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Mrs Whitlam
Marnie Clark of Curdie Vale can ride but she doesn’t have a horse. She dreams of owning one and having the whole world to ride it in. Before too long Marnie is gifted Mrs Margaret ‘Maggie’ Whitlam, a beautiful, big Clydesdale – bold, fearless and able to jump anything.
From the very first ride, Marnie and Maggie get more adventure than they bargained for. Soon Marnie is learning to negotiate newfound friendships, pony club and how to stand up for what she believes in. Will her friendship with George Costa, another outsider, make being accepted harder? Or will being true to yourself be the hardest decision Marnie makes?
From the very first ride, Marnie and Maggie get more adventure than they bargained for. Soon Marnie is learning to negotiate newfound friendships, pony club and how to stand up for what she believes in. Will her friendship with George Costa, another outsider, make being accepted harder? Or will being true to yourself be the hardest decision Marnie makes?
77 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2016
2 people are currently reading
69 people want to read
About the author
Bruce Pascoe
45 books322 followersBruce Pascoe was born of Bunurong and Tasmanian Aboriginal heritage in the Melbourne suburb of Richmond and graduated from the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Education. He is a member of the Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative of southern Victoria and has been the director of the Australian Studies Project for the Commonwealth Schools Commission.
Bruce has had a varied career as a teacher, farmer, fisherman, barman, fencing contractor, lecturer, Aboriginal language researcher, archaeological site worker and editor.
He won the Fellowship of Australian Writers' Literature Award in 1999 and his novel Fog a Dox (published by Magabala Books in 2012), won the Young Adult category of the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.
Source: http://brucepascoe.com.au/about/
Bruce has had a varied career as a teacher, farmer, fisherman, barman, fencing contractor, lecturer, Aboriginal language researcher, archaeological site worker and editor.
He won the Fellowship of Australian Writers' Literature Award in 1999 and his novel Fog a Dox (published by Magabala Books in 2012), won the Young Adult category of the 2013 Prime Minister's Literary Awards.
Source: http://brucepascoe.com.au/about/
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Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
January 25, 2020
One of the absolute delights of being an adult reader is the ability to dive back into the world of Young Fiction or Junior Fiction.
This story is one of those gifts. Just happened to read it, on Australia Day morning, on my verandah with coffee in hand. I am one of those citizens that struggles terribly to make sense of the way this nation celebrates what its grabbed as its national day. But that is another story, and this delight was the perfect, uplifting antidote.
It is a glorious story of a girl, of a special horse (well aren't all horses special) of a small community with conflicting social connections. A story of loss, of love and of growth.
Beautiful. I hope every young reader who opens it loves it and I hope many many adult readers allow themselves the joy of experiencing it.
Thank you again Bruce Pascoe, for all your titles
This story is one of those gifts. Just happened to read it, on Australia Day morning, on my verandah with coffee in hand. I am one of those citizens that struggles terribly to make sense of the way this nation celebrates what its grabbed as its national day. But that is another story, and this delight was the perfect, uplifting antidote.
It is a glorious story of a girl, of a special horse (well aren't all horses special) of a small community with conflicting social connections. A story of loss, of love and of growth.
Beautiful. I hope every young reader who opens it loves it and I hope many many adult readers allow themselves the joy of experiencing it.
Thank you again Bruce Pascoe, for all your titles
July 12, 2016
I am definitely NOT sneakily reading my kid's birthday present before wrapping it up. NOPE.
January 16, 2022
What a beautiful, perfect, diamond of a book. My reservation came in at the library and I'd finished it 40 minutes later.
It's a children's book about Marnie, who's given a part-Clydesdale horse, the titular Mrs Whitlam, after the first owner dies. It's beautifully written, one of those books that says so much in the spaces between words. Marnie is indigenous Australian, and the book is about racism and acceptance and understanding as much as it is about a girl and her horse and how much they love.
I wish I could give it ten glowing stars.
