The First Horse I See (Novel) - Hardcover

Keehn, Sally M.

3.86

133 ratings by Goodreads

9780399233517: The First Horse I See (Novel)

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0399233512 ISBN 13: 9780399233517

Publisher: Philomel, 1999

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Following the death of her mother, Willo must race against her father's deadline to train a feisty ex-racehorse named Tess, with the help of her trainer Diana and a handsome young boy named Colin.

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About the Author:

Sally Keehn can remember her childhood days in Annapolis, Maryland – days spent reading, horseback riding, swimming, and exploring the woods surrounding her grandfather’s farm. Though she would bid Annapolis good-bye at the age of nineteen to embark on an English degree at Hood College, Keehn’s days of “exploring” were just beginning.

After college, her thirst for learning led her to Korea, where she spent a year working for the American Red Cross and traveling through Far-East Asia. She then proceeded to Drexel University for her M.S. in Library Science, and she has worked as a librarian in both Maryland and Pennsylvania.

It was while writing a travel book with her husband that Sally Keehn discovered the incident that gave rise to her first historical novel for Philomel – the award-winning I Am Regina. Since then, she’s searched out America’s back-roads for the stories of its people and its past. She’s written six novels for Penguin Books for Young Readers: three works of historical fiction - I Am Regina, Moon of Two Dark Horses and Anna Sunday; a contemporary novel based loosely on her own life - The First Horse I See; a fantasy set in Eastern Tennessee during the troubled era following the Civil War – Gnat Stokes and the Foggy Bottom Swamp Queen. And in spring, 2007, Philomel Books will release her sixth title - a fantasy set in 1872 south-eastern Kentucky – Magpie Gabbard and the Quest for the Buried Moon.

Sally Keehn says, “I never know until I go exploring what new story – what new adventure – lies beyond the bend in the road.”

*You can learn more about Sally Keehn and her books at: www.sallykeehn.com

From School Library Journal:

Grade 5-9-From the moment Willojean sees the bony, skittish ex-racehorse, she is convinced that it is the horse for her. Reluctantly, her grandfather acquiesces, and they take Tess back to their Chesapeake Bay farm. However, when her father returns from a trip, he, too, is convinced that his daughter has made a bad choice and gives her a date by which Tess must either be under control or sent back to the dealer. Willo is also dealing with her mother's recent death and her father's alcoholism as well as his emotional and physical absence. Her friends, Dove and Colin, offer their help with Tess, but Colin is having his own problems with an abusive stepfather. Through hard work, determination, and kindness, Willo begins to make some progress with her horse, but Colin's life becomes more desperate, and he and his mother make plans to escape. Before they can get away, the stepfather shoots Colin's beloved horse. This tragedy forces Willo's father to look at his relationship with his daughter and to appreciate how much she has grown through her work with Tess and how much she and the horse need one another. There are no fairy-tale endings here, even though the conclusion is upbeat. Willo's father's alcoholism is still a problem and Tess is still a difficult horse. However, all of the characters are richly drawn and the plot is fast moving and complex. Willo is a resilient and believable heroine with whom readers will empathize, making this well-written story a worthwhile and entertaining read.
Carol Schene, Taunton Public Schools, MA
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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