Publisher Description
Black Beauty is a novel by English author Anna Sewell written around 1877. The story is told in the first person and is a fictional autobiographical memoir told from the perspective of a horse named Black Beauty. The story follow this horses life, from his young days on an English farm with his mother, to the more dreadful years of pulling cabs in London, and ending with his happy retirement in the country. The book at the time of its publication, somewhat inadvertently helped gain justice for mistreated animals (specifically horses) in the London cab industry, as well as to help those cab drivers combat unfair government regulations. It has sold over 50 million copies making one of the best-selling books of all time.
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About Anna Sewell
Anna Sewell (1820–1878) was born in England. A knee injury at fourteen left her disabled, but she rode and drove horses very well. She began learning about horses early in life, spending many hours driving her father to and from the station from which he commuted to work. Her dependence on horse-drawn transportation fostered her respect of horses. She wrote her one book, Black Beauty, in her fifties, and it was published in 1877 just five months before she died. Although it is now considered a children’s classic, she originally wrote it for those who worked with horses. She said “a special aim [was] to induce kindness, sympathy, and an understanding treatment of horses.” The book has had a tremendous impact in creating a new wave of humane thinking towards animals.
About Jeff Harding
Jeff Harding, an Earphones Award–winning narrator, is one of the most active American actors based in Britain. He is regularly seen in film and television but maintains interest in fringe theater. He is particularly active in voice-over and radio work. Having competed in rowing for many years, he still lives by the Thames and rows regularly.