black beauty

it's been fun to reread an old classic that i discovered as a girl:  black beauty by anna sewell. (most recently snatched from our school library in a book-less fit of desperation!)  i wish the back cover said more about the author.  it states only that she was, "...born in 1820 in norfolk, england.  black beauty:  the autobiography of a horse was published in 1877; sewell died in 1878.  *it was her only book."

*personally, i think it's great that a woman in the 1800's published a book at all; i know i for one would be happy to author even one novel.  given that she lived 58 years, i hope she enjoyed knowledge and celebration of publication in her 57th year.

that the novel is from the perspective of the horse is part of what makes it classic to me.  black beauty narrates all manner of thing i've wondered about horses, including what it was like for horses in wars, something i've always cared about, wishing more credence was given to them in that regard.

sewell obviously understood horses and that comes through in her writing.  reading it for a second time made me want to know more about her and her equestrian skills...i also wish she wrote a sequel!  if you could pick one book from your childhood to reread, which one would you choose?