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The Lady
Amidst the grandeur of the emerald countryside, a magnificent story unfolds. . . .
They are the Carradynes, who for more than 200 years have bred and trained horses of the finest caliber on Cornanagh—a land so beautiful it inspires the soul.
But all is not idyllic at hearth and home. At the center of the conflict is Catriona, the youngest child, a girl who dreams of riding her family’s big jumpers and show horses. Her father, Michael, is keenly aware of her immense talent, and he urges her on—only to lock wills with his insufferably pious and overbearing wife, Isabel, a woman who cannot bear horses, who cannot bear his touch. Her goal is to put stiff dresses, tight shoes, and perfect manners on Catriona.
It is a stalemate of pride and passion—until the day Lady Selina Healy enters their lives. Poised, beautiful, and warm, she too knows imprisonment in a loveless marriage, she too admires good horses, she too finds enchantment in Cornanagh. She falls in love . . . with Catriona, who becomes the child she never had; with the splendid lush land; and with Michael, the consummate horseman and gentleman.
They are the Carradynes, who for more than 200 years have bred and trained horses of the finest caliber on Cornanagh—a land so beautiful it inspires the soul.
But all is not idyllic at hearth and home. At the center of the conflict is Catriona, the youngest child, a girl who dreams of riding her family’s big jumpers and show horses. Her father, Michael, is keenly aware of her immense talent, and he urges her on—only to lock wills with his insufferably pious and overbearing wife, Isabel, a woman who cannot bear horses, who cannot bear his touch. Her goal is to put stiff dresses, tight shoes, and perfect manners on Catriona.
It is a stalemate of pride and passion—until the day Lady Selina Healy enters their lives. Poised, beautiful, and warm, she too knows imprisonment in a loveless marriage, she too admires good horses, she too finds enchantment in Cornanagh. She falls in love . . . with Catriona, who becomes the child she never had; with the splendid lush land; and with Michael, the consummate horseman and gentleman.
384 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published October 1, 1987
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1074 people want to read
About the author
Anne McCaffrey
481 books7,804 followersAnne Inez McCaffrey was an American writer known for the Dragonriders of Pern science fiction series. She was the first woman to win a Hugo Award for fiction (Best Novella, Weyr Search, 1968) and the first to win a Nebula Award (Best Novella, Dragonrider, 1969). Her 1978 novel The White Dragon became one of the first science-fiction books to appear on the New York Times Best Seller list.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
In 2005 the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America named McCaffrey its 22nd Grand Master, an annual award to living writers of fantasy and science fiction. She was inducted by the Science Fiction Hall of Fame on 17 June 2006. She also received the Robert A. Heinlein Award for her work in 2007.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews
November 7, 2011
This is an odd book, it doesn't really match McCaffrey's other works and it's really a shame she didn't write more like it. I never had a horse girl phase, but some of my friends did and I always thought it was kind of stupid. We lived in a city, most of us would never see a horse let alone ride one. This is the first and only horse book I've ever read and it makes me see why girls go horse crazy.
The book is set in Ireland in the 70's, and it has a surprising number of focuses. Sure it's about horses, but it's also about a family, and about a young girl becoming a grown woman, and about politics and about love. One interesting factor is the coverage it gives to the rights of women, which is a pretty deep topic to cover in a novel. McCaffrey does it pretty well, she gives us enough detail to see that the issue is important but she doesn't overwhelm or get preachy. That's important in a novel, since most people will go to a non-fic book (or Wikipedia, lol) for hard facts.
I've read this book about five times and while there are a few details I don't like (extra marital affairs, anyone?) something about this book really draws me. I think it may be how the characters really feel like real people. They have flaws, and some of those flaws are pretty big, but I still think it would be neat to go visit them and learn about horses and riding. That's a pretty big thing to learn for a horse book hating girl.
