Written by a gentle, bedridden Quakeress, Black Beauty (1877) was its author's first and only book, appearing just months before Anna Sewell's death at age fifty-eight. Inspired by a lifelong love of horses and of nature, and guided by the self-improving doctrines of her religion, Sewell crafted a novel that combines a sympathetic understanding of the joys and sufferings of domesticated animals with tractlike, socially conscious pleas for their improved care.

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Written as a novelistic appeal for the humane treatment of horses, Black Beauty enjoyed a success far exceeding its author"s dreams. Within a few months of its publication in 1877, the book unexpectedly became an overwhelming popular success, ulti mately the most celebrated animal story of the 19th century and one of the most popular children"s classics in the English language.

The suspenseful, deeply moving narrative tells of a horse"s experiences at the hands of many owners--from the reputable Squire Gordon to a cruel and inconsiderate cab owner. Written as the animal"s autobiography, Black Beauty recounts the hand some creature"s descent from an animal of great breeding and value to a common workhorse, revealing in the process as much about human conduct and the social ills of the time as it does about the treatment of animals. This specially abridged and newly illustrated edition is ideal for young readers.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Part Four