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Morena
A young Boy Scout lost in the hills and an abandoned old mare depend on each other for survival during a heavy snow storm and the freezing weather that follows.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1970
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
September 5, 2024
Morena is an old, washed-out sorrel mare. She's clever enough to avoid getting rounded up, because she doesn't want to work. However, a big blizzard is coming. She has no way of knowing that she's now retired from being a cowhorse. And that her owner wants her dead.
Alex is a young Boy Scout with a real bad stomach. He's stepped outside the bus to be sick. When his stomach is empty, he looks up to see the bus leaving without him. Night is falling, and it's starting to snow. He has no hat, gloves, or coat.
This is a really satisfying tale from 1970 of survival and spirit, back when the population of the American West was low enough that a blizzard could kill you easily if nobody was looking for you. Alex is not the most sympathetic of characters (he considers killing Morena and climbing into her belly to survive) but he is very realistic.
Morena is very realistic, too. She's no guardian angel. She doesn't want to be ridden ever again. There's not enough stories about old horses, and this one's a kicker.
The soft pencil drawings were done by Haris Petie. He didn't pretty Morena up any, but it looks like he gave her stockings when the text says she didn't have any white markings.
You can find this book up on The Open Library, for who knows how much longer. I see that there was a sequel, but it's not on The Open Library. I can't see a sequel being better than this, anyway.
Alex is a young Boy Scout with a real bad stomach. He's stepped outside the bus to be sick. When his stomach is empty, he looks up to see the bus leaving without him. Night is falling, and it's starting to snow. He has no hat, gloves, or coat.
This is a really satisfying tale from 1970 of survival and spirit, back when the population of the American West was low enough that a blizzard could kill you easily if nobody was looking for you. Alex is not the most sympathetic of characters (he considers killing Morena and climbing into her belly to survive) but he is very realistic.
Morena is very realistic, too. She's no guardian angel. She doesn't want to be ridden ever again. There's not enough stories about old horses, and this one's a kicker.
The soft pencil drawings were done by Haris Petie. He didn't pretty Morena up any, but it looks like he gave her stockings when the text says she didn't have any white markings.
You can find this book up on The Open Library, for who knows how much longer. I see that there was a sequel, but it's not on The Open Library. I can't see a sequel being better than this, anyway.
May 15, 2020
Morena is a 24 year old cowhorse on the ranch of Marv and Debbie Hannum in the Finger Hills. She is a stubborn old mare, and when Marv brings all his animals in before a big snow storm predicted for Halloween night, she runs off into the wilds. Twelve year old Alex Jaynes lives with his parents in nearby Belle Ore. Mr. and Mrs. Jaynes are away at a conference, and Alex is on a Boy Scout Halloween outing at the Mallet Creek Camp Ground not far from the Hannum ranch.
However, the scouts have to cut their trip short due to the coming storm. As the busses pull away, the one Alex is on stops so that the driver can get out to check on a mechanical problem. At that moment, Alex, who has been sick to his stomach because of what he had eaten, feels the need to throw up and so exits the bus, which shortly thereafter leaves without him. The storm with its bitter cold and blowing snow comes on, but all of Alex’s equipment is still on the bus. What does Morena do? What will happen to Alex? Is there anything that the shy horse and the sick boy can do to help each other to survive?
The tension and suspense of the story make for an interesting read. Kids who love horses and the outdoors will like this book, and while it is aimed primarily at boys, girls can enjoy it too. Aside from some common euphemisms (heck, darn, gosh, dang), the term “God” is used as an exclamation, and I was especially disappointed that Alex used the word “dammit” a few times. There may be a sequel. An e-book entitled Morena Again by Peter Zachary Cohen was published in 2013 by Smashwords, but its description makes it sound a lot like the original.
However, the scouts have to cut their trip short due to the coming storm. As the busses pull away, the one Alex is on stops so that the driver can get out to check on a mechanical problem. At that moment, Alex, who has been sick to his stomach because of what he had eaten, feels the need to throw up and so exits the bus, which shortly thereafter leaves without him. The storm with its bitter cold and blowing snow comes on, but all of Alex’s equipment is still on the bus. What does Morena do? What will happen to Alex? Is there anything that the shy horse and the sick boy can do to help each other to survive?
The tension and suspense of the story make for an interesting read. Kids who love horses and the outdoors will like this book, and while it is aimed primarily at boys, girls can enjoy it too. Aside from some common euphemisms (heck, darn, gosh, dang), the term “God” is used as an exclamation, and I was especially disappointed that Alex used the word “dammit” a few times. There may be a sequel. An e-book entitled Morena Again by Peter Zachary Cohen was published in 2013 by Smashwords, but its description makes it sound a lot like the original.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews