52 pages • 1-hour read
A Photo Finish
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Background
Series Context: Gold Rush Ranch
A Photo Finish is the second book in the Gold Rush Ranch series by Canadian author Elsie Silver. The series takes place at the eponymous Gold Rush Ranch, which trains race horses on the west coast of Canada, near Vancouver. The first book in the series, Off to the Races (2021), features horse trainer Billie Black as she develops a romantic relationship with ranch owner Vaughn Harding. The novel delves into their family histories and introduces readers to the intricacies of horse racing and ranch life. At the novel’s end, Billie accepts Vaughn’s marriage proposal. Other events at the end of Off to the Races overlap with those at the beginning of A Photo Finish: Violet wins the Denman Derby while riding Double Diablo (DD), Billie’s beloved racehorse. In addition, the flashback timeline in A Photo Finish alludes to various incidents in the first book, a tool that both orients readers to the timeline of the second book and offers a nod to those who have been following the series.
At the end of each novel in the series, Silver foreshadows the events in the next installment by highlighting characteristics of or mysterious circumstances surrounding minor characters that become central in the next novel. In Off to the Races, the protagonist in A Photo Finish, Violet, becomes increasingly present as the text continues; the novel ends with a cliffhanger comment between her and Cole that alludes to their shared past. The full history behind this past isn’t revealed until midway through A Photo Finish. In A Photo Finish, meanwhile, Mira Thorne’s increasing presence foreshadows her status as the protagonist in the third novel, The Front Runner (2021). Similarly, the reappearance of Stefan Dalca, Vaughn’s enemy from Off to the Races, presages his redemption arc and protagonist status in the third installment in the series.
Silver’s other series have a looser overlap with the books in the Gold Rush Ranch series; the Chestnut Springs series, which begins with Flawless (2022), features Violet’s brothers.
Medical Context: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition the symptoms of which include flashbacks, nightmares, extreme anxiety, and intrusive thoughts. These symptoms may become associated with a PTSD diagnosis when they begin after a traumatic event or series of events. PTSD symptoms may begin months or years following the traumatic event (“Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).” Mayo Clinic).
Symptoms of PTSD can vary in intensity, but practitioners generally consider it as a diagnosis if flashbacks or other trauma-related stressors persist for longer than a month. Psychotherapy, or talk therapy, is the most common form of treatment for PTSD. Some therapists may advise the use of cognitive therapy, which seeks to help patients rewrite common negative thought patterns, or exposure therapy, which guides patients in safely confronting fears to help them cope with the emotions those fears elicit.
In A Photo Finish, Cole experiences PSTD symptoms that he frames as being largely “under control” due to his multiple years of therapy. Though Cole cites his experience in the military in connection with some of his PTSD symptoms, such as his hypervigilance in detecting exit routes, he sees his father’s death as having a far greater role in his symptoms. The novel presents Cole’s journey in improving his mental health as ongoing, emphasizing The Merit of Progress Over Perfection in Mental Healthcare. Cole’s ability to value his love with Violet even though he still experiences PTSD symptoms is central to his character arc in the text.
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