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Firehorse
When fifteen-year-old Rachel is forced to move to Boston in 1872, she is furious. She is also lonely, for her beloved horse, Peaches, has been sold. But Rachel soon finds a horse that needs her, and needs her The Governor's Girl, a famous firehorse, has been badly burned. Rachel gets permission to care for the Girl in a stable behind her house.
As she cares for the injured horse,Rachel dreams about becoming a veterinarian. But her father, a newspaperman, has very definite ideas about where women only in the home. Father also has definite ideas about Boston's inadequate firefighting equipment, as an outbreak of suspicious fires erupts. To make things worse, horses everywhere begin falling ill -- and it is horses that power the city's fire engines. Another spark might send the whole city up in flames.
With cinematic vividness, Diane Lee Wilson brings the very real Great Boston Fire to life in this exciting and inspiring story of a strong-minded girl determined to decide her own future.
As she cares for the injured horse,Rachel dreams about becoming a veterinarian. But her father, a newspaperman, has very definite ideas about where women only in the home. Father also has definite ideas about Boston's inadequate firefighting equipment, as an outbreak of suspicious fires erupts. To make things worse, horses everywhere begin falling ill -- and it is horses that power the city's fire engines. Another spark might send the whole city up in flames.
With cinematic vividness, Diane Lee Wilson brings the very real Great Boston Fire to life in this exciting and inspiring story of a strong-minded girl determined to decide her own future.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
44 people are currently reading
1826 people want to read
About the author
Diane Lee Wilson
6 books32 followersDiane Lee Wilson has always ridden horses and has an extensive collection of horse books in her home in Escondido, California. She is the author of Black Storm Comin', a Booklist Editors' Choice, a VOYA Top Shelf Fiction Pick, and a Book Links Lasting Connection, and Firehorse, which received a starred review in Booklist, is a Booklist Top Ten Mystery/Suspense for Youth, and a winner of the ALA Amelia Bloomer Project.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews
July 29, 2016
Fifteen year old Rachel likes nothing better than to race her horse through the Illinois countryside, much to the disapproval of her parents and the townspeople, who do not feel she is ladylike enough for their Victorian sensibilities. Rachel's father relocates the family to Boston, where he writes a series of newspaper articles on the inadequacy of the Boston Fire Department in relation to a recent series of fires. Rachel volunteers to nurse one of the FD's horses who was badly burned in a fire and through her friendship with the local Vet and her bond with the horse, Rachel learns her true calling is to be a "Veterinary." Rachel must face up to the perscribed gender roles of the day and learn to stand up for what she believes in. Set against the backdrop of the Great Boston Fire, the story's thrilling conclusion kept me awake wanting to know what happened to Rachel and her horse. I couldn't put this one down even after I had finished. Rachel is a wonderful, appealing heroine for those readers like me who like spunky females who dare to be different.
July 29, 2024
This reads like a YA book. The dialogue is a bit stiff but it is set in Victorian times. A girl who loves horses, a tyrant of a father, a mother with no backbone until the end of the story and a budding chaste romance.
Very tame, but appealing to horse lovers.
There are horses who are injured so be mindful if that is a trigger.
Very tame, but appealing to horse lovers.
There are horses who are injured so be mindful if that is a trigger.
February 23, 2012
I loved this book; particularly because Rachel wanted to be a veterinarian, and that's my aspiration in life as well. I found it especially intriguing that Wilson set a fictional story during a very real American catastrophe. And of course, the involvement of a horse really peaked my interest; as a life-long horse lover, anything with a horse in it immediately grabs my interest.. But all in all, a great book! This is one that I can (and will!) read again and again.
July 1, 2012
I LOOOOVE THIS BOOK!! i recommend it to EVERYONE, especially horse lovers or girls that dream of becoming vets for horses or any other animal. I really did enjoy reading this book and i whole-heartedly rate this book 5 stars. i wish they would have made this book into a movie because i would be there at the cinema opening day! Do yourself a huge favor and READ THIS BOOK!!!
