Post by Claire on Nov 20, 2010 13:38:44 GMT 1
MR FRIEND KROW by FIONA SATOW
MAIN CHARACTERS:
NICK BRAITHWAITE
KATE - HIS TWIN SISTER
TOM THE FARMER
KROW - THE PONY
COLIN - A TROUBLED BOY WHO BECOMES NICK'S FRIEND
SUMMARY OF STORY
Set in Cumbria. Twins Nick and Kate run wild on the Cumbrian hills whilst their father is away and their ineffectual mother does not seem to have much control over them. One day the pair go out for a walk on the mountains. Nick as usual is not wearing his walking boots as he considers them an emcumbrance. He challenges Kate to slide down some scree and reluctantly she agrees. But they soon become out of control and are both hurt, Nick without the protection of his boots injuring his ankle so he can't walk. Kate goes off for help and Nick passes out. When he comes too he realises the dreadful truth: that his sister never made it back home and her dead body was found on the mountainside.
Nick knows her death was his fault and finds it hard to come to terms with his guilt and grief. Then a local farmer asks him to help look after and train a young Fell pony, and this begins his recovery. It also brings him close to Colin, a troubled young boy whom he had previously hated.
REVIEW
This is a Christian pony story and the first of such I have reviewed.
Christian pony books are not to everyone’s taste, with both the plot and pony element being sometimes lost under a tide of evangelism. However, this is one of the better ones in the genre. It is still a proper story and the religious message, if not exactly hidden, does not overwhelm the book. The book is well-written, the dialogue is realistic and the characters, particularly that of Nick, well-drawn.
Ironically, though one of the better Christian pony books in the genre, the horse element is actually not as dominant as in most of the others. This is not a traditional pony book by any means, the horse barely appears at all in the first half of the book, but the Fell pony is integral to the plot, as it is mainly though caring for the pony that Nick learns about himself and how to cope with his emotions. The story is mainly one of coming to terms with grief and guilt and accepting that bad things can happen. It is not a comfort read at all and is at times quite dark and disturbing, perhaps too much so for younger children. It is however an excellent depiction of a young boy coping with grief and guilt.
The main bone of contention I have is the theme of sacrifice which permeates the story and is of course part of the Christian message of the book. The school play the children do is a very heavy handed metaphor for the this theme. I also find it disturbing that the message the book seems to give is that the sacrifice of his sister was needed to bring Nick and his mother closer together and also to help the unhappy boy Colin. Instead I prefer to concentrate on the role the Fell pony has in helping Nick overcome his misery and bringing the two boys together as they help the farmer look after and train the animal.
Although the boys are helping train the pony, the actual horse content is a bit sketchy and the training/handling of the pony is a little rough and ready. However this probably reflects the author's experience of horses, as she grew up in the Cumbrian farming community, helping the local farmers and riding the native ponies. Fell ponies were often used on Northern farms as work ponies, rather than simply for pleasure riding, and this is what comes through in the story.
Another good point of the book which raises it above the usual Christian pony story is the sense of background. The backdrop of the fells and the farming community is an important part of the book and gives it an extra element of depth. This background has an authentic feel due to the author’s experience of living in such a community. I also like the fact that the native pony of the area - the Fell - is featured. It is a breed that doesn't often appear in pony books (although still far more than it's Northern compratriot, the woefully under-represented Dales pony) so the book should appeal to fans of that breed.
All in all not a read for someone expecting a lot of pony content, or a comfort read, but it is a well-written intelligent exploration of bereavement and grief. Non-Christian readers will not be too troubled by the religious overtones and should not be put off.
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES
MAIN CHARACTERS:
NICK BRAITHWAITE
KATE - HIS TWIN SISTER
TOM THE FARMER
KROW - THE PONY
COLIN - A TROUBLED BOY WHO BECOMES NICK'S FRIEND
SUMMARY OF STORY
Set in Cumbria. Twins Nick and Kate run wild on the Cumbrian hills whilst their father is away and their ineffectual mother does not seem to have much control over them. One day the pair go out for a walk on the mountains. Nick as usual is not wearing his walking boots as he considers them an emcumbrance. He challenges Kate to slide down some scree and reluctantly she agrees. But they soon become out of control and are both hurt, Nick without the protection of his boots injuring his ankle so he can't walk. Kate goes off for help and Nick passes out. When he comes too he realises the dreadful truth: that his sister never made it back home and her dead body was found on the mountainside.
Nick knows her death was his fault and finds it hard to come to terms with his guilt and grief. Then a local farmer asks him to help look after and train a young Fell pony, and this begins his recovery. It also brings him close to Colin, a troubled young boy whom he had previously hated.
REVIEW
This is a Christian pony story and the first of such I have reviewed.
Christian pony books are not to everyone’s taste, with both the plot and pony element being sometimes lost under a tide of evangelism. However, this is one of the better ones in the genre. It is still a proper story and the religious message, if not exactly hidden, does not overwhelm the book. The book is well-written, the dialogue is realistic and the characters, particularly that of Nick, well-drawn.
Ironically, though one of the better Christian pony books in the genre, the horse element is actually not as dominant as in most of the others. This is not a traditional pony book by any means, the horse barely appears at all in the first half of the book, but the Fell pony is integral to the plot, as it is mainly though caring for the pony that Nick learns about himself and how to cope with his emotions. The story is mainly one of coming to terms with grief and guilt and accepting that bad things can happen. It is not a comfort read at all and is at times quite dark and disturbing, perhaps too much so for younger children. It is however an excellent depiction of a young boy coping with grief and guilt.
The main bone of contention I have is the theme of sacrifice which permeates the story and is of course part of the Christian message of the book. The school play the children do is a very heavy handed metaphor for the this theme. I also find it disturbing that the message the book seems to give is that the sacrifice of his sister was needed to bring Nick and his mother closer together and also to help the unhappy boy Colin. Instead I prefer to concentrate on the role the Fell pony has in helping Nick overcome his misery and bringing the two boys together as they help the farmer look after and train the animal.
Although the boys are helping train the pony, the actual horse content is a bit sketchy and the training/handling of the pony is a little rough and ready. However this probably reflects the author's experience of horses, as she grew up in the Cumbrian farming community, helping the local farmers and riding the native ponies. Fell ponies were often used on Northern farms as work ponies, rather than simply for pleasure riding, and this is what comes through in the story.
Another good point of the book which raises it above the usual Christian pony story is the sense of background. The backdrop of the fells and the farming community is an important part of the book and gives it an extra element of depth. This background has an authentic feel due to the author’s experience of living in such a community. I also like the fact that the native pony of the area - the Fell - is featured. It is a breed that doesn't often appear in pony books (although still far more than it's Northern compratriot, the woefully under-represented Dales pony) so the book should appeal to fans of that breed.
All in all not a read for someone expecting a lot of pony content, or a comfort read, but it is a well-written intelligent exploration of bereavement and grief. Non-Christian readers will not be too troubled by the religious overtones and should not be put off.
PONYMAD RATING: 3 HORSESHOES