A classic for all horse lovers. From his simple beginnings as a foal in a meadow through the ups and downs of his life including being a riding horse on a country estate and a cab horse on the busy streets of London, Black Beauty tells his own story.
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Follow the adventures of a young horse in Victorian England, beginning with his idyllic upbringing with his mother on a farm, to his short career as a carriage horse for a wealthy family, to his tough and often abusive work as a cab horse. From the kindest to the cruelest of owners, Black Beauty always tries to listen to his mother's advice and do his work with a good will. This book was hugely influential in cultivating public interest in making sure horses were treated without cruelty. An ardent advocate for animal welfare, English author Anna Sewell published her first and only novel in 1877, five months before her death. This unabridged version was taken from the 1911 American copyright edition.
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.
