Sweetbriars

Leaving The City, won the best Young Adult Fiction Winnie Award at the 2018 EQUUS Film Festival.

Welcome to the yard! Come and meet the girls... Cate, Tabby and Violet.

Cate is uprooted from life as she has known it. Along with her family and her palomino show pony Odette, she moves to a charming farm deep in the English countryside. Cate is torn.

Upon moving to horse heaven, she had to leave behind her best friend Beth and her beloved horse-riding instructor Bridget. On the other hand, she has fallen in love with Sweetbriars, the farm her family has bought to make their dreams come true.

Setting up an equestrian centre at Sweetbriars is fun to Cate, but settling into a new school and having a stern Pony Club riding instructor that teaches dressage is less so.

At school, Cate makes friends with Violet who is confident and wacky, and through Pony Club she gets to know Tabby who is sweet and popular but hides a family secret. When the eccentric neighbour Sophia becomes a regular 'drop-in' to the farm, Cate begins to learn about acceptance and what friendships really mean. The girls' lives will be intertwined in ways they could never have imagined thanks to their shared passion for horses and Cate's determination to make Sweetbriars a success.

Will Cate ever settle into living in the countryside?

Horse & Hound. "The book every horsey child needs to read. A fantastic story recommended to all horse lovers. Packed with a mixture of friendship, horses and a love of the countryside, the book really is a must-read."
Readers' Favorite, 5 Star Review. "The first of a series, Sweetbriars is the stuff of horse lovers' dreams."
Deanie Humphrys-Dunne, Children's Author. "It's a must-have for horse lovers, who will not only love the story but also learn a great deal about horses."
Author, Susan Marie Molloy. "What an absolutely sweet and engaging story! This story swept me away."
Horse Book Reviews Blog. "A delightful story about a young horse lover in England... A coming-of-age story with lovely equine details."
Coffee & Reviews Book Blog. "I would put it in a horse-fairy-tale category if there was such a genre. Absolutely lovely read. Highly recommended!"