Post by tintin on Dec 3, 2012 16:27:42 GMT 1
The first of the Augusta and Christina series, although Christina has n’t appeared yet.
Augusta is living with her cousins and Aunt. They are very bumptious and condescending (Diana here proves she can do disagreeable children just as well as her sister Josephine).
Augusta is perhaps a deeper thinker than her cousins, but less confident. They sap her confidence and over instruct her in such a way as to almost insure mistakes. However, they seriously underestimate her as Augusta has a core of steely resolve.
Augusta in fact is a great heroine. She is very mature being self contained, brave, compassionate and capable of self criticism (she is the first to admit she can be awkward clumsy and absent minded), but it is her resolve that is most impressive in this book. She single mindedly sets out to obtain a pony, maintains her resolve to school the pony and does not let difficulties deter her. All Augusta lacks is experience.
Daybreak is also a lovely pony, though not without problems.
This book does contain the cliché of the inexperienced rider who displays innate ability and beats all comers in her first competition, but this is charmingly and convincingly done. Also within the story it is almost a foot note in Augusta’s struggle so does not grate.
There are some great vignettes in the book. Two of my favourites are where Augusta is sent to seek advice from a Lord and returns to naievely report back exactly what he said and secondly where her aunt and cousins go to buy a pony from a lady called Mrs Payne on whom their general air of boasting condescension grates.
The drawings are lovely.
Augusta is living with her cousins and Aunt. They are very bumptious and condescending (Diana here proves she can do disagreeable children just as well as her sister Josephine).
Augusta is perhaps a deeper thinker than her cousins, but less confident. They sap her confidence and over instruct her in such a way as to almost insure mistakes. However, they seriously underestimate her as Augusta has a core of steely resolve.
Augusta in fact is a great heroine. She is very mature being self contained, brave, compassionate and capable of self criticism (she is the first to admit she can be awkward clumsy and absent minded), but it is her resolve that is most impressive in this book. She single mindedly sets out to obtain a pony, maintains her resolve to school the pony and does not let difficulties deter her. All Augusta lacks is experience.
Daybreak is also a lovely pony, though not without problems.
This book does contain the cliché of the inexperienced rider who displays innate ability and beats all comers in her first competition, but this is charmingly and convincingly done. Also within the story it is almost a foot note in Augusta’s struggle so does not grate.
There are some great vignettes in the book. Two of my favourites are where Augusta is sent to seek advice from a Lord and returns to naievely report back exactly what he said and secondly where her aunt and cousins go to buy a pony from a lady called Mrs Payne on whom their general air of boasting condescension grates.
The drawings are lovely.