Heartland (novel series)

"Heartland" is a twenty four-novel series written by Lauren Brooke. The series started in 2001 with "Coming Home" and is continuing with the latest book: "A Summer to Remember". The series is about a 15-year-old girl named Amy Fleming living in Virginia on a horse farm called "Heartland", where they heal horses. The owners of Heartland attempt to help abused horses by using psychologically based therapies instead of rough handling or force. Throughout this series, the main character, Amy, finds healing along with the horses that she treats every day. Eventually, Amy is faced with tough decisions that puts Heartland's future and fate in her hands.

It has been made into a TV series in Canada and is currently airing on the CBC network.

The series

#"Coming Home"
#"After the Storm"
#"Breaking Free"
#"Taking Chances"
#"Come What May"
#"One Day You'll Know"
#"Out of the Darkness"
#"Thicker than Water"
#"Every New Day"
#"Tomorrow's Promise"
#"True Enough"
#"Sooner or Later"
#"Darkest Hour"
#"Everything Changes"
#"Love is a Gift"
#"Holding Fast"
#"Season of Hope"
#"New Beginnings"
#"From This Day On"
#"Always There"

pecial editions

#"A Holiday Memory'
#"Beyond the Horizon"
#"Winter's Gift"
#"A Summer to Remember"
#"Amy's Journal"

Characters

Jack Bartlett - Amy and Lou's grandpa. Lily's step-grandpa. He is a kind man and often helps the girls with the horses and is sort of the counselor of characters in the books. He is the one who helps the girls get through their mother's death, and re-enters Tim Fleming, Amy and Lou's father into Amy and Lou's life. Holly's great grandpa. Jack has never forgiven Tim for leaving Marion after his accident.

Lou Fleming Terwin - Amy and Lily's 23 year old sister. With her British accent, people find it hard to see them as sisters. Lou is organized business side of it after her mother's death. She is married to Scott and they have a daughter named Holly. Lou's real name is Samantha Louise, but everyone calls her Lou. Amy and Lily look up to Lou. Lou is pracital and brave like Tim. Lou's really close to her dad and they where inseprable. Lou blamed horses for Tim's accident and for Marion's death.

Ty Baldwin - The stable hand at Heartland, having dropped out of high school to pursue a permanent position in Heartland. He helps cure the horses. Ty is Amy's other best friend. He helped her get through everything, understood her when no one else would or could. And then Ty and Amy become boyfriend and girlfriend in one of the other series.

Scott Trewin - The local vet to Heartland. Scott agrees with Heartland's alternative ways to treating horses, and is also Matt's big brother. He is married to Lou and is Amy and Lily's brother-in-law. Marion, Helen, and Tim's son-in-law. Jack's grandson-in-law. Scott and Lou have a daughter named Holly. In "Breaking Free" Scott had to put Tim's horse Pegasus to sleep after he got cancer. After Lou and Scott got married in "From This Day On" Scott began to take care of the horses and the ponies at Heartland for free.

Matt Trewin - Amy's other best friend. He likes Amy very much in the beginning, then Ashley Grant, but in the end, he realized he truly likes Soraya. He appears multiple times throughout the series. Matt eventually breaks up with Soraya. In "From This Day On" he becomes Amy, Lily, Lou's brother-in-law, Marion, Helen, and Tim's son-in-law, and Jack's grandson-in-law. Later on he becomes an uncle when Holly's born.

Soraya Martin - Amy's best friend. Amy and Soraya have been best friends since the 3rd grade. She helps Amy through hard times and also loves horses herself, resulting in her countless trail rides with Amy. She used to like Ben Stillman, but her boyfriend is Matt Trewin until he breaks up with her.

Ashley Grant - The biggest snob in school. Her mother trains push-button ponies at a rival stable called Green Briar. Ashley competes in equine shows against Amy sometimes, but this does not improve Amy and Ashley's relationship. Amy is disgusted by the Grants' use of whips and crops.