It's a children's book about Marnie, who's given a part-Clydesdale horse, the titular Mrs Whitlam, after the first owner dies. It's beautifully written, one of those books that says so much in the spaces between words. Marnie is indigenous Australian, and the book is about racism and acceptance and understanding as much as it is about a girl and her horse and how much they love.
I wish I could give it ten glowing stars.
May 11, 2020
Marnie has dreamed of having her own horse for ages but when she is given one following a tragic accident, she can’t believe it.
With the help of her horse-riding teacher Marnie is set on the right path with her new horse. But Marnie doesn’t like the horse’s name. Why such an unusual name? Marnie decides she’ll call the horse Maggie – still after Margaret Whitlam. Mum says you can’t change a horse’s name. How would it know who it was?
Saturday Pony Club rolls around and Marnie gets ready. She’s never been friendly with the Pony-Club-Girls and they challenge her as soon as she arrives. Pony Club is miserable for Marnie. The girls question her right to the horse and ridicule her riding clothes.
Mum calls it out for what it is, racism. Marnie is Aboriginal and has a fine horse and all the gear to go with it. The only girls in town that have their own horse as rich girls.
Marnie takes her horse down onto the beach for a ride and swim. A toddler is missing, and Marnie sees something floating in the water. The water’s deep and the current is carrying Marnie further out. What happens to Marnie? What does her horse do? Who does she meet? What happens that confirms Marnie’s right to the horse and all of Vicki’s riding gear?
This book is gentle and yet deals with complex issues including racism, teenage friendships and growing up. I loved the writing style.
Shortlisted Book The Children’s Book of the Year Awards
Published by Magabala Books 2016
Highly recommended for 8+. Any child dreaming of a horse will love it. It would be a great book to read together and discuss the issues in the book.
With the help of her horse-riding teacher Marnie is set on the right path with her new horse. But Marnie doesn’t like the horse’s name. Why such an unusual name? Marnie decides she’ll call the horse Maggie – still after Margaret Whitlam. Mum says you can’t change a horse’s name. How would it know who it was?
Saturday Pony Club rolls around and Marnie gets ready. She’s never been friendly with the Pony-Club-Girls and they challenge her as soon as she arrives. Pony Club is miserable for Marnie. The girls question her right to the horse and ridicule her riding clothes.
Mum calls it out for what it is, racism. Marnie is Aboriginal and has a fine horse and all the gear to go with it. The only girls in town that have their own horse as rich girls.
Marnie takes her horse down onto the beach for a ride and swim. A toddler is missing, and Marnie sees something floating in the water. The water’s deep and the current is carrying Marnie further out. What happens to Marnie? What does her horse do? Who does she meet? What happens that confirms Marnie’s right to the horse and all of Vicki’s riding gear?
This book is gentle and yet deals with complex issues including racism, teenage friendships and growing up. I loved the writing style.
Shortlisted Book The Children’s Book of the Year Awards
Published by Magabala Books 2016
Highly recommended for 8+. Any child dreaming of a horse will love it. It would be a great book to read together and discuss the issues in the book.
May 17, 2017
This book has been shortlisted for the Australian Children's Book Council Younger Readers book of the Year.
This is a lovely quick read book. At just short of 80 pages it is not intimidating for the relucant reader. The story is engaging, with a strong female main character who faces the challenges in her life with determination and guts. She knows what she wants and she is happy to go after it, even in the face of bullies and nay sayers.
Mrs Whitlam has a strong Australian flavour and subtlety introduces more complex themes such as racism and grief which could either be left as part of the overall story or picked out and examined more closely.
This is a book I definitely recommend to reluctant 8-10 year old readers.
This is a lovely quick read book. At just short of 80 pages it is not intimidating for the relucant reader. The story is engaging, with a strong female main character who faces the challenges in her life with determination and guts. She knows what she wants and she is happy to go after it, even in the face of bullies and nay sayers.
Mrs Whitlam has a strong Australian flavour and subtlety introduces more complex themes such as racism and grief which could either be left as part of the overall story or picked out and examined more closely.
This is a book I definitely recommend to reluctant 8-10 year old readers.
