What do you think?
Rate this book
The Girl Who Rode the Wind
An epic, emotional story of two girls and their bond with beloved horses, the action sweeping between Italy during the Second World War and present day.
When Lola’s grandmother Loretta takes her to Siena, Italy, for the summer, Lola learns of her family’s history of heartbreak and adventure, stretching back to the Second World War. In 1945, Loretta’s nickname was ‘The Daredevil’ due to her fearless competing in the town’s famous Palio horse races – until war broke out and led to sadness and loss for Loretta.
Lola jumps at the chance to enter the modern-day Palio on a beautiful horse called Nico – can she win, in honour of her beloved grandmother? And solve a mystery that will bring happiness and hope to Loretta?
When Lola’s grandmother Loretta takes her to Siena, Italy, for the summer, Lola learns of her family’s history of heartbreak and adventure, stretching back to the Second World War. In 1945, Loretta’s nickname was ‘The Daredevil’ due to her fearless competing in the town’s famous Palio horse races – until war broke out and led to sadness and loss for Loretta.
Lola jumps at the chance to enter the modern-day Palio on a beautiful horse called Nico – can she win, in honour of her beloved grandmother? And solve a mystery that will bring happiness and hope to Loretta?
320 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2015
52 people are currently reading
353 people want to read
About the author
Stacy Gregg
80 books207 followersAs a young girl living in New Zealand Stacy Gregg wanted to be two things when she grew up – a horse rider and a writer. She now considers herself very, very lucky to be both at once!
Becoming a writer was the easy part – all she needed was an exercise book and a pen. Stacy wrote loads of poetry and short stories at school and then became a journalist, writing features for magazines and newspapers and working as a fashion writer (v. glamorous and lots of fun!) before her first book in the Pony Club Secrets series was published in 2007.
Extract from author's web page
Becoming a writer was the easy part – all she needed was an exercise book and a pen. Stacy wrote loads of poetry and short stories at school and then became a journalist, writing features for magazines and newspapers and working as a fashion writer (v. glamorous and lots of fun!) before her first book in the Pony Club Secrets series was published in 2007.
Extract from author's web page
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
August 13, 2015
4 stars
Despite the highly unlikely premise (12 year old American girl rides in the Palio?!?!), this was an enjoyable read. The horse races were exciting, and Nonna's acceptance of the past, after so many years of guilt, was touching. Lola's struggles with bullying rang true, and her father's insistence that she become a doctor or a lawyer instead of a track rat gave Lola another conflict to solve. Great characters, including the horses.
Despite the highly unlikely premise (12 year old American girl rides in the Palio?!?!), this was an enjoyable read. The horse races were exciting, and Nonna's acceptance of the past, after so many years of guilt, was touching. Lola's struggles with bullying rang true, and her father's insistence that she become a doctor or a lawyer instead of a track rat gave Lola another conflict to solve. Great characters, including the horses.
September 7, 2015
Returning to Stacy Gregg's novels is a breath of fresh air for me. I grew up loving her very first series, "Pony Club Secrets" and reading one of her latest novels such as this one, it has opened my eyes again to my love for horses and has sent a deep ache of pain and agony through me - reminding me of how much I miss having the companionship of a gorgeous horse and being upon his back while soaring across the field in an open canter. Stacy has not failed to impress me with her writing skills, even as a children's author I feel like she has done an impeccable job of conjuring up a story of which delves right into the hearts of horse lovers and brings about a new understanding of the history of WW2 while giving horse racing a whole other meaning of competition. Choosing the famous 'Palio' horse race in Italy was a great choice to write about as it not only was the perfect way of describing passion in horse riding and honour, but teaches children the basics of the war with Hitler and the Nazi's, therefore this would be a great read to prepare any child to the age of thirteen for the harsh and brutal reality of History that they teach you at high school. I wish she had of written this book for me five years ago!
