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Dark Sunshine
Two years before, horse-loving Blythe Hyland would have been thrilled with the news that the family was moving back to an Arizona ranch, but now -- what difference did it make to her? What could a thin, listless girl, crippled by polio, do on a ranch?
Then the haunting vision of Blind Man's Pocket, a deep spring-fed valley tucked away in a range of mountains, tempted her to try riding a horse again, and when she had conquered her initial panic, Blythe felt the world might be hers once more. It was in Blind Man's Pocket that Blythe found Dark Sunshine, a magnificent wild mare that had been trapped by a landslide. From the moment she learned it was possible to rescue the buckskin, Blythe determined that, crutches or no, she would train and ride her. It was slow, often painful work for the crippled girl, but when an endurance ride offered Blythe her only chance to win athletic honors toward a scholarship, both horse and rider were ready for the grueling test.
Dorothy Lyons' earlier books have established her as a favorite writer of horse stories for older girls. In this moving story of a girl whose courage overcame the handicap of a useless leg, she has created an inspiring book that young readers will remember.
Then the haunting vision of Blind Man's Pocket, a deep spring-fed valley tucked away in a range of mountains, tempted her to try riding a horse again, and when she had conquered her initial panic, Blythe felt the world might be hers once more. It was in Blind Man's Pocket that Blythe found Dark Sunshine, a magnificent wild mare that had been trapped by a landslide. From the moment she learned it was possible to rescue the buckskin, Blythe determined that, crutches or no, she would train and ride her. It was slow, often painful work for the crippled girl, but when an endurance ride offered Blythe her only chance to win athletic honors toward a scholarship, both horse and rider were ready for the grueling test.
Dorothy Lyons' earlier books have established her as a favorite writer of horse stories for older girls. In this moving story of a girl whose courage overcame the handicap of a useless leg, she has created an inspiring book that young readers will remember.
244 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1951
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews
July 21, 2025
I so enjoyed this reread. I've pulled it off the shelf and read bits and pieces many times over the years, and a full reread was delightful.
I absolutely love Blythe, and Dan is such a great, loving brother! The whole Hyland family is fun. This book isn't full of excitement and thrills, but it is compelling and full of family and hope and determination.
I absolutely love Blythe, and Dan is such a great, loving brother! The whole Hyland family is fun. This book isn't full of excitement and thrills, but it is compelling and full of family and hope and determination.
October 22, 2014
A good girl-meets-horse book. Fun, easy, clean read for preteens and teens.
March 19, 2022
This is the first horse book I've read by this author and it seems she's written several of them. And I must say the nature of this tale took me by surprise. I often go into books without reading anything about them at all so I was amazed that the plot was about a teenage girl who was clearly depressed because she had gotten crippled from polio. I admit I don't know much about polio but clearly it had done something to her one leg and she has to walk on crutches now. So it is easy to understand how going from a normal active life to suddenly sitting aside and watching others do things you used to be able to do is very upsetting.
Her family moves to Arizona, to a new ranch. And that is where the story starts. Blythe already knew how to ride before her illness, but it still takes a lot of courage to get back onto a horse. Because of the injury she had to do things differently than before: like she can no longer swing her leg up and over so how do you mount the horse? In many ways this story is about how riding can actually help people, not only mentally but also physically too. And I think this is just a wonderful thing to put into a story. And can I say it is just amazing that someone wrote a book about horse therapy way back in 1951?
And then Blythe meets a very special horse she names Dark Sunshine. She is a buckskin mare. And even though Blythe is physically challenged, she decides that she is going to train and capture the mare on her own! For Dark Sunshine is totally wild and has lived in this tiny canyon all on her own. And she is definitely a one person type horse too. Blythe does have help from her brother but she is also a very proud, independent girl who makes her own choices. She knows what she wants and goes for it. And what having this horse does for her mood is amazing!
And if that isn't enough plot, an endurance race is involved too! Sixty miles. And there is a scholarship involved too. If Blythe can only win. But she also has to make some very hard choices.
I did enjoy this story and while there is some action in here I did find it moved at a slower pace. It's not a fast story. A lot of it is about life on a cattle ranch in the early 50s (or late 1940s - an exact year is not stated but french fries and ice cream in town are mentioned). Blythe is a sophomore. In Arizona.
Oddly enough I did have some problems relating to Blythe. She seemed sort of dry somehow. Like she was always very proper? I certainly can understand how she loved that horse though!
Her family moves to Arizona, to a new ranch. And that is where the story starts. Blythe already knew how to ride before her illness, but it still takes a lot of courage to get back onto a horse. Because of the injury she had to do things differently than before: like she can no longer swing her leg up and over so how do you mount the horse? In many ways this story is about how riding can actually help people, not only mentally but also physically too. And I think this is just a wonderful thing to put into a story. And can I say it is just amazing that someone wrote a book about horse therapy way back in 1951?
And then Blythe meets a very special horse she names Dark Sunshine. She is a buckskin mare. And even though Blythe is physically challenged, she decides that she is going to train and capture the mare on her own! For Dark Sunshine is totally wild and has lived in this tiny canyon all on her own. And she is definitely a one person type horse too. Blythe does have help from her brother but she is also a very proud, independent girl who makes her own choices. She knows what she wants and goes for it. And what having this horse does for her mood is amazing!
And if that isn't enough plot, an endurance race is involved too! Sixty miles. And there is a scholarship involved too. If Blythe can only win. But she also has to make some very hard choices.
I did enjoy this story and while there is some action in here I did find it moved at a slower pace. It's not a fast story. A lot of it is about life on a cattle ranch in the early 50s (or late 1940s - an exact year is not stated but french fries and ice cream in town are mentioned). Blythe is a sophomore. In Arizona.
