Ellenor Flitch longs for a friend. After losing her father and with her mother always working, the thirteen-year-old spends her days in small-town Hillside feeling out of place and unseen. That is, until a silver-white mare named Viva and a neighbor boy named Jonas change everything.

Through the ups and downs of adolescence – loneliness, bullying, body image struggles, and questions of faith – Ellenor discovers unexpected strength in the bond of friendship and the gentle rhythm of hoofbeats. Time for Words is a tender coming-of-age story rooted in friendship, forgiveness, and faith. It captures both the ache and the hope of growing up, reminding readers that even in silence, God’s grace speaks.

“Today is the best day ever.” Ellenor exhaled into Viva’s nostrils. The mare blew back. The girl pressed her face close to the horse’s. “This is great. God sent you to be my friend. Now I never have to feel lonely again.”