6 h 46 minAudiobook15 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at costPaperback · 6 × 9 in · 166 pagesHardcover · 6 × 9 in · 166 pagesAbout this book
What if your strength makes you useful, but leaves you powerless to choose who holds the reins?
In Anna Sewell’s Black Beauty, a horse tells his own life story, from an English meadow to the busy streets of London. Gentle care marks his early years. But each change of owner puts his health and happiness in new hands, and he cannot explain his pain in human words.
At Birtwick Park, Beauty meets Ginger, whose harsh treatment leaves her fearful, and Merrylegs, a pony trusted by children. Later, cab work brings long hours, traffic, and pressure to keep earning. Through patient groom John Manly and caring driver Jerry Barker, the story asks what kindness means when an animal depends on you.
What you’ll discover
- A horse’s daily life Feel what a saddle, bridle, and harness ask of an animal learning to trust.
- The hurt behind fear Meet Ginger, whose experience reveals how pain can be mistaken for stubbornness.
- Kindness put to work See how John Manly joins patient handling with the knowledge good care requires.
- London through Beauty’s eyes Follow cab work through crowded streets, difficult customers, bad weather, and exhausting hours.
- The cost of appearance Discover how the bearing rein puts fashion before a working horse’s comfort.
Who will love it
Readers who love animal stories, warm family tales and tales of service and loyalty, and anyone curious about Victorian life, from country estates to the streets of London, will find a friend in this book.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A good start in a green meadow
- Training teaches trust, not fear
- Birtwick Park and a new name
- Ginger's story and the Birtwick balls
- Fashion's cruelties and a master who speaks up
- Storms, fires and rides for life
- Earlshall, tight reins and a fall
- A job horse among careless drivers
- Jerry Barker and the London cab
- What the story is really about
Who’s who
- Black BeautyA gentle, willing black horse who tells the story and tries always to do his best for each master he serves.
- GingerA spirited chestnut mare, badly treated when young, who learns at Birtwick that kindness can ease her temper.
- MerrylegsA small, cheerful gray pony who loves the children he carries and teaches them to ride well.
- John ManlyThe Birtwick coachman, gentle and honest, who understands horses and believes in kindness and fair dealing.
- Squire GordonBeauty's master at Birtwick Park, who treats animals with care and speaks plainly against cruelty and fashion.
- Joe GreenA small, willing stable boy who makes a costly mistake, learns from it, and grows into a brave young man.
- Jerry BarkerA cheerful London cabman who cares for his horses, keeps his Sundays, and helps people in need.
- CaptainAn old white cab horse and former cavalry mount who shares his war memories with Beauty.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
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- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, from the first page.
- Audiobook
- 6 h 46 min, complete, read by Lucas Linden.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 15 minutes, to read or to hear.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in, 166 pages: 8,95 USD when you start free, 14,95 USD on its own.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in, 166 pages: 15,95 USD when you start free, 21,95 USD on its own.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
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Read and hear Black Beauty in 25 languages and switch at any time. Or read two side by side, paragraph by paragraph: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Black Beauty
by Anna Sewell · 1877
A gentle black horse tells his own story as he passes from kind masters to cruel ones across Victorian England.
Easy read5–10 hours to read25 languages
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In short
Black Beauty is a novel told by a horse. Anna Sewell wrote it late in her short life and published it in 1877, and she died in 1878.
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A good start in a green meadow
The story opens in a pleasant meadow with a pond, shady trees and a brook. The young colt lives there with his mother, Duchess, a wise old mare whom the master calls Pet. He is dull black, so the master calls him Darkie. He plays with older cart-horse colts, and one day his mother calls him over for a talk.
She tells him that the other colts are good, but they have not learned good manners. He comes from fine stock, she says, and she asks him to work willingly, lift his feet well, and never bite or kick, even in play. He never forgets this advice, and it shapes the whole of his life.
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What is Black Beauty about?
It follows a horse named Black Beauty as he goes from a kind country home to many different masters, some gentle and some cruel. He tells the story himself and shows how people treat animals.
Who is Ginger in Black Beauty?
Ginger is a chestnut mare who shares Beauty's stable at Birtwick Park. She was badly treated when young, and her sharp temper and her story show how rough handling and tight reins can shape a horse.
What is a check rein in Black Beauty?
A check rein, or bearing rein, is a strap that holds a horse's head high for style. Beauty and Ginger describe how painful it is, and the book argues strongly against its use.
The author
Anna Sewell
1820–1878 · English novelist
Anna Sewell was an English novelist born in Great Yarmouth in 1820. She lived in England and wrote one novel, Black Beauty, which was published in 1877. She wrote it while living in Old Catton, near Norwich. She died there in 1878, a few months after its publication.
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