This one surprised me. I didn't expect it to be so good, so compelling. After all, I don't "like" horse books. But. This little book is narrated by a horse named Joey. We get a glimpse of his life before--before he became a war horse, sent to Europe as part of a cavalry unit of British soldiers. We meet the son of his first owner, Albert, a boy who LOVES him oh-so-much, a boy who would do just about anything and everything for "his" horse. Joey is sold to the army because of the family's need for money. Albert is distressed, and Joey has to adapt for better or worse. But life does go on...readers get a glimpse of World War I as seen through the eyes of a horse. And it is an ugly, ugly mess. But the book, as a whole, is not as depressing as it might have been. That's not to say it's a cheerful book, but, it has many redeeming qualities. I love Joey's resilience; I love Albert's determination. There are some sad, brutal moments, but, it felt genuine and authentic--not manipulative.
Read War Horse
- If you like horse books
- If you don't like horse books
- If you like historical fiction set around World War I
© 2012 Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews
No comments:
Post a Comment