Author: Sarah Lean
Published: Harper Collins, 2013
Genre: Middle-grade, Coming of Age
Rating: 5/5
So, a few weeks ago I went to my local bookshop The Toadstool to browse through the middle-grade reader horse novels. For years as a child, my mother brought me to this bookstore so I could by a new Saddle Club book or some other horse related novel. Even though I am now an adult, part of me still enjoys reading books about young girls healed by horses.
Nell is not too pleased about spending her spring break with her aunt and cousins on the farm. But, Nell's mom is too busy working, and maybe too busy trying to forget about Nell's father. Something important is taken from Nell by another girl riding a horse, and Nell will do anything to get back her treasure. Nell meets Rita, an older women whose husband's recent death is forcing her to sell her herd of 99 horses. The connection between Rita and the other girl, Angel, is revealed and Nell and Angel forge an unlikely friendship based on their need for affection and understanding.
There is an old truth of horse bringing people together, and this novel captures that truth in character and plot. The writing is fluid and the characters grow with each encounter and challenge they face. I would recommend this novel to horse lovers and parents whose daughters might be facing a difficult time.
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