July 10, 2020
This book was very formative for me, so I continually reread it and am engrossed by the story and Diane Lee Wilson's wonderful writing, which has been a huge influence on my writing as well.
In 1872, Rachel Selby is struggling to avoid the looming, suffocating grasp of womanhood. Her escape from her daily chores and sewing is to go out and ride her sweet horse around the countryside, where she can be free and enjoy herself. Once she is 15, however, her childish escapades have become immoralities, rather than annoyances, to her parents. Due to her father's oversteps at his local paper, the family must leave Illinois for Boston, first selling Rachel's horse for money and to encourage her growth, with Rachel's elder brother, James, and mourning, dismal grandmother in tow. Once there, Rachel's brother takes a job at the fire station, her father at another small newspaper, and Rachel feels a calling to help save a badly-burnt horse. The veterinarian attending to the horse strikes up a friendship with Rachel due to her interest and knowledge of horse care, and she realizes that her life's work is meant to be more than picking out curtains and setting out food for the rest of her family.
Rachel is a fully-fleshed and realized character, who will annoy you and make you cringe with her antics one moment, then make you sympathize and fight for her the next. She is prone to dramatics when she does not get what she wants and is a foil to her demure and stiff mother. I appreciate this because Rachel is only 15 years old and her behavior is indicative of her age; she resists the societal pressure to abandon her wants and dreams to the only achievable adulthood for women in her time-- marriage and children. Rachel's love for horses drives her to become passionate about wanting to attend veterinary school. From the beginning of the book, she describes a horse manual that she studies in order to care for her horse in Illinois, and then the firehorse (roll credits) that is moved to her property. Her challenger is her patronizing and misogynistic father, who is against women doing anything outside the home. As we are reminded by Rachel's parents time and again, it is practically an immoral, selfish decision for a woman to wish to vote, work, educate herself beyond high school, or join a profession.
The writing is superb and dreamy, with descriptions of tastes, smells, and emotions that will stay with you indefinitely. The story follows an ever-climbing wave as all of the events mount and climax at the Great Boston Fire of 1872 (which is mostly lost from collective memory): Rachel's progress caring for the Governor's Girl, a rash of mysterious fires which challenge the ill-equipped Boston Fire Department, her father's fixed views on women and his inflammatory editorials, the veterinary's enthusiasm to help Rachel, albeit discouragement from his clients when she accompanies him on calls, Rachel fostering relationships with her mother and grandmother, and finally, a mysterious breakout of distemper that kills many of Boston's horses -- including the ones that pull the fire engines. Woven betwixt them all is a beautiful quilt of everyday life in Boston, 1872: riding the horsecar or walking on the pavements, firefighting equipment, stores and magazines, after-dinner activities (such as sewing or reading with family in the parlor), and the ominous presence of many, many, explosive kerosene lamps.
There are other reviewers who think Rachel's drive to go to college is not believable for the time period, with which I vehemently disagree. See Sarah & Angelina Grimke, Susan B. Anthony, Susanna Wright, Mary Wollstonecraft, and others. The "first" wave of feminism (though the ideals started much earlier) began in the mid-19th century and focused on women's legal rights to higher education as well as suffrage. There are even several passages in the book where Rachel's father decries suffragettes in another state, as well as a woman running for president. This wave of feminism took a foothold during the Victorian era and Rachel's lifetime as a reaction to the Victorian ideals of men and women's spheres. I believe Rachel would certainly have been exposed to these ideas, as her father was a newspaperman and throughout the story, he uses articles about women's progress to scoff at them to his family, unbeknownst to how they were positively affecting Rachel. There is even a book written about my alma mater where I got my master's, Simmons College (now University), titled Delayed by Fire. Simmons' founding was delayed to 1899 because the money left by founder John Simmons (died in 1870) was destroyed in the Boston Fire of 1872. Simmons is a women's college.
