'The Little White Horse was my favourite childhood book. I absolutely adored it' - J K Rowling.
The Little White Horse by Elizabeth Goudge is a timeless classic, a novel that has been a favourite of many a child since it was first published back in 1947, the year in which it won the prestigious Carnegie Award. It is also much loved by J.K. Rowling. It is the story of Maria Merryweather, a plain (ginger!) orphan sent with her dyspeptic governess to live with her only surviving relative, Sir Benjamin, in the picturesque Moonacre valley. There she discovers a mystery and an ancient wrong that only she, her friend Robin, and their variously magical animal friends must put right in order to bring peace to the land.
The beautiful valley of Moonacre is shadowed by the memory of the Moon Princess and the mysterious little white horse. When Maria Merryweather comes there on a visit she finds herself involved in an ancient feud. She is determined to restore peace and happiness to the whole of Moonacre Valley.
Elizabeth Goudge (1900-1984) was an English author of novels, short stories and children's books. Daughter to an eminent theologian, she spent her childhood in Wells, Ely and Oxford. With over 40 publications to her name, Elizabeth's most successful works are Green Dolphin Street, for which she was awarded the Literary Guild Award in 1944, and The Little White Horse which won the Carnegie Medal in 1946. The Little White Horse later became a children's BBC series, 'Moonacre', and later a family feature film, 'The Secret of Moonacre' (2009). Green Dolphin Street was also made into a film which won the Academy Award for Special Effects in 1948. Elizabeth spent her last years in her cottage on Peppard Common, just outside Henley-on-Thames, with her companion, Jessie, and their beloved dogs. Her autobiography, The Joy of the Snow, was published in 1974.
