Happily After All

After her father's death, 10-year-old Rebecca leaves California and goes to Vermont to live with her mother, Rachel. At first the girl despises her new life on the farm and resents her mother for acting so distant and cold. Nonetheless, Rebecca enjoys new freedoms that would have been forbidden by her overly protective father. For the first time, she is encouraged to make friends with children her own age; she is also allowed to tend Rachel's beautiful horses. As she gains the trust of a severely traumatized pony, Rebecca begins to confront her own feelings about herself and her parents. With newfound insight, Rebecca is finally able to help a boy who is having family problems of his own. Using the rugged Vermont mountains as her backdrop, Stevenson weaves a rich tapestry, colored with adventure and textured with emotions. Her descriptions are simple and remarkably clear; her characterizations are sharply defined. Although horse lovers in particular will be drawn to this story, others will be touched by its honesty and warmth. Ages 10-14. (Apr.)