Also: thanks book for the shoutout to Box 52!
Readalikes: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate; A Northern Light
In 1872, Rachel Selby is struggling to avoid the looming, suffocating grasp of womanhood. Her escape from her daily chores and sewing is to go out and ride her sweet horse around the countryside, where she can be free and enjoy herself. Once she is 15, however, her childish escapades have become immoralities, rather than annoyances, to her parents. Due to her father's oversteps at his local paper, the family must leave Illinois for Boston, first selling Rachel's horse for money and to encourage her growth, with Rachel's elder brother, James, and mourning, dismal grandmother in tow. Once there, Rachel's brother takes a job at the fire station, her father at another small newspaper, and Rachel feels a calling to help save a badly-burnt horse. The veterinarian attending to the horse strikes up a friendship with Rachel due to her interest and knowledge of horse care, and she realizes that her life's work is meant to be more than picking out curtains and setting out food for the rest of her family.
Rachel is a fully-fleshed and realized character, who will annoy you and make you cringe with her antics one moment, then make you sympathize and fight for her the next. She is prone to dramatics when she does not get what she wants and is a foil to her demure and stiff mother. I appreciate this because Rachel is only 15 years old and her behavior is indicative of her age; she resists the societal pressure to abandon her wants and dreams to the only achievable adulthood for women in her time-- marriage and children. Rachel's love for horses drives her to become passionate about wanting to attend veterinary school. From the beginning of the book, she describes a horse manual that she studies in order to care for her horse in Illinois, and then the firehorse (roll credits) that is moved to her property. Her challenger is her patronizing and misogynistic father, who is against women doing anything outside the home. As we are reminded by Rachel's parents time and again, it is practically an immoral, selfish decision for a woman to wish to vote, work, educate herself beyond high school, or join a profession.
The writing is superb and dreamy, with descriptions of tastes, smells, and emotions that will stay with you indefinitely. The story follows an ever-climbing wave as all of the events mount and climax at the Great Boston Fire of 1872 (which is mostly lost from collective memory): Rachel's progress caring for the Governor's Girl, a rash of mysterious fires which challenge the ill-equipped Boston Fire Department, her father's fixed views on women and his inflammatory editorials, the veterinary's enthusiasm to help Rachel, albeit discouragement from his clients when she accompanies him on calls, Rachel fostering relationships with her mother and grandmother, and finally, a mysterious breakout of distemper that kills many of Boston's horses -- including the ones that pull the fire engines. Woven betwixt them all is a beautiful quilt of everyday life in Boston, 1872: riding the horsecar or walking on the pavements, firefighting equipment, stores and magazines, after-dinner activities (such as sewing or reading with family in the parlor), and the ominous presence of many, many, explosive kerosene lamps.
There are other reviewers who think Rachel's drive to go to college is not believable for the time period, with which I vehemently disagree. See Sarah & Angelina Grimke, Susan B. Anthony, Susanna Wright, Mary Wollstonecraft, and others. The "first" wave of feminism (though the ideals started much earlier) began in the mid-19th century and focused on women's legal rights to higher education as well as suffrage. There are even several passages in the book where Rachel's father decries suffragettes in another state, as well as a woman running for president. This wave of feminism took a foothold during the Victorian era and Rachel's lifetime as a reaction to the Victorian ideals of men and women's spheres. I believe Rachel would certainly have been exposed to these ideas, as her father was a newspaperman and throughout the story, he uses articles about women's progress to scoff at them to his family, unbeknownst to how they were positively affecting Rachel. There is even a book written about my alma mater where I got my master's, Simmons College (now University), titled Delayed by Fire. Simmons' founding was delayed to 1899 because the money left by founder John Simmons (died in 1870) was destroyed in the Boston Fire of 1872. Simmons is a women's college.
Also: thanks book for the shoutout to Box 52!
