Wild Horses

Shope, Ashten L

Wild Horses

Date

2022-03-23

Authors

Shope, Ashten L

Publisher

East Carolina University

Abstract

Wild Horses is a Literary Fiction novel that intersects with Queer and Indigenous Literature. The narrative is a close third point of view following the perspectives of primary protagonist, Amanda Sloan (Mara), her father, Joel Sloan, and Jonathan (Jack) Aldridge. The plot explores the issues of trans-female identity, sex trafficking, addiction, Queer-family dynamics, Indigenous rights, and the overcoming of societal violence. The novel's primary narrative is juxtaposed with the Umatilla version of the Sahaptin myth, Coyote and the River Monster, a traditional origin story told by many tribes of the Columbia River basin in Oregon. The thesis is the first section of the novel, which opens with teenage Mara being coyoted back over the US-Mexican border after her sex-reassignment surgery where she then finds herself embroiled in a sex trafficking ring. She is trafficked with other trans women, many of whom are trans women of color. The narrative alternates both in POV and time between teenage Mara/adult Amanda, Joel, and Jack. In the subsequent chapters, Amanda returns to her hometown of Little Creek, Oregon to rebuild her family's derelict ranch and reestablish herself within her homeland.