Oddly enough I did have some problems relating to Blythe. She seemed sort of dry somehow. Like she was always very proper? I certainly can understand how she loved that horse though!
July 1, 2009
Given to me years ago by a neighbor from her girlhood collection.
A sweet, old-fashioned girl-and-her-horse story. Blythe is transformed from a girl crippled by polio to an endurance rider and heroine on the horse she trained herself. Simple, straight-forward writing tells the story well, without flights of fancy or irrelevant descriptions to distract from the plot. Gender roles are certainly a product of their time (early 1950's), but the story does center around a strong female.
A sweet, old-fashioned girl-and-her-horse story. Blythe is transformed from a girl crippled by polio to an endurance rider and heroine on the horse she trained herself. Simple, straight-forward writing tells the story well, without flights of fancy or irrelevant descriptions to distract from the plot. Gender roles are certainly a product of their time (early 1950's), but the story does center around a strong female.
May 4, 2019
Another of my favorites I read over and over.
June 5, 2022
I found the Dorothy Lyons books in middle school in the late 1960s. I didn't ride, but was delighted with the stories and the the details on horse behavior and riding. From time to time in the ensuing decades I wondered about these books, and finally figured out the author recently. A reread of Dark Sunshine as an adult showed the book has withstood the changing times, at least for me. It's dated in many ways, but the story is still compelling. I'm looking forward to re-reading Blue Smoke, which was my fave of her her books.
March 14, 2021
As a kid who read every single book about horses that I could get my hands on, I remember reading this one and I've been trying to remember the name of this book for over 5 years. If I can remember bits and pieces of the plot from reading it around 40 years ago, then you know it was a great book.
February 7, 2024
One of the best horse stories out there! (Just after Flicka, anyways.)
I loved the theme of a girl moving out west with her family, learning that she doesn't have to spend her life living like a cripple because of polio damage. Great family story.
I loved the theme of a girl moving out west with her family, learning that she doesn't have to spend her life living like a cripple because of polio damage. Great family story.
June 12, 2017
A wonderful book for young teens, from the 1950 (well, the world has changed), but one of my favs growing up.
March 9, 2017
I have owned a copy of this book since I was a child and recently read it again. it is a wonderful story that reminds us how much can be accomplished when your working towards a goal. Blythe makes an amazing recovery purely because she wants to be Sunny's best friend in return Sunny ignores the limp and the crutches. Blythe pushes boundaries and is permitted to do so because her family is desperate for anything to catch her mind and inspire her again.
January 20, 2015
Dark sunshine is an inspiring story about a young girl with a physical disability, and her dream to ride horses. After moving to a new town, she comes across a wild horse stuck in a canyon, and against all odds is determined to free it and tame it. This story fluctuates from an independent, coming of age journey to a moral development quest. After riding out into the wilderness and overcoming something that physically debilitated her from achieving what she wanted, the girl also became a scholar in her small school and overcame an academic barrier. The story skipped around to many different plot points, but overall conveyed a spirit of diligence and get-it-done attitude in the young girl. I was moved emotionally by her determination to do the impossible, and realized that I have no excuse for not pursuing something that I really wanted.
January 5, 2013
hemming and hawing between 3 and 4 stars.. it's hard to compare a dated book to something more contemporary, but the simplicity of the life it represents and the simplicity of the story itself deserves 4 stars.. not sure that it can hold up all those stars against more contemporary literature, but do we need to compare a book from the 1950s to a book from the 2010s?
whatever - this story was a great story for a (still) horse crazy girl and I want to read more by this author. She has a whole set of horse-related books - where where they when I was growing up? (in the library, I know!)... If you enjoy horses, YA fiction, and the simplicity of how life used to be - pick this one up! :)
whatever - this story was a great story for a (still) horse crazy girl and I want to read more by this author. She has a whole set of horse-related books - where where they when I was growing up? (in the library, I know!)... If you enjoy horses, YA fiction, and the simplicity of how life used to be - pick this one up! :)
August 6, 2016
Dark Sunshine brings us into the west, and into the lives of a family recovering from tragedy and trying to start anew. Young Blythe, once an able-bodied girl, is a shell of her former self. Her parents decide to move back to ranch living, and most of the family is overjoyed, with the exception of Blythe. She simply doesn't see how she'll fit into this new life. But as it turns out, our young heroine is more resilient than she seems. All for the love of a horse, Blythe takes another stab at making something out of her life and becoming a working member of her family.
June 18, 2012
Loved the story and the values in this 1951 book are warm and fuzzy. There are a few places were I was comforted to know when it was written because I knew people often did the right thing back then. I've had this book since I was a kid and can't recall reading it so the adventure was new all over again. Some of the language was a little advanced for young readers but I'm passing along to my niece to see how she does. Great story of a determined young girl and her horse.
August 4, 2011
A favorite from my horse-crazy childhood. I think I read some of Lyons' other books as well, but this one has been in my collection for over 35 years. Yes, it's a bit dated (you don't see polio victims in the 21st century although they were fairly common in the 1940's & 50's), but still a great story with a strong heroine, a beautiful horse, lots of family support, and a happy ending.
May 6, 2012
When I finally got my own bedroom growing up, it was filled with my older sister's books. This was one of the books on the bookshelves. I'm not sure how many times I've read the book. It's uplifting and a horse-lover's delight!
October 21, 2010
Man, Dorothy Lyons - one of the authors whose books I read over and over as a horse crazy kid in the suburbs. I believe I actually own or owned this book. I should look for it.
November 18, 2014
A wonderful classic horse story, one of the best I've read from her.
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February 15, 2018As all her other horse stories, I loved it. As a child, our school library was where I found my first copies and when I became a library assistant, I always recommended Ms. Lyons' books to other kids.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 20 reviews