Readalikes: The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate; A Northern Light
March 3, 2017
A straightforward narrative with few real surprises and rather wooden characters, this novel--set in the Victorian period--concerns a young girl (Rachel Selby) who moves to Boston and becomes involved in the care of a badly burned horse used by one of the fire departments in the city. By watching the vet treat the horse, Rachel decides that she too wishes to become a "veterinary" (as they were then known). When a huge fire occurs in Boston, she has a chance to demonstrate the seriousness of her intentions. Rachel's close-minded, paternalistic father is predictably loudly opposed to Rachel's professional aspirations, but she finds some support from a rather unexpected quarter--her apparently conservative mother, who, in her own youth, gave up a career as a pianist in order to marry.
In the final analysis, I wish the characters in this book had been more lively. They felt stiff and flat, so a story that could have been terrific was rather lackluster. Rachel's grandmother is somewhat interesting, but full of strangely conflicting traits--e.g. proto-feminist but intensely religious--in the fire and brimstone manner--lively but full of gloom and doom about her own end--so ultimately not quite credible. Father was too nasty and mother too conservative (so her support of Rachel seemed to come right out of left field.) The romance, too, between Rachel and the young veterinarian was bland. A book for the diehard pre-teen girl horse lover only.
In the final analysis, I wish the characters in this book had been more lively. They felt stiff and flat, so a story that could have been terrific was rather lackluster. Rachel's grandmother is somewhat interesting, but full of strangely conflicting traits--e.g. proto-feminist but intensely religious--in the fire and brimstone manner--lively but full of gloom and doom about her own end--so ultimately not quite credible. Father was too nasty and mother too conservative (so her support of Rachel seemed to come right out of left field.) The romance, too, between Rachel and the young veterinarian was bland. A book for the diehard pre-teen girl horse lover only.
July 18, 2010
I was throwing out old school junk and found an old reading log... apparently I had read this book. Oh yes, that Firehorse.
The writing wasn't too terrible, but I remember it being highly impractical. Again we have a 19th century girl acting as though she were a modern rebel. It disappoints me very much when characters start questioning their social order when they shouldn't - especially so when they are set in pre-World War environments and when they are upper-class gentry. This select group didn't have much cause to think more than once about their positions in life; the world was awesome according to them.
Also, there was a very drastic ending in which I'm not entirely sure what happened, except that I was bemused with how far-fetched it was. (It had something to do with a raging inferno in the city, I think.)
Overall, a boring, mediocre plot of "girl-rebels, family-shuns-girl, girl-saves-world, society-accepts-girl's-radical-notions" with some fire and horseflesh thrown in.
The writing wasn't too terrible, but I remember it being highly impractical. Again we have a 19th century girl acting as though she were a modern rebel. It disappoints me very much when characters start questioning their social order when they shouldn't - especially so when they are set in pre-World War environments and when they are upper-class gentry. This select group didn't have much cause to think more than once about their positions in life; the world was awesome according to them.
Also, there was a very drastic ending in which I'm not entirely sure what happened, except that I was bemused with how far-fetched it was. (It had something to do with a raging inferno in the city, I think.)
Overall, a boring, mediocre plot of "girl-rebels, family-shuns-girl, girl-saves-world, society-accepts-girl's-radical-notions" with some fire and horseflesh thrown in.
March 3, 2008
Wonderful book - especially if you enjoy animal stories. This story take place in 1872 - a time in history when girls rarely could work outside the home and had many, many restrictions on any activity they could do. Rachel loves horses and wants to be a veterinarian, but he father won't even hear of it. After moving to Boston, Rachel helps heal a firehorse (pulls the fire wagon to fires) that was severely burned in a fire. she also helps the local vet with all the horses in the city who have fallen sick with Distemper. The descriptions of the Great Boston Fire and very good. This book has it all - historical fiction, mystery, adventure and horses!
