The Best Good Horse is a collection of stories that celebrate both the rugged individual and the grace that comes when two people join forces. These are characters who are playing the cards that life has dealt them, ordinary people who would not stand out in a crowd; and although they are from different walks of life, they have one thing in common: they all live and die in a work-a-day world. From the dry farm fields of Texas to the damp streets of San Francisco, from the rodeo circuit to Mexico’s Sierra Madre, these characters meet life head-on and offer no apologies. Some names and faces are familiar from Archuleta’s other collections, but there is also a host of new characters who are every bit as unyielding, gritty, and engaging.

In the title story, an old cowboy befriends the young daughter of a ranch cook and becomes her protector as she grows up. In A Prayer to St. Michael, a World War II spy tries to adjust to living with human depravity in a small Texas town. Imperfections tells the story of an indigenous prostitute in Mexico who is beaten by her pimp. She summons incredible strength and cunning to come out on top.

Every story in this collection stuns and satisfies with its mix of sweet innocence and awful experience. The scope of problems confronted is breathtaking, and the volume is wrought with brilliant talent by Archuleta.