Review: Bea and the New Deal Horse

By L.M. Elliott

New York: Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2023. Fiction. 375 pages.

When Beatrice and her sister, Vivian, are abandoned by their father in a hayloft one night, they are forced to figure out how to convince the farm owner to let them stay. The girls offer to help with odd jobs around the farm and Mrs. Scott, the farm owner, decides to take them in until their father returns. When Mrs. Scott discovers that Bea is good with horses, she decides to help her get ready to participate in horse competitions to sell the horses to get money to help the farm. Bea forms a strong bond with the chestnut horse that has previously been untamable and in the process gets even closer to Mrs. Scott as they learn more about each other.

This historical fiction novel takes place during the Great Depression in Virginia and includes many events during the story to show what happened during that time. It includes penny auctions, references to The New Deal, Bonus Army march to Washington, droughts, and other events. This book has a strong feel of community and found families and would be especially loved by those who like horses.

Comments

Ms. Yingling said…

I loved this one! It's popular with my readers who like horse books as well as those who like historical fiction. I especially liked Mrs. Scott. Thanks for the review!

February 19, 2024 at 2:09 PM

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