June 24, 2008
A pleasant enough romp if you like horse-y books, but not enough substance to sustain itself. The ending was hasty, as though the author was ready to wrap things up quickly and wasn't too concerned with details. How did they get the horse back in the stall? Who knows? Why didn't we see her brother visit her while she was injured? Only later do we find that he did. That's lazy writing. Clearly the grandmother was there for structural reasons only, to die and provide money to the granddaughter. And I find it impossible to believe the mother would suddenly find the courage to defy her barbaric husband suddenly and for the first time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 25, 2012
It was good but I wasn't really caring about the book. It just went way too slow for my taste. It seemed as if the author was just putting random things down to waste some pages because it would of been too short- otherwise. I couldn't finish this book due to how slow it was. Didn't bring any suspense at all. Not even a slight bit original. You could guess the ending when your half way through the book and you're most likely right. Didn't like, but you could like it. I'm more into the stories full of suspense.
August 19, 2009
A gripping and inspiring book about a fifteen year old girl and her passion for horses and veterinary medicine that takes place at the time of the great Boston fire of 1872. Wilson kept my emotions engaged from page one to the conclusion of the Author's Notes at the end of the book. The last sentence of her Author's Notes says it all:
This story is written for all those girls who have been told "You can't." and still decide for themselves that "I can."
This story is written for all those girls who have been told "You can't." and still decide for themselves that "I can."
May 3, 2011
Thank you Michaela for recommending this book........... I LOVED it.
Most of the book takes place in Boston and I could just picture that area where everything happened.
The characters were great. If you like/love horses this is a great book to read - and even if you don't you would love the horses in this book.............
Most of the book takes place in Boston and I could just picture that area where everything happened.
The characters were great. If you like/love horses this is a great book to read - and even if you don't you would love the horses in this book.............
October 25, 2010
i loved this book soooo much! i was so sad when it ended bc it was my first and last book i read. isnt there any other series? I wish there was at least one more:( Btw i read the newer book, not the hard cover.. But im sure they are the same
November 5, 2016
A wonderful historical drama. Diane Wilson has written a great story with a fast paced plot and realistic characters. Although this is a book written for teens, I think readers of all ages will enjoy it.
October 25, 2017
I read Firehorse by Diane Lee Wilson because I liked the outside look of the book and I liked the summary on the inside of the book cover. In 1872, Rachel Shelby and her family are forced to move to Boston because of her father and she is forced to give up her horse peaches.
Rachel is a little scared of her dad but then she gains some strength and some integrity, and she learned to not be scared of him. Rachel's mom does not like to stand up loudly for people but her mom learns to stand up for Rachel to her dad and is very supportive of Rachel. There are 5 members of Rachel's family, Mom, Father, Brother, Herself, and Grandma and if you consider animals as part of the family her new horse the Governor’s Girl, a famous fire horse. The thing I liked is that Rachel does not like to follow what other people are doing. The thing I did not like was the book ended on a cliffhanger and the author did not make a 2nd book following this story. Rachel does not follow what other people want or there life style and I like that.
I think the conflict is Rachel want to help horses and go to a special school but most people don't want her to do them or won't let her do them. I think the theme is don't be discouraged and stop what you love. Rachel wants to help horses that are hurt over and over again because she doesn't want them to suffer and die. Rachel's Grandma tells Rachel so much advice about what she should do or what people say. Rachel remembers things she did with her old horse Peaches at her old house. Rachel's Father realizes Rachel really wants to be an animal helper (preferably horses) and will not stop to try to get what she wants. I liked this book a lot and I was sad it ended like it did, I give it a 4 and a half out of 5.
Rachel is a little scared of her dad but then she gains some strength and some integrity, and she learned to not be scared of him. Rachel's mom does not like to stand up loudly for people but her mom learns to stand up for Rachel to her dad and is very supportive of Rachel. There are 5 members of Rachel's family, Mom, Father, Brother, Herself, and Grandma and if you consider animals as part of the family her new horse the Governor’s Girl, a famous fire horse. The thing I liked is that Rachel does not like to follow what other people are doing. The thing I did not like was the book ended on a cliffhanger and the author did not make a 2nd book following this story. Rachel does not follow what other people want or there life style and I like that.
