According to The Los Angeles Times, the manuscript for "The Horse Whisperer" sparked a fierce bidding war among publishers. Nicholas Evans ultimately scooped up $3.15 million for it. Selling the movie rights earned him a further $3 million — an unprecedented sum for a first novel.
Publishers Weekly listed the novel's themes as "worldly success versus the simple life, the redeeming power of love, the mystique of animals." The book's publication in 1995 landed Evans on The New York Times best-seller list alongside the likes of Pat Conroy, Danielle Steel, and Anne Rice, who passed away mere months before Evans in December 2021. Evans' beloved book has gone on to sell over 15 million copies (per AP News).
Robert Redford directed and starred in the movie adaptation of the story, released in 1998 (per IMDb). The film also starred Kristin Scott Thomas, Sam Neill, and a young Scarlett Johansson. A musical adaptation of "The Horse Whisperer" was in the works at the time of Evans' death.
"For three or four years my feet didn't touch the ground," Evans told The Guardian, referring to his most famous story's monumental success. "I think that I have been amazingly lucky."
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