Nicholas Evans, the author of the bestselling book The Horse Whisperer, has died on 9 August from a heart attack, aged 72.
Nicholas was born in Worcestershire and studied law at Oxford University, graduating with first-class honours. He worked as a journalist and later moved into television production.
The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas’ debut novel, was published in 1995. It became a number one bestseller in more than 20 countries and was published in 36 languages.
Nicholas was inspired when he learned about a man called John Solomon Rarey from Ohio, who was asked by Queen Victoria to come to Windsor Castle to tame a horse in 1858. Nicholas also travelled to the United States to watch the work of horseman Tom Dorrance, Ray Hunt, and Buck Brannaman and in 1994 he started writing the book.
The plot of love and tragedy follows young rider Grace MacLean and her horse Pilgrim, whose lives change when they are struck by a vehicle. Grace’s mother Annie reads about Tom Booker, a man that can heal troubled horses – and Annie and Grace leave New York for Montana, in the hope Tom can heal Pilgrim.
Robert Redford starring as Tom Booker in the film adaption of The Horse Whisperer
The book was made into a film and released in 1998, directed by and starring Robert Redford as Tom Booker. A young Scarlett Johansson played Grace MacLean, and Kristin Scott Thomas starred as Annie. The film – which features a different ending from the book – made more than $186,000,000 worldwide, and received mixed reviews from critics and horse fans.
In a blog in November 2020, the 25th anniversary of The Horse Whisperer, Nicholas said the book was not about horses, but about how easy it is for people to get lost and separate from things in life that truly matter.
He went on to release four more novels; The Loop in 1998, The Divide in 2005, The Smoke Jumper in 2006 and The Brave in 2010.
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