Lola reminded me a lot of how I used to be as a kid, a little bit crazy about horses with a talent to cope with a tempered horse well (according to my old best friend's riding instructor when a Mare I was riding had spooked and I was able to stay on while she had a fit and I eventually calmed her down), yet not very popular at school due to having her nose stuck in a book but having the courage to stand up to a bully if need be. However, Lola seemed a little more courageous than what I was; I don't know whether I would have had the will to enter a race like the Palio if I were in her position! One thing I really liked about Lola is that she cared for the horses to no extent - she would rather worry about them and their safety or comfort rather than her own. One quote from the book that really got me thinking about the type of character Lola really was, said, "Was a feather mattress enough to protect a horse if it crashed at a full gallop?". This made me stop for a second and made me realise how caring she was for a twelve year old girl who was about to ride in the Palio in Italy to regain her family's contrada respect and value. I respect this about Lola as she seemingly retrieved that habit from her Nonna and made sure that the horses came first no matter what. Again she showed this later on in the race but I'll leave that for you to find out!
In terms of character development, both Lola and her Nonna seemed to come a long way and learned a lot through their trip to Nonna Lorretta's home town in Italy. I feel like Lola realised her responsibility by the end of the story to make a good life for herself and her family by deciding on an agreement with her father. Nonna's history played a massive part in this book and it really helped Lola throughout everything she attempted in Italy, but also Nonna had a lot of her own skeletons in her closet which she eventually got around to sorting out and that seemed to bring her and Lola closer together. There were a lot of hidden messages in this novel which I think is highly important for growing children to learn but I think the one thing I got most out of this read was learning to be strong and courageous, but also to forgive, forget and move on because you can't ever truly be happy if you don't eventually deal with your past and let go. It's one thing not only children must learn, but many adults too and I feel like that is another reason why this book is great for any horse lover, any age.
I noticed by the end of the book that there wasn't any sort of minor romance for the main character, Lola as there was for Issie in PCS who had a brief relationship with Aidan but it couldn't stay afloat due to bigger responsibilities. Personally I think that was a good choice as this was more about the retelling of the Palio race and what happened back in the 1940's during the war. Of course there was a bit of romance which took a back seat to the main course of the novel through Nonna's retelling of her bringing up in Italy before she came to America. It was sweet and romantic to read about a grandmother's view of her first love and what happened in the end. Although I truly feel like the real love story was the bond between girl and horse; the relationship between Lola and Nico was strong and showed a fierce passion and connection between the two. That's what I like most about Stacy's books, is that she always has this unending theme of that bond between a human and a horse and that's sometimes all someone, especially a young girl at Lola's age, really ever needs. I'll just quickly add that a rider on a dark bay horse just rode past my house and my heart leapt out of my chest! Stacy, you have made my inside's hurt but also fill me with joy again with this book and I thank you for that.
Overall I have given this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it is such a timeless and ageless read that it could be read by anyone and still be enjoyed, horse lover or not, young or old. Stacy is truly a pony genius and knows exactly how to warm the heart of a pony lover. A great novel for kids to read - I'm not surprised that it has won an award!
Lola reminded me a lot of how I used to be as a kid, a little bit crazy about horses with a talent to cope with a tempered horse well (according to my old best friend's riding instructor when a Mare I was riding had spooked and I was able to stay on while she had a fit and I eventually calmed her down), yet not very popular at school due to having her nose stuck in a book but having the courage to stand up to a bully if need be. However, Lola seemed a little more courageous than what I was; I don't know whether I would have had the will to enter a race like the Palio if I were in her position! One thing I really liked about Lola is that she cared for the horses to no extent - she would rather worry about them and their safety or comfort rather than her own. One quote from the book that really got me thinking about the type of character Lola really was, said, "Was a feather mattress enough to protect a horse if it crashed at a full gallop?". This made me stop for a second and made me realise how caring she was for a twelve year old girl who was about to ride in the Palio in Italy to regain her family's contrada respect and value. I respect this about Lola as she seemingly retrieved that habit from her Nonna and made sure that the horses came first no matter what. Again she showed this later on in the race but I'll leave that for you to find out!
