Author: Marguerite Henry
Published: 1960, republished 2014 by Aladdin Press
Genre: Middle grade, historical fiction
Rating: 5/5
The first book I received from the Scholastic book club in first grade was Sea Star: Orphan of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry. This book was a little beyond my reading abilities, but I tackled it anyways. I became a Marguerite Henry fanatic and started requesting all her novels for birthday or Christmas presents.
A couple of weeks ago, I went to my local bookstore and was browsing through the middle-grade readers, horse stories section. Amongst the classics I read as child, I found Gaudenzia, Pride of Palio. I was shocked as I realized I had never seen this novel all the years I spent reading nothing but horse books. Needless to say, I still enjoy reading middle-grade novels, even as an adult, and bought the one copy on the shelf.
Giorgio Terni is an idealistic young Italian boy who loves horses more than anything. His goal is to ride in the Palio horse race, which dates back to the Medieval ages. As he grows older, his reputation as a rider and trainer grows until he is invited to help train potential mounts for the Palio. He never forgets the filly he saw as a boy and hopes one day to find her again. Through fate, he and Gaudenzia find each other and he knows the skittish mare is destined to win the Palio.
This novel is an amazingly balanced story about both horse and human. The historical details are accurate and delivered through fantastic scenes that help shape the story's main character. Marguerite Henry's prose is nearly poetic as she brings horses to life in the pages of her story. I would recommend this novel be read by both children and adults who love to learn about horses in history.
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