I think the conflict is Rachel want to help horses and go to a special school but most people don't want her to do them or won't let her do them. I think the theme is don't be discouraged and stop what you love. Rachel wants to help horses that are hurt over and over again because she doesn't want them to suffer and die. Rachel's Grandma tells Rachel so much advice about what she should do or what people say. Rachel remembers things she did with her old horse Peaches at her old house. Rachel's Father realizes Rachel really wants to be an animal helper (preferably horses) and will not stop to try to get what she wants. I liked this book a lot and I was sad it ended like it did, I give it a 4 and a half out of 5.
December 6, 2019
Over the break, I read Firehorse by Diane L. Wilson and I liked it. I decided to read this book because I had grown interested in historical-fiction books from early 1700’s to late 1900’s, so when I had heard about the Boston 1872 fire, I wanted to know if there was a book about since it sounded so interesting. And my grandmother’s friend just so happened to have given my grandmother that book, and others, like the book that I am reading right now.
This book was great because this book was great because it shows love for animals even if some people think they are useless. Rachel had had to give up her home horse, Peaches because their family was moving and she was devastated. She loved her horse and now she had to sell it? It’s as if you have something you love so much and you have to give it away. That’s how it felt for her. Anyways, once she arrives in Boston, she is just miserable. But, once she sees Govenor’s girl and the state that she is in, she is determined to make Girl feel better. It’s gets better and better as the book goes on and as Rachel and Girls’ relationship gets stronger.
This book was great because this book was great because it shows love for animals even if some people think they are useless. Rachel had had to give up her home horse, Peaches because their family was moving and she was devastated. She loved her horse and now she had to sell it? It’s as if you have something you love so much and you have to give it away. That’s how it felt for her. Anyways, once she arrives in Boston, she is just miserable. But, once she sees Govenor’s girl and the state that she is in, she is determined to make Girl feel better. It’s gets better and better as the book goes on and as Rachel and Girls’ relationship gets stronger.
October 22, 2023
I read this story for research, so I didn't expect to love it like I did. I was blown away by the author's storytelling, characterization, and the lovely and vibrant prose. Also, her research--incredible. So many details about how they lived in 1870, about horses and horse care, and about the mindset of both women and men in that time in history.
Firehorse starts off a little slow, but about 25% mark it picks up and I was fully invested in the story. As a horse lover, I was drawn in by Rachel's adoration of all things equine and impressed with her stubborn determination to become a vet despise strict societal rules at that time. Each character contained many layers and fascinating quirks that made them come to life. Some I loved, and some I loved to hate. I particularly appreciated Rachel's relationship with her mother and grandmother and how that evolved through the pages in a beautiful way.
I don't know if this author is even writing anymore (Firehorse was published in 2006), but I would definitely recommend this story to young readers who love horses--and older readers who do, too. :)
Firehorse starts off a little slow, but about 25% mark it picks up and I was fully invested in the story. As a horse lover, I was drawn in by Rachel's adoration of all things equine and impressed with her stubborn determination to become a vet despise strict societal rules at that time. Each character contained many layers and fascinating quirks that made them come to life. Some I loved, and some I loved to hate. I particularly appreciated Rachel's relationship with her mother and grandmother and how that evolved through the pages in a beautiful way.