In terms of character development, both Lola and her Nonna seemed to come a long way and learned a lot through their trip to Nonna Lorretta's home town in Italy. I feel like Lola realised her responsibility by the end of the story to make a good life for herself and her family by deciding on an agreement with her father. Nonna's history played a massive part in this book and it really helped Lola throughout everything she attempted in Italy, but also Nonna had a lot of her own skeletons in her closet which she eventually got around to sorting out and that seemed to bring her and Lola closer together. There were a lot of hidden messages in this novel which I think is highly important for growing children to learn but I think the one thing I got most out of this read was learning to be strong and courageous, but also to forgive, forget and move on because you can't ever truly be happy if you don't eventually deal with your past and let go. It's one thing not only children must learn, but many adults too and I feel like that is another reason why this book is great for any horse lover, any age.
I noticed by the end of the book that there wasn't any sort of minor romance for the main character, Lola as there was for Issie in PCS who had a brief relationship with Aidan but it couldn't stay afloat due to bigger responsibilities. Personally I think that was a good choice as this was more about the retelling of the Palio race and what happened back in the 1940's during the war. Of course there was a bit of romance which took a back seat to the main course of the novel through Nonna's retelling of her bringing up in Italy before she came to America. It was sweet and romantic to read about a grandmother's view of her first love and what happened in the end. Although I truly feel like the real love story was the bond between girl and horse; the relationship between Lola and Nico was strong and showed a fierce passion and connection between the two. That's what I like most about Stacy's books, is that she always has this unending theme of that bond between a human and a horse and that's sometimes all someone, especially a young girl at Lola's age, really ever needs. I'll just quickly add that a rider on a dark bay horse just rode past my house and my heart leapt out of my chest! Stacy, you have made my inside's hurt but also fill me with joy again with this book and I thank you for that.
Overall I have given this book a 5 out of 5 stars because it is such a timeless and ageless read that it could be read by anyone and still be enjoyed, horse lover or not, young or old. Stacy is truly a pony genius and knows exactly how to warm the heart of a pony lover. A great novel for kids to read - I'm not surprised that it has won an award!
August 25, 2019
I truly enjoyed this book! Everything about it is really lovely and it's a great coming of age story that revolves around embracing heritage and one's destiny. If you love horses and strong female characters, this book is definitely not one to miss out on.
September 18, 2022
Tää on yks parhaista kirjoista mitä oon ikinä lukenu🥺💖💕❤ tää oli ihana, jotenki erityinen ja haluun ostaa tän omaks et voin lukee sen uudelleen ja uudelleen. Täs puhuttiin vähä ratsastuksesta mut onneks sillee kiinnostavasti (en tiiä siitä mitää xD) ja sitä oli helppo ymmärtää. Tässä oli ihana *romanttinen* backstory💜💜 ja tosi hyvä tarina muutenki <33
January 26, 2019
An interesting story that weaved two lives and two cultures together through the bond of horses. Deep and emotional, with trustworthy content for young readers. Well written and enjoyable.
February 23, 2025
When Lola's grandmother Loretta takes her to Siena, Italy, for the summer, Lola learns of her family's history of heartbreak and adventure, stretching back to the Second World War. In 1945, Loretta's nickname was 'The Daredevil' due to her fearless competing in the town's famous Palio horse races - until war broke out and led to sadness and loss for Loretta. Lola jumps at the chance to enter the modern-day Palio on a beautiful horse called Nico. She’s determined to win, in honour of her beloved grandmother. Alongside this she fixed on solving a mystery that will bring happiness and hope to Loretta.
Despite the highly unlikely premise of a 12-year-old American girl riding in the Palio, this was an enjoyable read. The horse races were exciting, and Nonna's acceptance of the past, after so many years of guilt, was touching. Lola's struggles with bullying were relatable to many, and her father's insistence that she become a doctor or a lawyer instead of a track rat gave Lola another conflict to solve.
Lola grew up in the shadows of New York’s Aqueduct racetrack desperate to become a horse jockey. Lola’s dad and Brothers are all jockeys, but her dad says she is much too smart to be a jockey, he wants her to be a lawyer. Lola’s Nonna decides to go on a holiday back to Italy and after Lola gets in trouble at school for breaking a student’s nose she goes on holiday too. In Italy Lola learns all about her family’s past and the horrible things that happened during the Second World War.
