Post by Claire on Nov 7, 2007 13:22:01 GMT 1
DREAM OF FAIR HORSES by PATRICIA LEITCH
(Review by Ree)
The edition reviewed was the Armada 1980 paperback copy
PLOT SUMMARY…
Dream of Fair Horses by Patricia Leitch tells the story of a young girl Gillian Caridia and her dream come true in riding a beautiful show pony at the Horse of The Year Show at Wembley.
Gillian comes from a large family and is the fourth child of seven. Their father, an author, is a highly eccentric character who has the reputation for writing very strange novels. The family is not wealthy by any means and as such Gill has never been able to afford a pony of her own - her riding adventures consist of the occasional ride on friend’s borrowed pony. Despite coming from a poor background, Gillian hopes and prays that one day she will be lucky enough to own a special pony which she will ride at the Horse of The Year Show at Wembley. This is a dream that she holds onto with great belief and passion, a dream which is held very close to her heart, one which consumes her with all its strength and carries her through many a troubled time.
Dream of Fair Horses commences when Gill’s father, Laurence Caridia, writes a successful novel from which the film rights are bought. The funds allow the family to sell their current residence and to purchase a new home away from the city. The hope of a brighter future with happier and easier times is on everyone’s mind. The family of nine moves to the country, back to their father’s childhood home which he has purchased once again. The home is called Hallows Noon. Despite their new start in life, there is an air of troubled unease with the family and their troubles are highlighted by way of some difficult times.
Shortly after their arrival at Hallows Noon, Gill discovers a nearby property, which to her utmost delight has many ponies grazing upon its fields. One of the ponies catches Gill’s eye straight away with its presence. It is the pony of her dreams, a beautiful grey mare named Perdita, and Gill falls in love with her instantly. It is not too long before Gill meets the elderly owner and breeder of Perdita, Mr Otta Ramsay. Mr Ramsay believes Perdita is the best pony he has ever bred, having the necessary quality to become a successful top class show pony. Just as it is Gill’s dream to ride at Wembley, it is Mr Ramsay’s dream that Perdita be crowned a champion show pony. As such he is seeking a very special rider to ride Perdita to glory. Gillian is chosen to ride and show Perdita and as from thereon begins a very special and unique relationship between Gillian, Mr Ramsay and of course Perdita. Together they set about making their dreams come true.
The story follows the schooling of both Gill and Perdita from a raw, novice stage to that of a highly finely tuned team which shows harmony, perfection and professionalism in their work and presentation. Mr Ramsay is a detailed and thorough trainer and his talent and knowledge allow him to produce a formidable team in Gill and Perdita. Gill is absolutely devoted to both Perdita and Mr Ramsay. Together with months of sheer hard work, it is this devotion that sees Gill and Perdita’s show career evolve from winning at local shows to ultimately qualifying for the Horse of The Year Show at Wembley.
MAIN CHARACTERS...
Gillian Caridia – a young girl of twelve with a lifelong dream to win at the Horse of The Year Show, Wembley. Gill is a sensitive and talented rider who works hard to ensure the success of her dreams. She is a focused and dedicated girl who loves each moment she spends with Perdita, the pony of her dreams.
Otta Ramsay – the owner and breeder of Perdita. Mr Ramsay is elderly and has a very disfigured face. He is a gifted trainer and producer of both horse and rider who recognises the quality and potential in both Gillian and Perdita. An true perfectionist, he trains Gill and Perdita to the best of their abilities.
The Caridia family – consisting of Laurence Caridia, a temperamental and eccentric author who is renowned for both his strange novels and odd mannerisms. Together with Mrs Caridia, they battle hardship and poverty in their own unique way. They have a large family of seven children – Ninian (16), Torquil (15), Francesca (14), Gillian (12) , Libby (9), Una (6) and baby Marcus.
REVIEW...
From the moment I began to read this novel, I was captivated and transported to another world – the world of Gill and her dreams. I was able to identify with the main character and share in all of her dreams, disappointments and hardships.
I totally enjoyed Dream of Fair Horses from start to finish and could not identify any weaknesses. Due to the strength of both the storyline and its diverse characters it was easy to become engrossed in the entire story. It felt as though I was present sharing all of the ups and downs of Gill’s life. Dream of Fair Horses is an emotional story, all the more believable for having been written in the first person.
Particularly relevant to the story are the detailed training sessions undertaken by Mr Ramsay, Gill and Perdita. The author is obviously very knowledgeable in this area which makes for very interesting and learned reading. The schooling sessions will greatly appeal to those interested in training show horses and riding horses in general, as will the sections when the pair are competing at various shows.
The end of the story was not what I expected, in fact if anything it came as a shock and was quite hard hitting with its impact. The conclusion of the novel could be described as both perfect to the story and true to life. However I was not disappointed - in my opinion the conclusion of the novel is its greatest strength and was in fact my favourite part of the story. After finishing the story it was clear that the novel carries a very important message regarding our relationships with horses, and also those with our families and friends.
I would highly recommend this novel to horse lovers of early adulthood onwards. It is a novel which is easy to read - yet it is very strong in its portrayal and interpretation of our emotions and the lengths one will go to in achieving not only their own dreams, but also those of the ones they love. However it is far more than a novel telling the tale of a dream come true, it is also a story of the sacrifices we must make in life and the difficulties we encounter in facing up to the truth. It also a novel about the freedom given to us once done so.
I would easily award this novel the highest rating of 5 Horseshoes (OUTSTANDING). Dream of Fair Horses is a totally unique story and in my opinion is without doubt one of the finest, if the not the best pony novel ever written. I hope that if you read this novel that you too will also rate it unforgettable and feel that it has touched you deeply. I feel it is the author’s best novel!