I don't know if this author is even writing anymore (Firehorse was published in 2006), but I would definitely recommend this story to young readers who love horses--and older readers who do, too. :)
September 25, 2020
In the book The Firehorse there is a 15-year-old girl named Rachel and her parents made her move to Boston. She has a horse named peaches but while moving they had to sell her, because not only they did not know how to transport it but also they needed the money. Once they got to Boston, Rachel shut out everyone because her whole life has changed, and she lost so much. Rachel soon finds a horse that is in desperate need of her help, so obviously Rachel took her in and found out the horse has been burned very badly and has been given permission to help from the Governor, because the horse was the governor’s daughter’s horse. There has been a bunch of random fires around Boston and no one thought anything of it until Rachel accidentally heard the governor talking about them and found out something that was not exactly right. Rachel thinks she can stop them before the whole city goes up in flames.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 25, 2019
Young Rachel loves riding her beloved horse but when her family moves to Boston in 1872, she becomes furious when she is forced to sell her horse. As she struggles to fit in, in Boston She finds an injured firehorse named Governor's Girl. As Rachel begins to care for Governor's Girl she starts to think about becoming a veterinarian. Then a dramatic climax comes to life with the Boston Fire of 1872 erupts. Rachel proves her grit and determination through the chaos of the fire.
I found this book very interesting, viewing such a chaotic situation such as the fire from a perspective of a young girl. Rachels paradigms of growing up riding her horse gives her the instinct to care for Governor's Girl.
Content Warning:
*Tragedy
*Death of Animals
*Death
I found this book very interesting, viewing such a chaotic situation such as the fire from a perspective of a young girl. Rachels paradigms of growing up riding her horse gives her the instinct to care for Governor's Girl.
Content Warning:
*Tragedy
*Death of Animals
*Death
November 3, 2022
This book is about a girl in the mid/late 1800s who is forced to move to Boston and to sell her horse. However, in Boston, she finds a fire horse (used by firefighters in that time) who was burned. She starts to take care of the horse. This causes her to want to become a veterinarian, but her father is against women having jobs. Soon, fires begin erupting all over Boston and fire horses are suspiciously getting sick. These fires turn into the Great Boston Fire of 1872, a real historical event. This book is an engaging way for students to learn about this major event and how it impacted real people.
October 22, 2017
I enjoyed reading this book since historical fiction is my favorite genre of books. This book has useful historical facts and not only is it historical fiction, nevertheless it is so interesting! This is my second time reading this book because of the sense of thrill it has. The characteristic that truly draws the reader in closer is the suspense. The only attribute wrong with this book is that there isn't a second book in the series! Though I'm glad the ending did not leave me cliff-hanging. Moreover, I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves reading historical fiction.
August 28, 2022
This book would have been finished much faster had it not been back to school season.
Excellent read that crosses horse-loving girl, spunky grandmother, surprisingly backbones mother pushing limits of what’s acceptable for women all in the context of Boston’s historical fire and a horse epidemic.
A twinge of romance may secure the sure read of middle school girls, especially the ones who love horses.
Excellent read that crosses horse-loving girl, spunky grandmother, surprisingly backbones mother pushing limits of what’s acceptable for women all in the context of Boston’s historical fire and a horse epidemic.
A twinge of romance may secure the sure read of middle school girls, especially the ones who love horses.
August 8, 2025
This was a very fascinating book about a teenage girl who dreamed of becoming a veterinarian as a result of her love of horses. It is an inspiring story about trying to achieve your dreams and not letting anything or especially anyone, get in your way. I couldn't put it down once I started it. An easy read!
March 6, 2019
This book was really good. Once I started reading it I fell in love with the writing. The book was very descriptive and it used equestrian language. I recommend this book to anyone who likes horses and even if you don't really like horses I still recommend it.
May 1, 2021
This book is amazing!! A wonderful read for any horse or animal lover. Also, a book for any girl who believes that they would never be able to conquer their dreams because with hard work and perseverance they can. Powerful and Moving!!
March 2, 2017
What an Amazing book!!!!! A dream for the horse lover!!
February 7, 2018
This book is an amazing story about how a girl had a fire horse
January 9, 2018
Looking forward to read another book by the author.
June 10, 2019
I feel like the climax was a bit dull but amazing read!
November 24, 2023
Wanted to add my review of this book. This was one of those books I couldn't put down as a preteen who loved horses. I read it multiple times ❤️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 109 reviews