The book is set in Ireland in the 70's, and it has a surprising number of focuses. Sure it's about horses, but it's also about a family, and about a young girl becoming a grown woman, and about politics and about love. One interesting factor is the coverage it gives to the rights of women, which is a pretty deep topic to cover in a novel. McCaffrey does it pretty well, she gives us enough detail to see that the issue is important but she doesn't overwhelm or get preachy. That's important in a novel, since most people will go to a non-fic book (or Wikipedia, lol) for hard facts.
I've read this book about five times and while there are a few details I don't like (extra marital affairs, anyone?) something about this book really draws me. I think it may be how the characters really feel like real people. They have flaws, and some of those flaws are pretty big, but I still think it would be neat to go visit them and learn about horses and riding. That's a pretty big thing to learn for a horse book hating girl.
August 19, 2011
Dug this up at my mom's house when visiting - it's a book I read over and over as a horse-crazed girl. While McCaffrey is known best for her Pern books, I wish she had published a few more like these. It's a straightforward story of an Irish family, all involved in horses. The story centers around three primary characters, a young girl growing up and facing both personal loss and the triumphs that come after years of hard work and dedication, her father, managing the stable and coping with his abusively religious wife, and the titular lady of the book, who becomes an important part of both their lives. It's a solid little book, not made up of any great flights but very satisfying. And if you're horse-crazy, like I still am, it's even better, because the details of daily life in the stable are marvelously rendered.
October 7, 2024
4 Stars
This horsey and family drama, by fantasy writer Anne McCaffrey, turned out to be a wild ride. I hated having to put it down. Too bad she didn't write more books in this genre.
This horsey and family drama, by fantasy writer Anne McCaffrey, turned out to be a wild ride. I hated having to put it down. Too bad she didn't write more books in this genre.
February 28, 2011
I love this book so much that I own two autographed copies! One is so battered from reading and rereading that the pages are coming away from the bindings, the other is my reserve copy for when the first one falls to bits in my hands.
I love Caitriona and her family, and no matter that I've read it a dozen times, the ups and downs of their lives still captivate me so that I'm hard pressed to put the book down, even to sleep. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Ireland, horses or people!
I love Caitriona and her family, and no matter that I've read it a dozen times, the ups and downs of their lives still captivate me so that I'm hard pressed to put the book down, even to sleep. I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in Ireland, horses or people!
January 31, 2012
This is one of my 'take to a desert island' books. I've loved many of the Anne McCaffrey books, probably read all of the Pern books, loved many of the Pegasus in Flight series and the Ship Who Sang series. But if I had to choose just *one* book by McCaffrey to take with me if I were abandoned on a desert island, it would be this one.
April 28, 2022
I stayed up late, put aside chores, and absolutely couldn’t put this book down. A sweeping family saga in which the setting, characters, and animals all take you away into a different era and world. I could smell the tack, see the yard, and ride with all the characters every step of the way. The ability to juggle so many POVs is a marvel. The only book I’ve read in ages I wish was longer.
This is a true pony book for adults!
This is a true pony book for adults!
March 22, 2012
*Not exactly a review*
I read this back when I was a teenager.
One of my aunts gave it to me for Christmas one year. I was so disappointed. Sure, I loved horses and there was a horse on the cover... but this book was the size of a refrigerator. Large print. Like I was an old woman. I was twelve.
Needless to say, this book sat on my shelves for years. Only growing bigger.
One summer, when I was probably 15, I had nothing better to do.
I picked up this fat-ass book and started reading.
And as I read, I realized it wasn't completely PG. This fact sent me into a fit of resounding gales of laughter. Because if my stodgy old Auntie knew what kind of book she'd given me, she'd have fainted of shame. Or whatever stodgy, prudish women faint over.
So I read this mountain of a book.
Then I loaned it to my best friend so that she could giggle over the good parts, too!
Looking back, now, I suppose the book wasn't all that racy...
Auntie S, queen of thoughtless yard sale gifts, really failed with this one. Because the joke's on her!
Honestly. Who gives a twelve-year-old this kind of book?
I read this back when I was a teenager.
One of my aunts gave it to me for Christmas one year. I was so disappointed. Sure, I loved horses and there was a horse on the cover... but this book was the size of a refrigerator. Large print. Like I was an old woman. I was twelve.
