Bea wakes to Daddy’s note in a hayloft, where he abandoned her with her little sister after the stock market crash took everything: Daddy’s job at the bank, their home, Mama’s health and life. How is Bea supposed to convince the imposing Mrs. Scott to take in two stray children? Mrs. Scott’s money and Virginia farm are drying up in a drought and the Great Depression, too. She might have to sell her beautiful horses, starting with a dangerous chestnut that has caused tragedy in the past and injures her stableman shortly after Bea arrives.
But wrestling with her own hurts and fears, Bea understands the chestnut’s skittish distrust. She sees hope in the powerful jumper — if he can compete at horse shows, they might save the farm, and maybe Bea can even win a place in Mrs. Scott’s heart. This lyrical middle grade historical novel set during the Great Depression from award-winning author L. M. Elliott is a moving tale of the spirit of American persistence, found family, and the magical partnership between girl and horse.
"Elliott weaves in historical threads: near-historic droughts in Virginia in 1930 and 1932, 1919 race riots in which Black World War I veterans were attacked, the racially integrated Bonus Army’s 1932 march to Washington, and presidential hopeful Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal.... Hurrah for bold riders and the horses who love them." — Kirkus Reviews
Recommended Age | 10 - 13 |
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Author | L. M. Elliott |
ISBN | 006321900X |
Publication Date | Mar 28, 2023 |
Publisher | Katherine Tegen Books |
Language | English |