The Horse and I: A Novel

A horse stood on the highway.

Yuko Setoguchi, a lonely clerk at a shipyard whose life has passed her by, is making her regular commute when she has a fateful encounter with a former racehorse, Strada, who seems to have escaped from his trailer just to cross her path. Yuko feels strangely compelled by Strada, following him to the outskirts of town, riding him at the struggling Mugikura Riding Club, and forging an instant and special connection. In a world overflowing with words, Yuko feels a love that is more powerful in its silence.

But in order to be with Strada, she will need more than just love; she needs money, too. And she knows just where to find it.

With dreams of restoring the horse to his former glory, Yuko turns to the shipyard union's coffers, falsifying the books and embezzling what she considers a temporary loan, but which rapidly exceeds a hundred million yen. And when a coworker discovers her secret, the pressure is on for Yuko to make a decision: turn herself in, or commit to making Strada a champion, regardless of the cost.