Needless to say, this book sat on my shelves for years. Only growing bigger.
One summer, when I was probably 15, I had nothing better to do.
I picked up this fat-ass book and started reading.
And as I read, I realized it wasn't completely PG. This fact sent me into a fit of resounding gales of laughter. Because if my stodgy old Auntie knew what kind of book she'd given me, she'd have fainted of shame. Or whatever stodgy, prudish women faint over.
So I read this mountain of a book.
Then I loaned it to my best friend so that she could giggle over the good parts, too!
Looking back, now, I suppose the book wasn't all that racy...
Auntie S, queen of thoughtless yard sale gifts, really failed with this one. Because the joke's on her!
Honestly. Who gives a twelve-year-old this kind of book?
December 8, 2010
I'm actually a bit sad that Anne McCaffrey spends her time on sci-fi/fantasy. Not that there's anything wrong with that. But this book was everything I have ever wanted out of a book: Ireland, horses, romance, strong women, great horsemen, even pony-mad girls. Like a horsey Maeve Binchy novel, it was escapist and beautifully developed. I was sad when it ended and sad there are no more like it.
May 15, 2008
One of those books that kept the hope of love alive when it was all but dead inside me. I still love this book--of course, I love the Ireland of my youth as well, and this one brings it all together. A wonderful read. If you like National Velvet, this one will fill your desire!
December 26, 2013
Read this awhile ago - just did a rereading and it's as wonderful as I remembered!
October 11, 2024
It’s so interesting that such a well known scifi writer has some pretty much contemporary family saga drama novels, but I guess that’s range. I found this a fascinating read.
Set in the 1970 but published in 1989, THE LADY is a book for the horse girls—but it’s also a thoughtful look at women’s struggles in Ireland at the time. Even at the time of publication, women couldn’t get a divorce in Ireland. It wasn’t until the mid 90s when it was legal. It also touches on extreme religious fervor of “praying illness away” when really doctors should be involved, what rights battered women had (not much!! Yikes), the realities of what happens in a society when people just cannot get out of their marriages, and a reluctance to engage with any sort of sexual education and thinking that will keep young people chaste and ignorant.
Set on a horse farm in Ireland, the novel follows Catriona, the twelve year old daughter of the family who loves horses but is hampered by her mother’s quest to make her a lady, her father Michael, in a loveless and frigid marriage, and Selina, a neighbor who becomes a friend and more to the Carradynes.
This book just felt really human. Some people may not be interested once they know that characters conduct affairs, and I get that. But I think that there were a lot of good points to the book as well. Times when certain things might have gone really bad or been severely impactful for Catriona, the anxious yet horse mad twelve year old, the author chose not to go that route. When she got her period for the first time, instead of her highly sex-averse and deeply religious mother finding her, it’s her grown sister and her aunt, and they explain things in a sensible way as if to say “this is normal. This is okay.” When Catriona’s mother dies and she spirals with grief thinking things she did caused her mother’s death, her brother, her father, and Selina all strongly tell her that she is not to blame and reassure her. That God isn’t punishing anyone for some sin.
Overall this was a pretty interesting book, and I managed to plow through 460 pages in two days.
Heat level: semi on page but nothing is super described. 1.5
Set in the 1970 but published in 1989, THE LADY is a book for the horse girls—but it’s also a thoughtful look at women’s struggles in Ireland at the time. Even at the time of publication, women couldn’t get a divorce in Ireland. It wasn’t until the mid 90s when it was legal. It also touches on extreme religious fervor of “praying illness away” when really doctors should be involved, what rights battered women had (not much!! Yikes), the realities of what happens in a society when people just cannot get out of their marriages, and a reluctance to engage with any sort of sexual education and thinking that will keep young people chaste and ignorant.
Set on a horse farm in Ireland, the novel follows Catriona, the twelve year old daughter of the family who loves horses but is hampered by her mother’s quest to make her a lady, her father Michael, in a loveless and frigid marriage, and Selina, a neighbor who becomes a friend and more to the Carradynes.
