Days of Sun and Shadow

Born into tragedy but gifted with a powerful connection to the natural world, a resilient young woman comes of age amid the wild beauty of early-1800s Alabama, Arkansas, and Texas in this incandescent, hauntingly moving epic about home, horses, human connection, and the transcendent awe of nature for readers of Go As a River and The Giver of Stars.

Alabama, 1813: In the midst of the battle and massacre at Fort Mims, a baby is born. It's a portentous beginning for Emilie McCain, who has inherited the Sight--visions that come in dreams guided by an owl. Owl is Emilie's steadfast companion, a welcome balance to her mother's neglect. Along with the Sight, Emilie possesses an innate talent for communicating with horses. In an era when a woman legally belongs to her husband, such gifts may be the only things that are hers to keep.

The family makes a perilous move to Arkansas Territory, where Emilie becomes a master horse trainer and leatherworker. For all her skill with horses, Emilie sometimes fails to see the dark truth about the people she encounters. Other dangers, even when predicted, may be impossible to defend against--yellow fever, greed, vengeance, and the unforgiving land itself.

Through love, marriage, heartache, and hardship, Emilie gains strength and resilience. After years of avoiding emotional entanglements, she meets a man who presents her with a horse to be trained and an offer of friendship she could sorely use. But with his arrival come other tests of her will and her judgement. Finally, a shocking revelation inspires an act beyond her imagining--and may set her free to find the place she truly belongs . . .

Author: India Hayford
Publisher: John Scognamiglio Book
Published: 06/30/2026
Pages: 400
Binding Type: Paperback
Weight: 0.80lbs
Size: 8.20h x 5.40w x 1.30d
ISBN: 9781496753144

About the Author
India Hayford is a naturalist, teacher, historical reenactor, artist, and author. The recipient of the Neltje Blanchan Memorial Writing Award for best work informed by a relationship with the natural world, she is the author of two nonfiction books, a short story collection, and her debut novel, The Song of the Blue Bottle Tree, was an Arkansas Gems selection by the Arkansas Center for the Book. She also writes The Howl, a quarterly wildlife newsletter with national distribution, and her articles have appeared in various regional and national publications, including Threads and Needle Arts. A member of Member of Wyoming Writers and Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, she is a regular speaker at the Werner Wildlife Museum, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the Embroiderers Guild of America, and local historical and arts organizations. She was born in Arkansas, where her family roots go back to the 1830s and her family tree farm still stands in Hempstead County. She now lives with her husband in Wyoming, but she returns every year to visit the hills, swamps, and pine forests of southwest Arkansas. Visit her online at IndiaHayford.com.