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The Lady
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They are the Caradynes, who for over 200 years have bred and trained horses of the finest caliber on Coernanagh. But all is not idyllic at hearth and home. Catriona, the youngest child, longs to ride her family's big jumpers and show horses. Her father Michael, recognizes her gift, but her mother hates the very idea. All is in a stalemate until Lady Selina Healy enters the
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Paperback, 384 pages
Published
October 12th 1988
by Ballantine Books
(first published October 1st 1987)
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This is an odd book, it doesn't really match McCaffrey's other works and it's really a shame she didn't write more like it. I never had a horse girl phase, but some of my friends did and I always thought it was kind of stupid. We lived in a city, most of us would never see a horse let alone ride one. This is the first and only horse book I've ever read and it makes me see why girls go horse crazy.
The book is set in Ireland in the 70's, and it has a surprising number of focuses. Sure it's about ...more
The book is set in Ireland in the 70's, and it has a surprising number of focuses. Sure it's about ...more
*Not exactly a review*
I read this back when I was a teenager.
One of my aunts gave it to me for Christmas one year. I was so disappointed. Sure, I loved horses and there was a horse on the cover... but this book was the size of a refrigerator. Large print. Like I was an old woman. I was twelve.
Needless to say, this book sat on my shelves for years. Only growing bigger.
One summer, when I was probably 15, I had nothing better to do.
I picked up this fat-ass book and started reading.
And as I read, ...more
I read this back when I was a teenager.
One of my aunts gave it to me for Christmas one year. I was so disappointed. Sure, I loved horses and there was a horse on the cover... but this book was the size of a refrigerator. Large print. Like I was an old woman. I was twelve.
Needless to say, this book sat on my shelves for years. Only growing bigger.
One summer, when I was probably 15, I had nothing better to do.
I picked up this fat-ass book and started reading.
And as I read, ...more
Dug this up at my mom's house when visiting - it's a book I read over and over as a horse-crazed girl. While McCaffrey is known best for her Pern books, I wish she had published a few more like these. It's a straightforward story of an Irish family, all involved in horses. The story centers around three primary characters, a young girl growing up and facing both personal loss and the triumphs that come after years of hard work and dedication, her father, managing the stable and coping with his a
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I love this book so much that I own two autographed copies! One is so battered from reading and rereading that the pages are coming away from the bindings, the other is my reserve copy for when the first one falls to bits in my hands.
I love Caitriona and her family, and no matter that I've read it a dozen times, the ups and downs of their lives still captivate me so that I'm hard pressed to put the book down, even to sleep. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Ireland, horses or pe ...more
I love Caitriona and her family, and no matter that I've read it a dozen times, the ups and downs of their lives still captivate me so that I'm hard pressed to put the book down, even to sleep. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Ireland, horses or pe ...more
This is one of my 'take to a desert island' books. I've loved many of the Anne McCaffrey books, probably read all of the Pern books, loved many of the Pegasus in Flight series and the Ship Who Sang series. But if I had to choose just *one* book by McCaffrey to take with me if I were abandoned on a desert island, it would be this one.
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One of those books that kept the hope of love alive when it was all but dead inside me. I still love this book--of course, I love the Ireland of my youth as well, and this one brings it all together. A wonderful read. If you like National Velvet, this one will fill your desire!
I'm going through a phase of reading novels by authors I used to love. When I was younger, I read most of Anne McCaffrey's Sci Fi/Fantasy novels and several of her romances but this was one I'd missed.
On the subject of books 'dating', this book made me think; perhaps I shouldn't consider that books 'date' so much, as more that they become a child-of-their-time. I think that this book is one of those -the Irish attitudes to death, divorce, the division of marital property and spousal abuse that i ...more
On the subject of books 'dating', this book made me think; perhaps I shouldn't consider that books 'date' so much, as more that they become a child-of-their-time. I think that this book is one of those -the Irish attitudes to death, divorce, the division of marital property and spousal abuse that i ...more
An old favorite
Rereading this for the first time in 20 Years. I find it as beautifully written as I did years ago. Very different from other Anne McCaffrey titles, but well worth the detour.
Rereading this for the first time in 20 Years. I find it as beautifully written as I did years ago. Very different from other Anne McCaffrey titles, but well worth the detour.
Dated. Doesn't hold up well. Very, very old skool romance.
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Good book about horses. The writing style just not my speed.