This book just felt really human. Some people may not be interested once they know that characters conduct affairs, and I get that. But I think that there were a lot of good points to the book as well. Times when certain things might have gone really bad or been severely impactful for Catriona, the anxious yet horse mad twelve year old, the author chose not to go that route. When she got her period for the first time, instead of her highly sex-averse and deeply religious mother finding her, it’s her grown sister and her aunt, and they explain things in a sensible way as if to say “this is normal. This is okay.” When Catriona’s mother dies and she spirals with grief thinking things she did caused her mother’s death, her brother, her father, and Selina all strongly tell her that she is not to blame and reassure her. That God isn’t punishing anyone for some sin.
Overall this was a pretty interesting book, and I managed to plow through 460 pages in two days.
Heat level: semi on page but nothing is super described. 1.5
March 5, 2021
*throws book into designated bag for donation*
September 15, 2017
I'm going through a phase of reading novels by authors I used to love. When I was younger, I read most of Anne McCaffrey's Sci Fi/Fantasy novels and several of her romances but this was one I'd missed.
On the subject of books 'dating', this book made me think; perhaps I shouldn't consider that books 'date' so much, as more that they become a child-of-their-time. I think that this book is one of those -the Irish attitudes to death, divorce, the division of marital property and spousal abuse that it depicts are all contemporary to their time (which isn't to say that I agree with them!) ...but it was an easier-read when I stopped trying to judge the character's thoughts and actions by my current standards.
It has been a long time since I was a country-raised, horse-mad, pony-club girl; but it was nice to see that she still slumbers inside me. Maybe not quite five stars, but I loved it!
On the subject of books 'dating', this book made me think; perhaps I shouldn't consider that books 'date' so much, as more that they become a child-of-their-time. I think that this book is one of those -the Irish attitudes to death, divorce, the division of marital property and spousal abuse that it depicts are all contemporary to their time (which isn't to say that I agree with them!) ...but it was an easier-read when I stopped trying to judge the character's thoughts and actions by my current standards.
It has been a long time since I was a country-raised, horse-mad, pony-club girl; but it was nice to see that she still slumbers inside me. Maybe not quite five stars, but I loved it!
December 9, 2017
An old favorite
Rereading this for the first time in 20 Years. I find it as beautifully written as I did years ago. Very different from other Anne McCaffrey titles, but well worth the detour.
Rereading this for the first time in 20 Years. I find it as beautifully written as I did years ago. Very different from other Anne McCaffrey titles, but well worth the detour.
September 21, 2009
Dated. Doesn't hold up well. Very, very old skool romance.
December 21, 2022
comfort food book for while sick in bed.
March 21, 2009
Good book about horses. The writing style just not my speed.
July 3, 2021
This story is a cracker read.
It gives such a wonderful insight into Ireland's horse people, and brings to life such a warm feeling about them, that you can feel Anne's love of it through and through.
I think though, that what I loved best about it, was the honesty that showed just how ignorant of life so many people were, even in 1970, when this was set.
I wasn't surprised at the attitudes that Irish Law, and Religion had, where the place of women was concerned, especially as I grew up with a part Irish background, and so I'd come across these problems, even as the child I was then.
But, despite the horror of that attitude, I still loved the book for it's touches of whimsy; it's sense of belonging; and the sheer joy that shone through with every single mention of horses - even though I'm not a rider, Anne took me along, and showed me what it was like, and I loved that.
I also loved that, although it ended on a happy note, it still had that sense of reality that, for those times, meant that the struggle Michael and Selina would have, to be together as they wanted to, would eventually happen, no matter what!
The ending paragraphs, with Catriona's present to Michael, brought me to tears, in a very sad/happy way, too!
It gives such a wonderful insight into Ireland's horse people, and brings to life such a warm feeling about them, that you can feel Anne's love of it through and through.
I think though, that what I loved best about it, was the honesty that showed just how ignorant of life so many people were, even in 1970, when this was set.