June 19, 2019
Mrs Whitlam re-awakened my young-girl daydreams of having this sort of special bond with a horse. With themes of grief, racism and belonging adding depth to the narrative, and the perspective of an indigenous girl adding another layer of insight, this story is sure to delight and enrich young readers, especially those who harbour dreams of an equine soul mate. It's a slim book - quick to read but with a story that is long to linger.
May 9, 2017
Shortlisted for the CBCA 2017 Book of the Year Younger Readers, this is an easy read novel targetting 10 to 12 year olds. A straightforward horse story where the main character, Marnie, is gifted a horse from a grieving mother whose daughter died in a car accident. Marnie loves her new horse, Mrs Whitlam but has to face some racial abuse and stigmatism from the local 'white' horse crowd. Aboriginality is woven throughout the story, but with no real statement or stance from the author. Issues tend to be glossed over, and potential leads in the text - such as changing the horse's name, sudden racial acceptance after rescuing a baby being washed out to sea - fizzle out.
July 14, 2016
Miss 10 beat me to this one and loved it. Full of characters you can warm to and of course a delicious equine to fall in love with, Mrs Margaret Whitlam. Now that I have seconded her edition, I have to agree. Pascoe sets the scene early, infuses the characters with plenty of grit and sass and steers us along a simple yet captivating tale that is fast and easy to read for readers from 8 or so up. Possessing a substantial Australian indigenous flavour but balanced with just enough 'horsiness' to keep young pony clubbers satisfied, Mrs Whitlam is a delightful junior novel to spend time with.
June 23, 2019
A lovely novel about a young Aboriginal girl getting a horse and finding a true friend. Deals with racism, culture, grief, resilience and friendship. Great for upper primary and lower secondary students. Will be using with EAL students.
July 31, 2024
"The horse was a Clydesdale and had a strange name but she was mine and what's more she was quote prepared to let me love her, to press my face into the hard muscles of her neck and feel the warmth of her chestnut hair"
"...The horse’s breath puffing warmly on my hair. Every now and then I could feel her soft rubbery lips and whiskers just touch my ear. The horse was doing it deliberately. I’m here, Marnie, don’t forget me. She needed to be loved, this great heavy-footed horse. And I could love her. I could love this horse, Maggie, and defy anyone to laugh. I’d fight them rather than let them laugh at my horse”
idk if this is as great as some of the reviews make it out to be - but i still love it - the way marnie and her relationship with maggie is described is so beautiful and accurate of how i felt about finally getting my own horses as a kid and makes me so nostalgic/miss having horses!! so much love in those descriptions <3 also loved how strong and gutsy marnie was!!
i only really know marnie was aboriginal bc of the reviews - its not explicit in the book so i wouldn't read this if that's your main reason - but it does touch on racism
“I brought my face down to rest on Maggie’s neck as I walked her along the creek behind the footy oval. She was warm as toast and had that wonderful horsey smell that you woke up in the middle of the night thinking about. What a horse!...My heart was beating as strongly as Maggie’s. I was so lucky and so in love with this horse that already seemed to understand exactly what I wanted her to do.”
December 24, 2022
What a treasure! Marnie is braver than she ever knew. And thank goodness she paid attention in school… otherwise things may very well have gone much differently. Absolutely adore “Maggie” and her smarts to help Marnie when she needed it most. Equally great for people who like horses and those who don’t. The story is much bigger than a girl and her horse. I’ve now read it twice. Beautiful! A must-read.
May 19, 2017
Such a lovely little read that's concise yet heart-felt. Great for reluctant girl readers of 10 - 14, especially those who love animals. Deals well with themes of loneliness, resilience, grief, race relations and bullying, with a bit of romance thrown in for good measure. Marnie shows the reader that, given the right circumstance, we can all be a hero.
June 18, 2017
A beaut book for upper primary students. It will appeal to animal lovers and the storyline deals with racism, bullying, friendship, heroism and families. An easy read, and not too long a book, so reluctant readers shouldn't be intimidated with just shy of eighty pages. I would highly recommend Mrs Whitlam by Bruce Pascoe.
