HIGHLANDS RANCH, Colo., Oct. 24, 2002 (PRIMEZONE) -- "Shuttlefoot" (now available from 1stBooks Library) is a novel about a boy and his beloved horse, set in the Colorado plains in the 1920s and 1940s, showcasing the writing talents of author James R. Vawter.
James R. Vawter says, "The Great Depression and Dust Bowl years are vivid in my memory. Lessons I learned from my homesteading parents during those years inspired much of the solid value system and the resourcefulness that are portrayed by the characters in the story."
He writes: "Ron, a five-year old boy, is responsible for the rescue of a tiny orphan foal. Patsy, the little filly, becomes Ron's beloved saddle mare, but proves to be a source of embarrassment to his father, Preston, who always prided himself on the quality of his riding stock. He calls Patsy `Shuttlefoot' because of her unusual gait. Ron strives to win his father's approval for himself and Patsy. Sarah, his mother, serves as a buffer when she feels that Preston demands too much of their son.
"Ron faces the very real challenge of keeping Patsy alive when drought and lack of feed makes mercy killings commonplace. The final crisis comes when Ron, the only member of his family left in the area, must leave to join the armed forces. There is no one to care for his aging mare, and her only market value is for pet food. He is forced to make an agonizing decision."
James R. Vawter grew up in Colorado and is retired after thirty-three years of teaching in the Denver Public Schools. He says, "I shared much of my writing with upper grade elementary school children. Their responses encouraged me to continue."
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