The Foal in the Wire

An astonishingly raw and beautiful verse novel about survival, love and the bonds between humans and animals from an important young Australian poet.

Sam, a teenager, lives on a farm with his mother and emotionally distant father, a horse trainer.

Haunted by trauma and depression, struggling with school and disillusioned with his home life following the death of his older brother, Sam's life changes when he finds a wounded foal tangled in barbed wire in one of the paddocks at the edge of their property.

In the course of rescuing and caring for the foal, he becomes close with Julia, a troubled girl from the next property.

The Foal in the Wire is the deeply moving and inspiring story of Sam, his love for a girl and the horse that brings them together.

Praise for The Foal in the Wire

'Reading The Foal in the Wire, I knew I was in the hands of a trustworthy storyteller whose lyricism and brave honesty seized me from the first page and lasted until the very last words of the final chapter' - RON KOERTGE

'The real deal' - SONYA HARTNETT

'A tender novel of hope and healing' - STEVEN HERRICK

'A heartbreaking novel in verse that explores the redeeming qualities of love and friendship amid a backdrop of family violence and despair. Robbie Coburn's poetry smoulders with pain and grief, love and loss, redemption and hope. An unforgettable story of beauty' - SHARON KERNOT

'This is a captivating and moving story, told in a unique way, of a misfit boy and girl who find hope because of their love for a foal' - LOUIS NOWRA