Lola is a very dedicated and determined young girl; she really loves her horse Nico. Lola and her Nonna have a very strong bond, and they are quite similar.
I would give this book 5 stars because it kept readers on the edge of their seats. It was really good and engaging. I would recommend this to anyone aged 12 or over and it’s great to read alone or as a family but there are some emotional parts.
Despite the highly unlikely premise of a 12-year-old American girl riding in the Palio, this was an enjoyable read. The horse races were exciting, and Nonna's acceptance of the past, after so many years of guilt, was touching. Lola's struggles with bullying were relatable to many, and her father's insistence that she become a doctor or a lawyer instead of a track rat gave Lola another conflict to solve.
Lola grew up in the shadows of New York’s Aqueduct racetrack desperate to become a horse jockey. Lola’s dad and Brothers are all jockeys, but her dad says she is much too smart to be a jockey, he wants her to be a lawyer. Lola’s Nonna decides to go on a holiday back to Italy and after Lola gets in trouble at school for breaking a student’s nose she goes on holiday too. In Italy Lola learns all about her family’s past and the horrible things that happened during the Second World War.
Lola is a very dedicated and determined young girl; she really loves her horse Nico. Lola and her Nonna have a very strong bond, and they are quite similar.
I would give this book 5 stars because it kept readers on the edge of their seats. It was really good and engaging. I would recommend this to anyone aged 12 or over and it’s great to read alone or as a family but there are some emotional parts.
November 25, 2018
Lola grew up in the shadows of New York’s Aqueduct racetrack desperate to become a horse jockey. Lola’s Father and Brothers are all jockey’s, her Father says she is much too smart to be a jockey, he wants her to be a lawyer. Lola’s Nonna decides to go on a holiday back to Italy (her hometown) and after Lola gets in trouble at school for breaking a student’s nose she goes on holiday too. In Italy Lola learns all about her family’s past and the horrible things that happened during the Second World War. Little did she know, she would end up riding Nico (her horse) in the world’s most deadliest horse race, The Palio.
Lola is a very dedicated and determined young girl, she really loves her horse Nico. Lola and her Nonna have a very strong bond and they are quite similar.
Nico is a chestnut coloured horse who absolutely adores his owner Lola. He would do anything to protect and please her.
Lola’s Nonna is very wise and gives great advice, she is kind and caring. Her past is quite sad and during the holiday in Italy she tells Lola all about it.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it is definitely one of my favourites! Some of the events that occurred were quite unexpected and emotional. While I was reading this book I related to Lola in some of the points such as having a horse that I love and spending a lot of time with him. The Girl Who Rode The Wind I think is a great title for this book because it refers to Lola and Nico and the race (The Palio) that they won by being the fastest and the title suggests that she is very fast.
This book was so great! I really enjoyed it and could read it one hundred times over and still love it. I very strongly recommend this book! It is great book for anybody with an interest in horses, horse racing, World War 2 and The Palio. It is the type of book that once you start reading you can’t stop reading.
Lola is a very dedicated and determined young girl, she really loves her horse Nico. Lola and her Nonna have a very strong bond and they are quite similar.
Nico is a chestnut coloured horse who absolutely adores his owner Lola. He would do anything to protect and please her.
Lola’s Nonna is very wise and gives great advice, she is kind and caring. Her past is quite sad and during the holiday in Italy she tells Lola all about it.
I really enjoyed reading this book, it is definitely one of my favourites! Some of the events that occurred were quite unexpected and emotional. While I was reading this book I related to Lola in some of the points such as having a horse that I love and spending a lot of time with him. The Girl Who Rode The Wind I think is a great title for this book because it refers to Lola and Nico and the race (The Palio) that they won by being the fastest and the title suggests that she is very fast.
This book was so great! I really enjoyed it and could read it one hundred times over and still love it. I very strongly recommend this book! It is great book for anybody with an interest in horses, horse racing, World War 2 and The Palio. It is the type of book that once you start reading you can’t stop reading.
