This is the most famous horse racing story ever put into print. A real exhilarating ride that features Velvet, a girl whose belief in a horse’s ability to win the greatest race – the Grand National – in spite of everyone else’s view otherwise. Velvet’s determination to achieve her dream just shows that when you put your mind to something you really believe in, you can accomplish just about anything. This is a must read for any boy or girl aged 9+.
"The book is one that horse lovers of every age cannot fail to enjoy." — The New York Times "Humorous, charming, National Velvet is a little masterpiece." — Time "Put on your not-to-be-missed list." — The New Yorker A butcher's daughter in a small Sussex town ends her nightly prayers with "Oh, God, give me horses, give me horses! Let me be the best rider in England!" The answer to fourteen-year-old Velvet Brown's plea materializes in the form of an unwanted piebald, raffled off in a village lottery, who turns out to be adept at jumping fences—exactly the sort of horse that could win the world's most famous steeplechase, the Grand National. Richly atmospheric of rural English life between the World Wars, National Velvet has enchanted generations of readers since its 1935 debut. The heroine's grit and determination, backed by the support of her eccentric and loving family, offer an inspiring example of the struggles and rewards of following a dream.
Enid Bagnold (1889-1981) was an author and playwright.
Enid Bagnold began her writing career in August 1913 on a magazine entitled, Modern Society, where she was employed a staff writer.
In 1924 she published the highly acclaimed novel, The Difficulty of Getting Married followed by the commercially successful National Velvet in 1935. National Velvet told the story of a butcher's daughter, Velvet Brown, who wins a horse in a raffle and, disguised as a boy, rides to victory in the Grand National. It was later made into a hugely successful film, with Elizabeth Taylor in the starring role. Her next novel, which she considered to be her best, was The Squire.
Bagnold also wrote a number of plays including Lottie Dundass, The Chalk Garden and a Matter of Gravity.
Enid married Sir Roderick Jones, chairman of Reuters, and had four children. Mostly brought up in Jamaica, she lived in Kent and Sussex, with a spell serving in France as a nurse and driver during World War I.