I wasn't surprised at the attitudes that Irish Law, and Religion had, where the place of women was concerned, especially as I grew up with a part Irish background, and so I'd come across these problems, even as the child I was then.
But, despite the horror of that attitude, I still loved the book for it's touches of whimsy; it's sense of belonging; and the sheer joy that shone through with every single mention of horses - even though I'm not a rider, Anne took me along, and showed me what it was like, and I loved that.
I also loved that, although it ended on a happy note, it still had that sense of reality that, for those times, meant that the struggle Michael and Selina would have, to be together as they wanted to, would eventually happen, no matter what!
The ending paragraphs, with Catriona's present to Michael, brought me to tears, in a very sad/happy way, too!
August 7, 2017
I actually REALLY enjoyed this book - proving I can still be just as enthralled with an excellent horse book... From ages 6-12, almost everything I read was equestrian-related - the Thoroughbred series, Marguerite Henry's classics, Black Beauty... I read and reread and devoured everything horses -being infected with that "horse gene" that has so many little girls collecting Breyer horses and watching National Velvet over and over again. This book took me back to those days - McCaffrey has written a charming, thoughtful and engaging story of Irish horse country that was the perfect mid-summer read. I should also say that even those not quite so obsessed with horses will find the well-researched inclusion of Irish political history and women's rights (who knew it was so difficult to get a divorce in Ireland even 30 years ago?) highly interesting and thought-provoking.
July 22, 2019
This is an older book of Anne McCaffrey's and its a great story. Set in Ireland, during the 1970's, it the story of the Carradynes, who have raised horses for 200 years. I loved this because, we are now viewing the 70's as history and it gave me an interesting perspective of the history of Ireland at that time, they were still embroiled in the Catholic rules of marriage (I know nothing of that) and girls hadn't gained the freedom of Americans.
Michael Carradyne, raises, shows and boards horses and also trains riders. His youngest daughter
Catriona, is a natural rider and wants nothing more than to go as far as she can in being a rider, however her mother who is a pious and religious woman, expects her daughter to be the same, Catriona is held between her natural desire and her mother's expectations.
When Lady Selina Healy, takes an interest in Catriona, it saves her from some of her mother's expectations. But times are changing, one of Catriona's cousins from America is coming to spend the summer with them to improve her riding, and her father's desire for her to excel is in direct opposition to her mother's push for more restrained behavior.
This story involves, family dynamics, marital strife, teen anguish, community unrest, vicious neighbors and a beautiful Lady who, has her own problems. Great saga material!
Michael Carradyne, raises, shows and boards horses and also trains riders. His youngest daughter
Catriona, is a natural rider and wants nothing more than to go as far as she can in being a rider, however her mother who is a pious and religious woman, expects her daughter to be the same, Catriona is held between her natural desire and her mother's expectations.
When Lady Selina Healy, takes an interest in Catriona, it saves her from some of her mother's expectations. But times are changing, one of Catriona's cousins from America is coming to spend the summer with them to improve her riding, and her father's desire for her to excel is in direct opposition to her mother's push for more restrained behavior.
This story involves, family dynamics, marital strife, teen anguish, community unrest, vicious neighbors and a beautiful Lady who, has her own problems. Great saga material!
June 27, 2020
Anne McCaffrey is famous for the Dragonriders of Pern and the Crystal Singer book series. There are no dragons or crystals in this book, just a lot of horses and ponies, and it isn't set on Pern, but in Ireland. The focus of each chapter jumps from Michael Carradyne, the owner of Cornanagh stud farm and training stables; to his horse-crazy daughter and youngest child, Catriona; his frigid wife, Isabel; and the neighbor woman trapped in a loveless and abusive marriage, Selina Healey. There are villagers, hired hands and politicians thrown in, along with plenty of action. Although the book seems a trifle disjointed and has a great many characters and animals to keep straight, everything gets sorted out in the end. Anne McCaffrey died in 2011, and I, for one, will miss her writing. Especially the dragons.
