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Dark Horse: A Life of Anna Sewell
Black Beauty, published in 1877, is one of the bestselling novels ever written; it reputedly outsold Dickens and broke publishing records when it was pirated in America in 1890. Yet there are few darker horses than Anna Sewell, its author. This first biography of Anna Sewell for over thirty years uses recently discovered letters and other sources to give us a complete picture of the enigmatic woman behind the novel.
Born in Norfolk and raised as a Quaker, Anna's life changed forever when, aged fourteen, she suffered a bad fall running home from school. Despite being left permanently disabled, she remained 'quite fearless', becoming skilled at driving and riding horses, and was determined to rise above the physical challenges of the world before her. She became heavily involved in practical charity work, taught children and adults and travelled abroad for her health - at one spa striking up a friendship with Tennyson.
Driven by a strong faith, and resolute in character, it was Anna's indignation upon witnessing cruelty to animals which led her to write Black Beauty - 'its special aim, ' she wrote, 'being to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses.' Near the end of her life, housebound and lying on her sofa, she completed the novel over six years, dictating some of it to her mother. Exceeding her expectations, it brought numerous fan letters to her door and, more importantly, motivated a worldwide change in attitudes towards animals. Yet Anna was never to see the full effects of her work, for within five months of publication she was dead.
Born in Norfolk and raised as a Quaker, Anna's life changed forever when, aged fourteen, she suffered a bad fall running home from school. Despite being left permanently disabled, she remained 'quite fearless', becoming skilled at driving and riding horses, and was determined to rise above the physical challenges of the world before her. She became heavily involved in practical charity work, taught children and adults and travelled abroad for her health - at one spa striking up a friendship with Tennyson.
Driven by a strong faith, and resolute in character, it was Anna's indignation upon witnessing cruelty to animals which led her to write Black Beauty - 'its special aim, ' she wrote, 'being to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses.' Near the end of her life, housebound and lying on her sofa, she completed the novel over six years, dictating some of it to her mother. Exceeding her expectations, it brought numerous fan letters to her door and, more importantly, motivated a worldwide change in attitudes towards animals. Yet Anna was never to see the full effects of her work, for within five months of publication she was dead.
288 pages, Hardcover
First published February 12, 2004
231 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
October 15, 2022
I found this book very interesting. Whilst on holiday in Norfolk we looked up various places mentioned that Anna and her family had connections with. I got a bit lost in the middle of the book and any mention of 'Black Beauty' that Anna Sewell was famous for was not spoken about until nearer the end, because of the time in her life that she wrote it. Enjoyed the History.
July 16, 2014
This book had so much potential. However the author seems to have had trouble with the fact that there is very little hard facts available about the life of Anna Sewell.
Rather than choosing to take the information available and make into the most enjoyable narrative they could, they instead chose to bungle it by filling the book with statements like "She may have enjoyed [enter activity here], as many other girls of her age did at the time." "It's possible she may have travled to [enter location here]."
In fact the book is so full of these types of statements that I can only assume the amount of really true information about her could have filled up only a children's board book and everything else is just supposition. It made the flow seem interrupted (frequently) and made it difficult to stay interested.
It would have been better for A.E. Gavin to have just created a forward expressing that there is very little actual facts available and that the story about to be read is their best guess at what her life was like. Perhaps adding little number or letter notes near any parts that were actually confirmed fact. And then just write the most entertaining story that the author could.
I was disappointed with this book and when I was done with it I donated it to my local library since I doubt I will take the trouble to read it a second time.
Rather than choosing to take the information available and make into the most enjoyable narrative they could, they instead chose to bungle it by filling the book with statements like "She may have enjoyed [enter activity here], as many other girls of her age did at the time." "It's possible she may have travled to [enter location here]."
In fact the book is so full of these types of statements that I can only assume the amount of really true information about her could have filled up only a children's board book and everything else is just supposition. It made the flow seem interrupted (frequently) and made it difficult to stay interested.
It would have been better for A.E. Gavin to have just created a forward expressing that there is very little actual facts available and that the story about to be read is their best guess at what her life was like. Perhaps adding little number or letter notes near any parts that were actually confirmed fact. And then just write the most entertaining story that the author could.
I was disappointed with this book and when I was done with it I donated it to my local library since I doubt I will take the trouble to read it a second time.
December 9, 2016
No so much about Anna's love of and contact with horses. Lots about her various illnesses and accidents which doesn't lend itself to informative nor cheerful reading,
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews