Into the Fire

Learning of Kim Schaumburg's first novel Her Last Race was kind of a treat for me. We have a history in horse racing - Kim, a former jockey - and as our careers in the industry ended, we both have written novels focused around the sport of horse racing. Our approaches definitely differ, but there's no mistaking we know the industry from the inside out. Published by Black Rose Writing, Her Last Race takes a look at the sport from a female jockey's perspective set in the 90s.

Nikki (Nicole) Summers spent most of her youth growing up with an aunt and her two cousins when her unmarried mother walked away from her daughter and went on to change her last name and pursue life on the racetrack, following in her father's footsteps as a horse trainer and eventually  becoming successful at northern California tracks. Nikki hasn't seen or spoken to her mother in years after her efforts to communicate were ignored. Having become a jockey much to her aunt's dismay, Nikki suffers through the dismal weather and cheap mounts at lesser tracks outside of California often hearing of her mother's successes.

After an inevitable accident, Nikki travels south to the track where her mother trains a stable and holds the lead in the trainers' standings. Nikki plans to give her mother a piece of her mind but winds up accepting and winning on mounts that belong to her mom's fiercest competitor.

Rachel Nottingham, Nikki's mother, refuses to ride women jockeys but agrees to use Nikki at the training center on an outlaw filly after, in their brief tumultuous conversations, Nikki convinces Rachel she can mellow the filly. Over time Nikki accomplishes what no one else has been able to do with the horse as well as continuing to win on a high percentage of the horses she rides. Nikki starts riding with a vengeance she's never possessed putting winning above all else, much like her mother's done in her career. In the process the once sensitive and tender Nikki begins to emulate her mother's lifestyle.

A story which gives readers a view of the underside of horse racing as well as the upside, it also portrays a damaged family unable to put the past where it belongs in order to mend the pain which only increases as Rachel and her daughter fail to admit or express their pain to each other or anyone else. Two hard stubborn women who've chosen to survive by burying their grief discover it really can't be hidden forever.

When the ruthless pursuit of winning backfires, the intensity of that decision leads to the words of the chosen title of this novel. Written with some clever dialogue and interesting character development, the story gives the reader a welcome and not unexpected conclusion.

If you can overlook the sometimes crude and vulgar (but not inaccurate) language factor and situations in this novel, Her Last Race by Kim Schaumburg gives you a story of relationships gone wrong and ripe for recovery centered on the often cutthroat vista of horse racing.

(Also available on Kindle)

Father, I pray you would continue to inspire Kim. Let her talent fulfill the plans you have for her. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.