A Good Horse, Jane Smiley
A Good Horse, Jane Smiley
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A Good Horse

Author: Jane Smiley

Narrator: Angela Goethals

Unabridged: 7 hr 12 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Recorded Books

Published: 10/10/2014


Synopsis

When eighth grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she knows there's no place she'd rather be than her family's ranch--even with all the hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate. As for Black George, such a good horse, it turns out he's a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie, heads start to turn at the ring--"buyers'" heads--and Abby knows Daddy won't turn down a good offer. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and suddenly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two. The letter states that Jack's mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his rightful owners? Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley raises horses of her own, and her affection and expertise shine through in this inviting horse novel for young readers, set in 1960s California horse country and featuring characters from "The Georges and the Jewels."

About Jane Smiley

Jane Smiley is the author of many novels, works of nonfiction, and books for young adults, including A Thousand Acres and the Last Hundred Years trilogy, and is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Clare on October 16, 2020

Like many horse or pony books, this contains good and less ideal examples. However, the author does not tell us this is set in the 1960s, so new readers, or those who forgot or didn't absorb this fact from the previous book, may find some details not as we now know them and some contra-indicated pra......more

Goodreads review by Analie on January 28, 2025

Every bit as good as book #1. I love the depth of Abby’s character and her family context. Jane Smiley is so good at nonjudgmentally capturing the life of a very conservative ranch family through the eyes of a child.......more

Goodreads review by Shawnee on January 13, 2023

I was super sad about Black George. I would have kept him in a heartbeat. And it was obvious that the first guy was a phony - he gave the wrong number for the stolen mares. Duh!......more

Goodreads review by Jacqueline on February 05, 2019

Wow! Ms. Smiley really knows her horses! I am an author and I always write about horses I was bowled over when I read Old Stewball...in this marvellous book. l I used to sing this each time I rode.my great black stallion, retired rscehorse, Clare Grafton. I sang it as I read. Love this book,......more

Goodreads review by Holly on January 28, 2017

October book report A good horse Jane Smiley The book A good horse is about a young girl named Abby Lovitt, and she is about to start the eighth grade. Abby lives with her very strict parents on their 26 acre horse ranch in California. The Lovitt families business consists of buying horses at low price......more