(Review by Ree)
The edition reviewed was the Armada 1980 paperback copy
PLOT SUMMARY…
Dream of Fair Horses by Patricia Leitch tells the story of a young girl Gillian Caridia and her dream come true in riding a beautiful show pony at the Horse of The Year Show at Wembley.
Gillian comes from a large family and is the fourth child of seven. Their father, an author, is a highly eccentric character who has the reputation for writing very strange novels. The family is not wealthy by any means and as such Gill has never been able to afford a pony of her own - her riding adventures consist of the occasional ride on friend’s borrowed pony. Despite coming from a poor background, Gillian hopes and prays that one day she will be lucky enough to own a special pony which she will ride at the Horse of The Year Show at Wembley. This is a dream that she holds onto with great belief and passion, a dream which is held very close to her heart, one which consumes her with all its strength and carries her through many a troubled time.
Dream of Fair Horses commences when Gill’s father, Laurence Caridia, writes a successful novel from which the film rights are bought. The funds allow the family to sell their current residence and to purchase a new home away from the city. The hope of a brighter future with happier and easier times is on everyone’s mind. The family of nine moves to the country, back to their father’s childhood home which he has purchased once again. The home is called Hallows Noon. Despite their new start in life, there is an air of troubled unease with the family and their troubles are highlighted by way of some difficult times.
Shortly after their arrival at Hallows Noon, Gill discovers a nearby property, which to her utmost delight has many ponies grazing upon its fields. One of the ponies catches Gill’s eye straight away with its presence. It is the pony of her dreams, a beautiful grey mare named Perdita, and Gill falls in love with her instantly. It is not too long before Gill meets the elderly owner and breeder of Perdita, Mr Otta Ramsay. Mr Ramsay believes Perdita is the best pony he has ever bred, having the necessary quality to become a successful top class show pony. Just as it is Gill’s dream to ride at Wembley, it is Mr Ramsay’s dream that Perdita be crowned a champion show pony. As such he is seeking a very special rider to ride Perdita to glory. Gillian is chosen to ride and show Perdita and as from thereon begins a very special and unique relationship between Gillian, Mr Ramsay and of course Perdita. Together they set about making their dreams come true.
The story follows the schooling of both Gill and Perdita from a raw, novice stage to that of a highly finely tuned team which shows harmony, perfection and professionalism in their work and presentation. Mr Ramsay is a detailed and thorough trainer and his talent and knowledge allow him to produce a formidable team in Gill and Perdita. Gill is absolutely devoted to both Perdita and Mr Ramsay. Together with months of sheer hard work, it is this devotion that sees Gill and Perdita’s show career evolve from winning at local shows to ultimately qualifying for the Horse of The Year Show at Wembley.
MAIN CHARACTERS...
Gillian Caridia – a young girl of twelve with a lifelong dream to win at the Horse of The Year Show, Wembley. Gill is a sensitive and talented rider who works hard to ensure the success of her dreams. She is a focused and dedicated girl who loves each moment she spends with Perdita, the pony of her dreams.
Otta Ramsay – the owner and breeder of Perdita. Mr Ramsay is elderly and has a very disfigured face. He is a gifted trainer and producer of both horse and rider who recognises the quality and potential in both Gillian and Perdita. An true perfectionist, he trains Gill and Perdita to the best of their abilities.
The Caridia family – consisting of Laurence Caridia, a temperamental and eccentric author who is renowned for both his strange novels and odd mannerisms. Together with Mrs Caridia, they battle hardship and poverty in their own unique way. They have a large family of seven children – Ninian (16), Torquil (15), Francesca (14), Gillian (12) , Libby (9), Una (6) and baby Marcus.
REVIEW...
From the moment I began to read this novel, I was captivated and transported to another world – the world of Gill and her dreams. I was able to identify with the main character and share in all of her dreams, disappointments and hardships.
I totally enjoyed Dream of Fair Horses from start to finish and could not identify any weaknesses. Due to the strength of both the storyline and its diverse characters it was easy to become engrossed in the entire story. It felt as though I was present sharing all of the ups and downs of Gill’s life. Dream of Fair Horses is an emotional story, all the more believable for having been written in the first person.
Particularly relevant to the story are the detailed training sessions undertaken by Mr Ramsay, Gill and Perdita. The author is obviously very knowledgeable in this area which makes for very interesting and learned reading. The schooling sessions will greatly appeal to those interested in training show horses and riding horses in general, as will the sections when the pair are competing at various shows.
The end of the story was not what I expected, in fact if anything it came as a shock and was quite hard hitting with its impact. The conclusion of the novel could be described as both perfect to the story and true to life. However I was not disappointed - in my opinion the conclusion of the novel is its greatest strength and was in fact my favourite part of the story. After finishing the story it was clear that the novel carries a very important message regarding our relationships with horses, and also those with our families and friends.
I would highly recommend this novel to horse lovers of early adulthood onwards. It is a novel which is easy to read - yet it is very strong in its portrayal and interpretation of our emotions and the lengths one will go to in achieving not only their own dreams, but also those of the ones they love. However it is far more than a novel telling the tale of a dream come true, it is also a story of the sacrifices we must make in life and the difficulties we encounter in facing up to the truth. It also a novel about the freedom given to us once done so.
I would easily award this novel the highest rating of 5 Horseshoes (OUTSTANDING). Dream of Fair Horses is a totally unique story and in my opinion is without doubt one of the finest, if the not the best pony novel ever written. I hope that if you read this novel that you too will also rate it unforgettable and feel that it has touched you deeply. I feel it is the author’s best novel!
