bonds — between Naya and Amu, Naya and her grandmother, and Naya and the red filly. Why do you think nonverbal or spiritual bonds can be stronger than spoken ones?
Naya is called by the red filly to see with the eyes of your heart and create ties without the use of a rope. We could just as easily add speak with the touch of a hand rather than the words that come out of your mouth. Relationship at this level comes from a place beyond words. Indeed, language can be a limiting factor, constraining our understanding of what’s possible within boundaries dictated by what can be articulated. Sometimes there are no words, and no words are necessary.
You show that true connection with another being requires deep listening and patience. How do you think this lesson applies to today’s fast-moving world?
Forced to spend the winter far from home, recuperating from a near-fatal accident with only her mother and two strangers for company, Naya is given the gifts of time and space. With little to do and nowhere to go, she has no choice but to surrender to simply being with the wild horses. For all of us, as for Naya, believing in the value of taking the time and space to slow down, be present and pay attention can sometimes be a hard lesson. We resist, find excuses, abandon good intentions… until life finds a way to remind us that productivity is not the measure of self-worth. Contrary to what our culture so often wants to insist, it’s okay to just BE, rather than always having to DO. As Naya discovers, having the patience to be still and listen is what enables us to hear the quiet wisdom of our own inner voice.
Without giving too much away, what larger forces — internal or external — will Naya have to face as her story continues?
In Book Two, Naya returns to her people, only to discover that enemies of her father seek to exploit the horses she has tamed in order to undermine her father’s position as clan chief. She must decide whether protecting the horses and remaining loyal to her father require her to renounce her sacred gifts and sacrifice her heart’s desire. What follows is a feminist twist on the classic hero’s journey, in which Naya discovers both the courage to feel and the willingness to act.
About Sarah V. Barnes
Sarah V. Barnes is both an historian and a horsewoman. When she is not writing stories, she practices and teaches riding as a meditative art. She also offers equine-facilitated coaching and wellness workshops. Sarah holds a Ph.D. in history from Northwestern University and spent many years as a college professor before turning full-time to riding and writing. She as two grown daughters and lives with her husband, dogs and horses near Boulder, CO.
