Post by tintin on Jul 17, 2014 17:46:41 GMT 1
This is a somewhat grim and melancholy book, but it does have a happy ending.
WA|RNING SPOILERS
The story is set during the last war and starts in London in 1940. A brother and sister – Dodo and Wolfie – (Dorothy and Wolfgang) – are missing their father who is away at the war. Father holds the VC and is a Cavalry Officer, veteran of the Great War and widower. Greatly loving and admiring his father young Wolfie dreams of horses and the army, among his soldiers is a grey horse called Captain after his father’s steed of the former conflict.
With the fall of France the childrens’ nurse maid, Spud, evacuates them to Exmoor, but not particularly efficiently and they do not end up where they are meant to go. Meanwhile the father has returned to the UK and been falsely accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy. When this comes out the locals ostracise the children and only the Rector and his daughter, the Schoolmistress, will have them.
Wolfie has found a foal whose dam died giving birth to him. The foal is a grey, like Captain, and Wolfie christens him Hero. The colt is the only thing that keeps the lad going through ostracism and the court martial and imprisonment of his father. They grow up together and the boy trains Hero and becomes his best friend. They win an amateur flat race together
For the most part the locals are not a pre-possessing lot and are up to all kinds, including stealing ponies off the moor. We see very much the dark side of country life.
There then follows a series of singularly sad events. Scout, the teacher’s pony, drowns in a bog when Dodo, Wolfie and Hero have to flee a brush fire. The death is very, very sad. The old clergyman dies next and then Hero is stolen, this practically destroys poor Wolfie who is convinced he has failed his horse. It is a bit like a soap opera in that the most sympathetic character is loaded with torments.
A new Rector is appointed and Dodo and Wolfie have to move to County Durham. They discover one of the horse thieve’s cousins is a manager at the local pit and has been selling the stolen ponies to his employer. Wolfie is determined to see if Hero is down the mine and is smuggled in by one of the miners. Unfortunately a pit disaster takes place. Wolfie finds Hero underground and accompanied by a handful of miners they affect a gruelling escape.
At this time returning prisoners of war clear the father’s name – he was the sole survivor of a massacre by the SS – and the family and Hero are re-united.
This is a very grey and sad book, but well written and gripping with some interesting and unusual facts. It is the sort of book a teacher might read with a class to explore “issues”. It does have a happy ending, but is bit grim.
I have given it four because it is well written (despite my suspicion that the author has some confusion between a bugle and a hunting horn), though I would not rush to recommend it as it is depressing.
WA|RNING SPOILERS
The story is set during the last war and starts in London in 1940. A brother and sister – Dodo and Wolfie – (Dorothy and Wolfgang) – are missing their father who is away at the war. Father holds the VC and is a Cavalry Officer, veteran of the Great War and widower. Greatly loving and admiring his father young Wolfie dreams of horses and the army, among his soldiers is a grey horse called Captain after his father’s steed of the former conflict.
With the fall of France the childrens’ nurse maid, Spud, evacuates them to Exmoor, but not particularly efficiently and they do not end up where they are meant to go. Meanwhile the father has returned to the UK and been falsely accused of cowardice in the face of the enemy. When this comes out the locals ostracise the children and only the Rector and his daughter, the Schoolmistress, will have them.
Wolfie has found a foal whose dam died giving birth to him. The foal is a grey, like Captain, and Wolfie christens him Hero. The colt is the only thing that keeps the lad going through ostracism and the court martial and imprisonment of his father. They grow up together and the boy trains Hero and becomes his best friend. They win an amateur flat race together
For the most part the locals are not a pre-possessing lot and are up to all kinds, including stealing ponies off the moor. We see very much the dark side of country life.
There then follows a series of singularly sad events. Scout, the teacher’s pony, drowns in a bog when Dodo, Wolfie and Hero have to flee a brush fire. The death is very, very sad. The old clergyman dies next and then Hero is stolen, this practically destroys poor Wolfie who is convinced he has failed his horse. It is a bit like a soap opera in that the most sympathetic character is loaded with torments.
A new Rector is appointed and Dodo and Wolfie have to move to County Durham. They discover one of the horse thieve’s cousins is a manager at the local pit and has been selling the stolen ponies to his employer. Wolfie is determined to see if Hero is down the mine and is smuggled in by one of the miners. Unfortunately a pit disaster takes place. Wolfie finds Hero underground and accompanied by a handful of miners they affect a gruelling escape.
At this time returning prisoners of war clear the father’s name – he was the sole survivor of a massacre by the SS – and the family and Hero are re-united.
This is a very grey and sad book, but well written and gripping with some interesting and unusual facts. It is the sort of book a teacher might read with a class to explore “issues”. It does have a happy ending, but is bit grim.
I have given it four because it is well written (despite my suspicion that the author has some confusion between a bugle and a hunting horn), though I would not rush to recommend it as it is depressing.