Val Grant - Ashley's mom and Ted's wife. Val has short blond hair and perfect white teeth. The owner of Green Briar Heartland's rival. Val's overbearing, the trainer at Green Briar, and a control freak. Like Ashley and Ted Val's snobby and stuck up. Val belives in force, very firm discipline, and useing whips and crops on her horses and many of her students agree with her. Val considers it a waste of time to develop a relationship with horses. Val schools her ponies to respond to the commands of any rider and her horses learn to excel in one area and will compleate a course to win. Val, Tedd, and Ashley are always trying to shut Heartland down. Deep down Val, Tedd, and Ashley are jealous because Heartland's better than Green Briar.

Ted Grant- Ashley's dad and Val's wife. Tedd helps Val run Green Briar. Like Ashley and Val Ted's snobby and stuck up.

Tim Fleming - Lou and Amy's father, they have not seen each other since Amy was 3; their relationship evolves as the series progresses. He left Amy and her family after he was in an accident and unable to cope with the accident. Tim and Pegasus were competing in a show and Pegasus fell on him and hurt his neck, so his unable to ride anymore, because of the risk of falling. After his accident Tim was paralyzed for a while . After a while though he found out where Amy and her mom were living and he sent a letter asking if he could come back, but Tim never got a response.Then, in the eighth book, he comes to visit Lou and Amy, where Amy finds out she is closer to her father then she thinks.He now is remarried to Helena and has another daughter, Lily. Marion's ex-husband and Jack's ex-son-in-law. Holly's grandpa.

Daniel - Amy's good friend. He works at Nick Halliwell's barn and competes horses in shows. One of the horses is Storm. Storm was Amy's horse but then she decided that she wanted to focus more on helping troubled horses. She sold Storm to Nick and now Daniel is competing him in shows for Nick. In one instant, it is shown that Daniel has feelings for Amy.

Ben Stillman - He used to work at Heartland but realized that he wanted to focus more on his competing skills more than his skill with troubled horses. He went to work for Nick Halliwell as well as Daniel. They both compete horses, Ben with his horse, Red, and Daniel with Storm. Ben's aunt sent him to work at Heartland.

Amy Fleming - The main character and ended up in the hospital after a horse trailer accident. A fifteen-year-old girl with light brown hair and gray eyes. After the death of her mother, Amy is dramatically challenged. With the help of all of her friends and family though, she pulls through. She decides to take over her mother's work in healing horses. Her many talents have cured and saved so many. And despite what anyone says, she stays strong to her beliefs. Over the years, her relationship with Ty, the seventeen-year-old stable hand, changes from ordinary friends, to boyfriend and girlfriend. Amy faces hard challenges in her life especially when it comes to deciding her future; college or Heartland. Amy has a brief cameo in the Chestnut Hill series. Amy and Spartan are the only survivors after the horse trailer accident during a thunder storm that killed Marion while they where on their way home from rescuing Spartan after Amy talked her mom into rescuing him. Holly's aunt.

Helena Fleming - Tim's second wife, Lou and Amy's stepmother, and Lily's mom.

Lily Fleming - Tim and Helena's daughter. Lou and Amy's little sister. Lily's sweet and enjoys spending time with her sisters. She loves looking and pictures of Lou and Amy. Holly's aunt. Lily looks up to Amy and Lou.

Marion Bartlett Fleming - Jack's daughter. A horse whisperer. Lou and Amy's mother and Tim's ex-wife. Lily's step-mom. Marion was killed in a horse trailer accident during a thunder storm when she and Amy where on their way home after they rescued Spartan. Marion died doing what she loved and was happy that they did the right thing by rescuing Spartan. Marion was stuborn and used herbal remodies. Thanks to Marion Pegasus was healed after Tim's accident. Marion started Heartland after Tim abandoned her.

Holly Marion Fleming - Lou and Scott's daughter. Jack's great granddaughter. Marion and Tim's granddaughter. Helen's step-granddaughter. Amy, Lily, and Matt's niece. Holly's shy at first, but she eventually warms up to Amy. Holly is born in a special edition of "A Winter's Gift".

External links

* [http://www.scholastic.com/titles/heartland Scholastic Site]
* [http://www.laurenbrookefans.com/heartlandcharacters.htm More character profiles from an unofficial fan site]