A THERAPIST who helps people with her sheep and horses will be talking about her work and subsequent books at an event in Pickering next week.

At an evening event at Pickering Book Tree, Grace Olson will discuss her two books for adults, her work helping people as a therapist, and her experience of filming for recent episodes of The Yorkshire Vet with her therapy sheep.

Grace began writing during lockdown. Her debut, The Yard: How A Horse Healed My Heart, found early word-of-mouth success, selling more than 1000 copies in eight weeks. Grace and her books have since been featured in Horse and Hound, Take a Break magazine and Absolutely Yorkshire among many other places.

On her books, Grace commented that they “appeal to people who love James Herriot, Gerald Durrell and Bill Bryson. They are funny yet also very thought provoking.”

As well as writing, Grace specialises in helping terminally ill people to be free from the fear of dying with her team of therapy sheep and horses. Book sales subsidise her therapy work so that she is able to treat people for free.

"Helping others is the theme of my life,” said Grace. “I have been a therapist for 30 years, helping people with a wide range of problems. My goal is to set up a therapy farm with the proceeds from my books."

Following the success of The Yard, Grace published her second book for adults in June 2024. The Farm: My Journey Deepens tells a new story of personal transformation, this time her path to healing unresolved childhood trauma with the help of the feral pony who charged into her life, the Yorkshire countryside, and the people she’s met along the way.

“Both The Yard and its sequel The Farm are gorgeously warm, heartfelt, funny reads,” said Cathy Bundy, who manages Pickering Book Tree along with her parents Andrew and Stephanie.

“Grace talks about some difficult things — postnatal depression, bullying, low self-esteem — but her books are about healing. Grace’s writing is so easy to read, she brings her journey to life for the reader, and the natural humour in her storytelling makes her books both moving and uplifting.”

Grace will visit Pickering Book Tree on Tuesday, August 13.

Tickets are free of charge, but early booking is advised for the best chance of securing spaces. The event will be held in the bookshop’s upstairs performance space, and doors will open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.

Further information and tickets can be found on the bookshop’s website: www.pickeringbooktree.co.uk. Tickets can also be booked in person at Pickering Book Tree on Market Place, or by emailing the shop: enquiries@pickeringbooktree.co.uk.