Willowstep and the Gentle Path: Book Nine (Painted Path Series 9)

Samantha is fifteen—and furious. Life has given her more loss than love, and she’s learned to survive by shutting out the world. Anger is safer than sadness. Walls are easier than trust. But when she’s sent to live on a quiet farm for the summer, everything changes… because that’s where she meets Willowstep.

Willowstep is a Gypsy Vanner horse with eyes like rain and a soul full of stillness. She doesn’t rush. She doesn’t push. She simply waits—patient and kind—until Samantha begins to notice something she’s never felt before: safety. And slowly, with each gentle moment, Samantha begins to unravel the grief she buried long ago.

This is not a story about fixing broken things. It’s about softening what became hard. It’s about remembering what it feels like to be held without judgment. Through long walks, whispered truths, and quiet rides beneath the stars, Samantha learns that kindness isn’t weakness—it’s a kind of courage.

With lyrical prose and powerful emotion, Trudy Myrland weaves a story for anyone who has ever felt too much, loved too hard, or lost their way. Willowstep and the Gentle Path reminds us that healing doesn’t always gallop in with a roar. Sometimes, it arrives on four hooves and a breath of warm wind.

Perfect for readers who love horse stories with heart, coming-of-age journeys, and gentle emotional wisdom. Ideal for ages 10+, this book will speak to teens, horse lovers, and grown-ups alike—especially those ready to walk the path of kindness.