July 19, 2018
I'm not sure where this one came from. I probably got it in a book bag at a library sale, or someone gave it to me. I read thoroughly the first 10 or so chapters but was so bored I began to skim. I finished by reading the last couple of chapters, but it never grabbed me at all. I tried, but failed with this one. I think it's supposed to be a romance, but it seems pretty dated and too focused on minute details of horse life to be a standard romance story. I like horses, but all the detail of racing and breeding is just not my cup of tea... and I found it weird that a "romance" between two older adults focused so much on the life of a 13 year old girl.
October 26, 2025
I've reread this book multiple times over the years since I was in my young twenties and still naive about the abuse towards women. Young Catrina was my idol. I wished I had grown up in a place surrounded by horses and encouraged, at least b6 one parent. Here I am...in my middle 60s, and I still hold dear to my Christmas childhood wish, that on Christmas day 5here will be a pony outside waiting for me. I alway wish that there had been a part two. I would have enjoyed seeing an older Catrina. What happened to Selina and Mixhael, Tulip's son? Did Temper finally settle down? Whom did Michael choose as the next Cornanough stud? I wanted to read about their Christmas! Ahhh well.
December 19, 2017
This is a great book, even if it doesn't have anything to do the psychic talent, inter-galactic species or dragons. This is a book written about something near and dear to Ms. McCaffrey's heart- horses. Told through the eyes of Catriona, we learn a great deal about show jumping and horse training in Ireland.
February 26, 2020
Eh. On the fence with this one (no pun intended). It had good moments with very visual storytelling. But it also dragged on and on, finally ending with a husband beating the crap out of his wife (again), followed by a sappy and overly sentimental birthday scene.
Also, I have a tough time with characters who are cheating on their spouses— regardless of the crapiness of aforementioned spouses.
Also, I have a tough time with characters who are cheating on their spouses— regardless of the crapiness of aforementioned spouses.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 8, 2023
Anne can grab you
Well-written and possibly over-researched (jk), I enjoyed the story and learning more than I’ll ever need to know about horse training and showing. One of my all-time favorite authors, it’s always fun to find a non-dragon book, which I’ll admit are my first pick, although the Killashandra and Ship Who Sang series are right up there.
Well-written and possibly over-researched (jk), I enjoyed the story and learning more than I’ll ever need to know about horse training and showing. One of my all-time favorite authors, it’s always fun to find a non-dragon book, which I’ll admit are my first pick, although the Killashandra and Ship Who Sang series are right up there.
April 23, 2024
I cannot tell if I liked this book. Full of extraneous details (Anne McCaffrey was obviously a horse fiend) and improbable plotlines (the mothers out-of-nowhere mental decline). However, there were small instances where the romance captured my attention. And then it became banal again. But then...
Not sure if i want to donate or not.
Not sure if i want to donate or not.
June 5, 2025
read this first about 20 years ago
I read this over 20 years ago and every few years read it again. This book had me discovering Anne McCaffrey and since have read all of her books. My only wish is that she’d continued the story with a book two. I’m hoping and praying that one day her estate would hire an author to continue this tale for all the horse lovers of the world!!!
I read this over 20 years ago and every few years read it again. This book had me discovering Anne McCaffrey and since have read all of her books. My only wish is that she’d continued the story with a book two. I’m hoping and praying that one day her estate would hire an author to continue this tale for all the horse lovers of the world!!!
October 2, 2018
Classic
I liked every thing about it. The writing felt a lot like dick Francis but with more emotionally well rounded characters. An excellent "horse girl" book but without all the usual trope. Story was involving and genuine. Loved it.
I liked every thing about it. The writing felt a lot like dick Francis but with more emotionally well rounded characters. An excellent "horse girl" book but without all the usual trope. Story was involving and genuine. Loved it.
November 22, 2022
A very powerful and moving story .
This book touches on many issues, wemans rights, religious persecution. Horse show jumping, training. It takes you inside a family as they face many problems.
This book touches on many issues, wemans rights, religious persecution. Horse show jumping, training. It takes you inside a family as they face many problems.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 101 reviews