September 18, 2017
A sweet quick read that was on my reading list for the Write Around the Murray festival. I'm not the target audience which my guess would be primary age kids, but who wouldn't want to read about Marnie's strength, courage and sheer joy in her first few days with Mrs Whitlam, the horse named after Margaret Whitlam.
June 26, 2017
I loved this book! (and would have also loved it as a horse mad child). A great horsey adventure story with themes of grief, racism and courage. My only complaint is that it was over too quickly. It could easily have been a longer story and still retained the power of an engaging short story.
June 9, 2017
Gentle but powerful story
June 16, 2018
Great short, easy-to-read novel for primary aged kids. Lovely characters and beautiful Aboriginal representation.
September 17, 2018
I feel like I just read a snippet of a larger story but it was a beautiful snippet and well worth the read!
Read
August 7, 2019Quirky title, lovely story!
September 20, 2025
~ 3.5 stars ~
Read
August 9, 2016Marnie Clark of Curdie Vale can ride but she doesn't have a horse.
She dreams of owning one and having the whole world to ride it in. Before too long Marnie is gifted Mrs Margaret 'Maggie' Whitlam, a beautiful, big Clydesdale - bold, fearless and able to jump anything.
From the very first ride, Marnie and Maggie get more adventure than they bargained for. Soon Marnie is learning to negotiate newfound friendships, pony club and how to stand up for what she believes in. Will her friendship with George Costa, another outsider, make being accepted harder? Or will being true to yourself be the hardest decision Marnie makes?
She dreams of owning one and having the whole world to ride it in. Before too long Marnie is gifted Mrs Margaret 'Maggie' Whitlam, a beautiful, big Clydesdale - bold, fearless and able to jump anything.
From the very first ride, Marnie and Maggie get more adventure than they bargained for. Soon Marnie is learning to negotiate newfound friendships, pony club and how to stand up for what she believes in. Will her friendship with George Costa, another outsider, make being accepted harder? Or will being true to yourself be the hardest decision Marnie makes?
February 16, 2026
This is one of my favourite books of all time! I got it from Book Club when I was 11 and I never could read very well as a child and I remember being a horse girl at 11 and reading this and being so proud of myself that I had managed to finish a book so quickly! Whenever I find this book I have to stop and read it and imagine I have a clydesdale horse and ride on the beach! It’s less than 80 pages and it is so full of adventure!
June 3, 2019
This was a short read (for me) and would really appeal to those kids who like animal stories (especially horse stories) but it is so much more than it. It deals with prejudice both racial and social, grief and healing. A really beautiful book. Not just for young readers.
I can see why it was nominated for the CBCA Book Awards.
I can see why it was nominated for the CBCA Book Awards.
March 5, 2024
CBCA 2017 Younger Reader Short List book.
Short but incisive. Positive representations without preaching or condescension.
Grief permeates, even though MC, Marnie isn't directly affected, so it's quite sad.
Short but incisive. Positive representations without preaching or condescension.
Grief permeates, even though MC, Marnie isn't directly affected, so it's quite sad.
July 28, 2016
This is a heart warming short novel that ticked all the boxes for me - great heroine, diverse background, feel good story.
September 21, 2016
A brilliant novella. Diverse, sweet, real.
August 5, 2017
Read for Children's Book Council of Australia awards.
Sweet novelette touching on prejudice, courage, family, happiness and loss.
Quite a lovely quick read with shy but courageous Marnie - young Aboriginal girl - as the human lead character. The other magnificent main character in this story is Mrs Whitlam....... in this case a horse....but in all ways the equal of Australia's own Mrs Whitlam ...big and bold.....and magnificent too.
Sweet novelette touching on prejudice, courage, family, happiness and loss.
Quite a lovely quick read with shy but courageous Marnie - young Aboriginal girl - as the human lead character. The other magnificent main character in this story is Mrs Whitlam....... in this case a horse....but in all ways the equal of Australia's own Mrs Whitlam ...big and bold.....and magnificent too.
March 27, 2018
It's a really cute story.
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews