Writing Black Beauty: Anna Sewell and the Story of Animal Rights
£16.40£19.00 (-14%)
Black Beauty is a novel that changed our world. Intended to ‘induce kindness’ in a Victorian audience who relied on horses for transport, travel and power, it remains a dearly loved children’s classic. Writing Black Beauty is the story of the remarkable woman who wrote this phenomenal book.
Born in 1820 to a young Quaker couple, Anna Sewell grew up in poverty in London. She was 14 when she fell and injured her ankle, leaving her permanently disabled. Rejecting the limitations that Victorian society forced on disabled people, she developed an extraordinary empathy with horses, learning to ride side-saddle and drive a small carriage.
Rebellious and independent-minded, Anna left the Quaker movement as a young woman but remained close friends with the women writers and abolitionists who had been empowered by its liberal principles. It was not until she became terminally ill, aged 51, that she wrote her own book. It was published in 1877, but Anna tragically died just five months later.
After modest success in Britain, Black Beauty was taken up by American activist George Thorndike Angell, who made it one of the bestselling novels of all time. Using newly discovered archive material, Celia Brayfield shows how Anna Sewell developed the extraordinary resilience to rouse the conscience of Victorian Britain and make her mark upon the world.
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Additional information
| Publisher | The History Press (20 July 2023) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Hardcover | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 180399164X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1803991641 |
by Ms. J. S. Waight
So easy to read and engaging that once I picked it up I couldn’t put it down. Highly recommended.
by Ruby G
Anna Sewell became world famous for her wonderful children’s book Black Beauty and this biography of the author does justice to her. Bringing her into the lime light, with her just cause of animal safety, in particular kindness to horses. Well researched and a good read!
by Marian
Writing Black Beauty is a rich and engaging portrayal of the life of Anna Sewell, an independently minded woman who cared deeply about the poverty, deprivation and the physical abuse of women, children and animals as witnessed throughout her life. Despite chronic and increasingly debilitating pain Sewell tenaciously challenged cruelty of animals and in doing so paved the way to the formation of animal rights movements. It is a hugely interesting read that captures a sense of period and place. I found the reference to the ‘villages’ of Dalston & Stoke Newington, long since part of urban London, and the poverty therein very moving. Likewise it was impossible not to be touched by the depth of the symbiotic relationship between mother and daughter, which saw Sewells mother painstakingly ensure her bedridden daughter’s story of Black Beauty was transcribed and published.
Celia Brayfield’s book should read by all who consider themselves compassionate as she captures how the voice and determination of one woman can lead to powerful change!