The dynamics of brothers are endless and in constant motion.
Being a middle kid, with two older sisters and two younger brothers, I grew up watching my brothers play and bond in ways we sisters just didn't do. They were wild and funny and crazy and sweet. Though they were both unique in their own ways, early in their years, they became friends. And still are.
As I grew up and moved on in life, it often bewildered me to discover other brothers often had very different relationships than that of my own brothers. So I watched. I studied.
My two cousins from North Dakota always fascinated me. Not only were they goofy balls of energy, they were so talented and creative! They would ride their bikes to the junkyard and bring home … well … junk to fix up something broken on their farm, or to make something new from scratch. Old washing machines, scrap metal, tires, you name it, they could breathe life back into it. Problem-solvers to the max. I admired them so, and still do.
Another set of brothers (these from my grown-up days), also from North Dakota, grew up among several other brothers and sisters. Frank and Leo Kuntz helped the family farm function, as so many large farm families did back in the day. Riding as soon as they could walk, they grew up on the back of a horse, making them into two amazing horsemen, trainers, and breeders. But these two specific brothers found early in their adult years that they shared a very unique, common passion - one that would tie them together forever. The Nokota horses.
Once Frank and Leo had time to study the horses in the Theodore Roosevelt National Park, it didn't take long for them both to recognize these horses' strong bone, iron-like constitution, curiosity, intelligence, and empathetic heart. Perhaps they saw much of themselves - Vietnam veterans and later cancer survivors - in these horses. Regardless, they had the foresight to know just how special the horses were. Together, the brothers joined forces to protect as many of these descendants of Sitting Bull's war ponies as they could in order to preserve and maintain their bloodlines for future generations. And though Leo passed away in 2018, Frank warriors on in the fight still to this day.
The brothers often didn't see eye to eye on many things. Emotions sometimes got the better of them. Life circumstances toyed with their relationships and responsibilities. But when it came to the horses - their passion and commitment to saving them - that was where they could always agree.
In Nokota Voices, the brothers - Heath and Henry, Griff and Lenny, and Tate and Remy - are fictional, but the real-life brothers I've known provided inspiration. From antics to temperaments, I tried my best to create as vivid, and hopefully relatable, characters as possible. In the end, however, it's the relationships that I hope you remember most.
Here's to all your brothers! Maybe someone is out there watching them too.
I had two brothers, one ten years older than me, and the other ten years younger. So they didn't have much in common. I adored my older brother and idolized him until he left home, drafted by the French military to serve in Algeria. When he returned, he was a grown man changed by war, and I was still too young to relate. As for my younger brother, I left home before he became interesting, and we were never close. So my sibling relationships were with my two sisters. Thanks for sharing this special bond between your brothers and the horses they loved.
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