I actually REALLY enjoyed this book - proving I can still be just as enthralled with an excellent horse book... From ages 6-12, almost everything I read was equestrian-related - the Thoroughbred series, Marguerite Henry's classics, Black Beauty... I read and reread and devoured everything horses -being infected with that "horse gene" that has so many little girls collecting Breyer horses and watching National Velvet over and over again. This book took me back to those days - McCaffrey has writte
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This is an older book of Anne McCaffrey's and its a great story. Set in Ireland, during the 1970's, it the story of the Carradynes, who have raised horses for 200 years. I loved this because, we are now viewing the 70's as history and it gave me an interesting perspective of the history of Ireland at that time, they were still embroiled in the Catholic rules of marriage (I know nothing of that) and girls hadn't gained the freedom of Americans.
Michael Carradyne, raises, shows and boards horses a ...more
Michael Carradyne, raises, shows and boards horses a ...more
Anne McCaffrey is famous for the Dragonriders of Pern and the Crystal Singer book series. There are no dragons or crystals in this book, just a lot of horses and ponies, and it isn't set on Pern, but in Ireland. The focus of each chapter jumps from Michael Carradyne, the owner of Cornanagh stud farm and training stables; to his horse-crazy daughter and youngest child, Catriona; his frigid wife, Isabel; and the neighbor woman trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage, Selina Healey. There are vi
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I'm not sure where this one came from. I probably got it in a book bag at a library sale, or someone gave it to me. I read thoroughly the first 10 or so chapters but was so bored I began to skim. I finished by reading the last couple of chapters, but it never grabbed me at all. I tried, but failed with this one. I think it's supposed to be a romance, but it seems pretty dated and too focused on minute details of horse life to be a standard romance story. I like horses, but all the detail of raci
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This is a great book, even if it doesn't have anything to do the psychic talent, inter-galactic species or dragons. This is a book written about something near and dear to Ms. McCaffrey's heart- horses. Told through the eyes of Catriona, we learn a great deal about show jumping and horse training in Ireland.
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Classic
I liked every thing about it. The writing felt a lot like dick Francis but with more emotionally well rounded characters. An excellent "horse girl" book but without all the usual trope. Story was involving and genuine. Loved it. ...more
I liked every thing about it. The writing felt a lot like dick Francis but with more emotionally well rounded characters. An excellent "horse girl" book but without all the usual trope. Story was involving and genuine. Loved it. ...more
Real rating: 3.5 stars. I liked it!
Ireland, horses, romance. A lovely read!
Three star
Overall, I did Enjoy this book. However, if you are not an equestrian fan the story could become taxing to read
Overall, I did Enjoy this book. However, if you are not an equestrian fan the story could become taxing to read
Read it
Fine book! Just what you expect from Anne McCaffrey. I have no idea what else to say, but it wants ...
Fine book! Just what you expect from Anne McCaffrey. I have no idea what else to say, but it wants ...
Enjoyable tale of 1970 Irish horsey society, by an author who unexpectedly knows an awful lot about it.
Decent enough book. Enjoyed reading about the horses and jumping in Ireland. Felt the ending was rushed.
This was the hardest book by Anne McCaffrey for me to read.
Re-read an old favorite. It has horses, Ireland, and tons more horses. Loved it!
Absolutely love this book. The rich details of a girls life centered around horses in Ireland is wonderful. I re-read it every year.
Not at all what I expected from Anne McCaffrey (neither Sci-Fi or Fantasy) when I pulled this out of a bargain bin, but I really did enjoy it.
I have read and reread this book since I was a teen. I love this author, I learned to read, reading her books and when I read books by her I feel at home. This book explores being a woman in Ireland in the early 70s. Females of different ages.
This was not what I expected when I started reading, but I liked the story, the social justice issues and the quirky characters.
I got this book as a young Dragonriders of Pern fanatic and never read it, in spite of my Irish heritage and passion for horses, which should have made it perfect for me. I finally just read it last week, when I was really, really ill.
I have to say, I don't usually read these sorts of books anymore, so I probably wouldn't have picked it up had I not been so sick, but it turned out to be an enjoyable experience. The plot is definitely a soap opera, but for a soap opera it's pretty believable, and ...more
I have to say, I don't usually read these sorts of books anymore, so I probably wouldn't have picked it up had I not been so sick, but it turned out to be an enjoyable experience. The plot is definitely a soap opera, but for a soap opera it's pretty believable, and ...more
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Anne McCaffrey was born on April 1st, 1926, in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent. She had two brothers: Hugh McCaffrey (deceased 1988), Major US Army, and Kevin Richard McCaffrey, still living.
Anne was educated at Stuart Hall in Staunton Virginia, Montclair High Scho ...more
Her parents were George Herbert McCaffrey, BA, MA PhD (Harvard), Colonel USA Army (retired), and Anne Dorothy McElroy McCaffrey, estate agent. She had two brothers: Hugh McCaffrey (deceased 1988), Major US Army, and Kevin Richard McCaffrey, still living.
Anne was educated at Stuart Hall in Staunton Virginia, Montclair High Scho ...more
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