L. M. Elliott

I love getting lost in a good horse book, as well as a good historical fiction novel, so when the two combine well in the same story it's a treat! This middle grade "tween" novel is a very well-written story about found family and resilience in the face of hardship, and the joys of the bond between horse and rider. Excellent historical setting: 1932, Great Depression, Virginia farm country, heavy drought making things worse for farmers and townsfolk alike. The author gives just enough detail to set the stage and keep the story moving, leaving the author's note at the end for a brief description of the causes of the Crash and what the New Deal was, etc. for young readers who might not know. Bea, 13, and her sister Vivian, 8, are abandoned by their father after a period of riding the rails and trying to find work. He's left them hidden on a horse farm with instructions to tell the owner, crotchety Mrs. Scott, to take them in because the girls' mom was college friends with Scott's daughter. But Bea-- stubborn, independent, hesitant to trust adults, and scared she'll be separated from her sister-- keeps this relationship secret from Mrs. Scott, even when they're discovered after Bea saves the life of the cantankerous unnamed chestnut horse that no one on the farm can get close to, let alone ride. This plotline is somewhat predictable from many many other "girl and horse" books, but it's handled very deftly here and is woven in with many others in the story. Bea convinces Mrs. Scott to let them stay in exchange for helping on the farm, and gradually Bea wins her over and gets some serious riding lessons as together she and Mrs. Scott hatch a plan to pay off the farm's debts by competing in horse shows and selling horses. But will they have to sell her favorite, the chestnut with whom she's bonded? There are side plots involving wealthy horse owners, farm foreclosure auctions, Malachi the blind Black World War I veteran, charlatan rainmakers, the Bonus March on Washington, and FDR's first campaign for president that weave seamlessly in and out of the horse scenes. Fantastic writing and great character development of Bea and of Mrs. Scott. I appreciated learning in the author's note how the author based Scott's character on an amalgamation of several real horsewomen of the time, as well as her own daughter's horse trainer.… (more)