A truly timeless adventure of a horse with an unbreakable spirit and a bond that eventually goes almost full circle. Animal lovers will love the story of Black Beauty even though the tears will be almost as frequent as the smiles. An essential read. This is the paperback edition but if you’re looking for a gift purchase then look no further than the Everyman’s Library edition. We also rate very highly a new edition from Oxford Children’s Books.
Black Beauty (with an Introduction by Meg Rosoff) Synopsis
Black Beauty is a marvellous animal, he lives a long, varied life and has many different owners who put him to all sorts of tasks, from being a riding and carriage horse on a country estate to a cab horse in town. His strength, sweet temper and fine instincts stay with him throughout his life.
Anna Sewell was born on March 30th 1820, in Norfolk in England and was crippled while still very young. As such, she spent much time on horse-drawn carriages that allowed her some freedom of movement, and she developed as a result a great concern for the proper treatment of animals. Sewell's mother was a successful writer for children and Sewell spent time editing the texts and becoming acquainted with writing.
Sewell wrote only one book: the famous and enduringly popular Black Beauty (1877). She lived as an invalid for most of her existence, and Black Beauty - the tale of a mistreated horse with a happy ending - was written entirely in the last decade of her life when she was confined to her house. The story came from the horse's mouth, literally, as the horse spoke of extremes of joy and suffering. It was perhaps this humanising of the beast that made it such as success both as a book and as a catalyst for change in people's attitudes towards animals.
