The Brat and the Bullfighter

“A modern-day Black Beauty. The Brat and the Bullfighter is the horse book you didn’t know you needed—a story that carries us across continents and decades, through grief into healing, and deep into the complex, life-altering bond between horse and human. By turns funny, tender, and deeply honest, this is a love story that reminds us what it means to listen, to trust, and to be changed—by animals, by loss, and by love.”—Laura Munson, New York Times best-selling author and founder of the acclaimed Haven Writing Retreats
“I dare anyone to resist falling in love with this book. Rich in serious humor, honest self-doubt, and tender ferocity, The Brat and the Bullfighter grabs you from its first pages and holds on tight. As a truly original love story, it’s also a timely reminder to listen with our hearts and to find our teachers in unexpected places.”—Elizabeth Rosner, author of Third Ear and Survivor Cafe
“A magically lyrical memoir … This clever narrative dares the reader to suspend disbelief in order to acknowledge truth and insight can be more clearly revealed through a perspective other than human.”—Patricia Wood, author of Lottery
“The Brat and the Bullfighter is an exquisitely written ballad between a horse and a woman that unfolds slowly and beautifully in two parallel memoirs.”—Carol Odell, LICSW, author of Girl, Groomed
“Erin shares how horses are the ultimate guides, shaping our creative, emotional, and even love lives. They provide a unique framework and lens through which to view life. A lens that is spiritual and, at times, terrifying. But always, horses are a gift.”—Christy Cashman, author of The Truth about Horses
“An unforgettable tale about finding those who heal us.”—Lisa Cheek, author of Sit, Cinderella, Sit

Erin O’Malley is a lifelong horse lover and reluctant extrovert. She began her career in Paris, working for Hearst Publications on titles like Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and Town & Country, before transitioning into tech, where she focused on marketing and content strategy. She credits her love of telling stories to her upbringing as an Army brat—always moving, ever shy. The Brat and the Bullfighter is her debut, told from two perspectives: a girl and the horse who saves her. She lives near Seattle with her husband, three horses, and three dogs.

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