Coal Black Horse is a Civil War story centered around a teen boy named Robey. After Robey's mom has a spooky premonition, she sends Robey off to retrieve his soldier dad who is fighting with the Confederate army. Immediately Robey sets out on his busted old farm horse, but good fortune a la Red Dead Redemption allows him to upgrade to a coal black Hanoverian.
And how does a boy find his dad in the middle of a war without a cell phone or MapQuest? Does he grow from boy to man along the way? Where does his all-knowing steed get his mystical powers from? What was the Battle of Gettysburg like? This is the story Robert Olmstead tells in a creative and graphic way.
I thought there would be more focus on the relationship between the horse and the boy, but I still enjoyed the story and I appreciated the image of what it might have been like to live or fight in the South during the Civil War.
And for your viewing pleasure, a gratuitous Coal Black Horse picture I wish was taken of me:
P.S. Summer Dream is by Jo Bradford.
P.P.S. This is my 4th book of 9 for the Colorful Reading Challenge I'm trying to complete before January 1, 2011.
1 comment:
The Civil War can be an interesting historical period to read about when done well. Sounds like this author hit the mark.
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