July 30, 2017
This beautiful book weaves two timelines together in one magnificent story giving it a magical effect. Not only is this story an amazing fiction tale but it includes real facts on the history of Italy and its risk taking, traditional race, the Palio. This book sent shivers down my spine and I feel as though it will stick with me forever. I loved the mystery in this book and the description was so detailed that by the end I felt as though I knew the characters. This book combines love, adventure, mystery, hope, heartbreak and forgiveness in just 336 pages that are impossible to put down.
June 1, 2017
When I started reading the first chapter I said its going to be boring.. So I put it back into my book shelf. But.. how wrong was I!!! This was a really good book. I am really happy I read it!! Can't wait to read "The Princess And The Foal". I believe that is going to be good too! I love reading horse books. And all the horse books i've been reading have been amazing. I also started watching horse races. And I love it. ❤️😏
January 5, 2024
When I was a little girl, my mother would read me the Stacy Gregg novels. I could see the story from my own two eyes, I loved it. I haven't read these in a while but I always get such heart warming memories with these books. I really recommend her stories for young ones who love horses. Although I've only read this once, it's the kind of story that stays engraved in your mind, especially as a little girl 💖
August 13, 2022
I loved this book. It's not my favourite one from this author, but it's not bad either. I loved the mix of fact and fiction and the mix of history and modernism. I loved reading about world war II and how it affected Italy. I loved reading about Palio and I loved reading about horses and this great historical race that happens in Italy. It's an interesting book about an interesting topic.
August 12, 2019
As a child reading this book was an incredible experience I actually went to the scene it’s set in and walked on the street that the horses gallop along. Every end of a chapter was a cliff hanger. Also being a horse lover also made the book even more for me
March 3, 2020
Odd sports!
If I hadn’t watched a documentary-film about this race I wouldn’t have had the faintest idea what the author was writing about but since I did I could enjoy the book (go to Netflix guys!).
If I hadn’t watched a documentary-film about this race I wouldn’t have had the faintest idea what the author was writing about but since I did I could enjoy the book (go to Netflix guys!).
August 2, 2021
I have always really enjoyed Stacy Gregg's books, so I was pleasantly surprised to find out there was one I hadn't heard of. Although the story seems highly improbable, it was still an enjoyable read and I loved feeling like I was in the piazza watching the Pialo take place.
September 3, 2023
I read this in primary school, so I don't remember much other than that I loved it. It took me two attempts to finish the book, as I was a bit to young to find it engaging when I first read it. However, the second time, I remember really enjoying it.
June 3, 2024
THIS BOOK PUT INTO A BOOK SLUMP!!!!!
Do I need to say any more. If I could I would give it a 0⭐️, but that's not possible. I HATE and I repeat, I HATE this book more than the most annoying boy in my class.
Do I need to say any more. If I could I would give it a 0⭐️, but that's not possible. I HATE and I repeat, I HATE this book more than the most annoying boy in my class.
May 8, 2018
Really enjoyable kids book. More than just a horsey story. Really wish the cover wasn't so pink!
October 7, 2018
This book makes me smile every time i read it i love every time they talk about there past it makes me even more interested
May 3, 2019
I read this for a friend to make sure it was appropriate for her younger cousin, but I actually really enjoyed it, and even learnt some new things!
November 24, 2019
The book that initially got me into reading and started my love for horses :)
April 23, 2020
I love it because it encloses horses, but I can't really understand it Very much.
February 27, 2021
3.5 :))
May 17, 2021
Loved it! I love this book because I love learning about the past and I love these types of books. Age group is around 8+
Read
December 14, 2021ok this was cute but also sad (as many of stacy gregg's books tend to be)
January 7, 2022
The book which started it all, my reading journey started with this masterpiece. 13 year old me read this constantly, was in love with everything; the characters, plot and the writing style.
July 18, 2022
this book and elizabeth used to be my bible
January 14, 2023
Love this book very appropriate for anyone who loves horses it definitely can be suspenseful
November 23, 2023
I def didn’t like this book just cause I got a signed edition…
January 13, 2024
Highly unlikely for this to happen in real life of course, but the idea of it is so refreshing!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews