I can’t actually remember the first time I read Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty. I think it was over several sessions when I was staying with an aunt in Kent on a family holiday. It was on the bookshelf along with other classics like Treasure Island and Little Women. I was about eight years old, and got very upset about any kind of cruelty to animals. I loved the illustrations in the book (and wish I could remember what edition it was). I cried when I read about Ginger’s fate and got so angry I felt like tearing the pages out. I wanted to attack the people who hurt Ginger. I also felt like Ginger was being punished for being rebellious, whereas to some extent Black Beauty’s compliance and kind nature helped him to survive.
Black Beauty by Anna Sewell is a hugely influential and universally loved story. The above extract is from a guest blog post I wrote recently, which can be found on Books, Mud and Compost
The story inspired me to create a novella that I began for Nanowrimo. I've only managed 675 words so far but hope this will be be my Christmas holiday writing project...
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