Synopses & Reviews
Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the r?-the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cattle, her heart lies with her beloved gray mare. When Lara goes to the highlands to set the cattle out to graze, she finds the mare in the process of a difficult birth. Lara vows to take care of the foal as a dying promise to the gray mare, and with the help of a childless milk-cow, she cares for the spindly-legged filly. But just when she is confident that the foal can survive, a rival clan captures them both, and throws Lara's life into turmoil. When the filly is eventually given to a titled baron in the castle town of Athenry, Lara, determined to stay with the horse no matter what, goes along. Together, she and her beloved horse face seemingly insurmountable challenges, but all along Lara keeps two things in mind. One day, she will manage to flee, and will set off in search of the family that she was taken from. And she will not leave without her silver mare.
Review
"[T]he main story is realistic in both tone and subject. A good start to a series that will be popular with both young equestrians and history buffs."
Booklist [for Hoofbeats: Katie and the Mustang, Book One]
Synopsis
The spirit of Connemara shines in four exciting novels about a girl and a foal during the time of the Norman invasion. In Book One, Lara, the kind-hearted daughter of a cattle baron, tends to her family's herd in the Irish highlands, where she rescues an orphaned foal. In a heated battle, both are kidnapped by a warring clan. In Book Two, as the foal matures, Lara becomes a competent horsewoman and decides to search for her family, only to find that her homeland has been destroyed. Book Three finds Lara back with the clan. Recognized for her great skills, she is traded, along with the horse, to Norman invaders. In Book Four, the series concludes as Lara finds purpose in training nuns to breed horses.
About the Author
Kathleen Duey is the author of numerous books for young readers.