There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill hospital. In the mirrors that line its grand hallways, which once belonged to a princess. In those that reflect the elegant rooms, now filled with sick children. It is her secret.
One morning, when Emmaline climbs over the wall of the hospital’s abandoned gardens, she discovers something incredible: a white horse with broken wings has left the mirror-world and entered her own.
Tucked into the garden’s once-gleaming sundial, Emmaline finds a letter from the Horse Lord. He is hiding the wounded white horse, named Foxfire, from a dark and sinister force—a Black Horse who hunts by colorless moonlight. If Emmaline is to keep the Black Horse from finding her new friend, she must collect colorful objects with which to blind him. But where can Emmaline find color when her world is filled with gray?
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"“Emmaline's narration is unreliable, flawlessly childlike, and deeply honest; her faith in magic brings her solace and, possibly, healing. The magical realism is reminiscent of the Chronicles of Narnia, Elizabeth Goudge, or a child's version of Life of Pi...Readers will love this to pieces."
— Kirkus Reviews, Starred review"In clear, gripping, flawless prose,...this exquisite, beautifully illustrated middle-grade novel explodes with raw anguish, magic and hope, and readers will clutch it to their chests and not want to let go.
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of 2016
Endearing characters, metaphors for life and death, and a slow revelation of the horrors of war give this slim novel a surprising amount of heft.
— Booklist, Starred reviewMagical, terrifying, and full of heart. Open these pages, and ride true.
— Kathi Appelt, Newbery Honor-winning author of The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man SwampA remarkable book. Astonishing!
— Michael Morpurgo, author of War HorseA story that will stay with you long after you finish reading it.
— MARY BROWN, BOOKS, BYTES & BEYOND, NJA classic magical feel with a heart-pounding story.
— RAE ANN PARKER, PARNASSUS BOOKS, TNThe seven-to-ten-year-old version of myself would have been in love with this book, reading and rereading until it fell apart as badly as my well-worn copy of The Secret Garden.
— KARI MEUTSCH, PHOENIX BOOKS, VTThe Secret Horses of Briar Hill has all the elements of a lasting classic.
— CHRISTOPHER ROSE, ANDOVER BOOKSTORE, MAA masterful novel.
— CINDY NORRIS, MALAPROP'S BOOKSTORE/CAFÉ, NC“A moving and magical story not to be missed.
— Leslie Hawkins, Spellbound Children’s Bookshop, NCBe the first to write a review about this audiobook!
Megan Shepherd grew up in her
family’s independent bookstore in North Carolina. An avid reader and world
traveler who spent several years in the Peace Corps, she now lives with her
husband in Asheville, North Carolina. Her novels include The Madman’s Daughter and Her Dark Curiosity.
Fiona Hardingham is a British-born actress, singer, voice-over artist, and AudioFile Earphones Award–winning narrator. On stage, she appeared at the Edinburgh Festival in her comedic one-woman show The Dark Show. She has also starred in the dark-comedy short film The Ballerino. She earned a BA honors degree in performing arts from Middlesex University, London, and also studied at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.