The Willing Horse, Heather Forsman
Published by Mary Egan Publishing
10 November 2026
Paperback, 280 Pages, RRP $40.00
ISBN: 978-1-991436-14-6
Eleven children, a fierce mother – a story of survival
‘A willing horse’ was how Norma Ashton-Warner often described herself; who worked hard for others and without complaint. She married in Depression-era New Zealand, and her brood eventually grew to eleven, raised on farms from Manawatū to the shadows of Mt Taranaki and then on to the isolated northern West Coast of Omamari. Like the pioneering women before her, she found herself caught in a spiral of necessary self-sacrifice.
Widowhood brought out Norma’s grit, but also a ruthlessness in trying to cast off the shackles of motherhood. Heather, her last born, describes a vivacious, demanding and at times reckless woman whose deep frustration at getting less from life than she felt she deserved caused brutal emotional fallout for those around her.
The Willing Horse is a daughter’s search for a fuller picture of her mother, a way to understand her, appreciate her, and eventually forgive her. It is a story of insight and healing across generations, for anyone who has loved a complicated parent and wondered who they really were.
About the Author
Heather Forsman grew up the youngest of eleven in a blended family, her childhood spent on the move between farms, small towns and boarding schools, from Manawatū, Taranaki to Northland. Her father died when she was just five, and as the youngest, she later became the one to care for her mother, fulfilling a prophecy made by her grandmother at her birth. Heather married John, her teenage sweetheart, and together they raised three children, now grown with families of their own. Her working life took her from the primary classroom to lecturing in child development, and in her forties she and John established a vineyard, produced their own wine, and created a five-star lodge in Matakana, north of Auckland. They still live in Matakana today. The Willing Horse is her first book.
Heather Forsman is available for interview. Extracts and images are available on request.
Media contact: Rebecca Simpson
Email: rebecca@fantailcommunications.co.nz
Mobile: 021 955 942