My daughter read this and really liked it. She's a sucker for books about horses. Now she's ready to pass it on, so we'll add this to the YA Bookbox. Enjoy!

I'm taking this from the YA bookbox with some trepidation, as it sounds as if it - like so many classic horse-stories - will include some very painful scenes. But I'll give it a try anyway {wry grin}.

Turns out it was both better and worse (in the Bad Things Happening to Horses sense) than I'd guessed - the story is set during the time of a disastrous plague of equine influenza in 1872, one that took a tremendous toll on all horses, including those needed to pull the fire-fighting equipment. While there are scenes of the ill and dying horses, the story focuses on the young heroine's attempts to train as a veterinarian, contrary to the wishes of her family and the prejudices of society against women-in-science.

Early on, she's called in by her brother to help tend a firehorse who's been badly burned - and the scenes with that horse were more wrenching to me than those of the sick horses. But Rachel perseveres, and the horse does, too - and the encounter also introduces Rachel to the young veterinarian Mr. Stead, who proves a trusty ally and friend - and, eventually, something more...

I left this book in the Little Free Library at around 1:45 or so; hope the finder enjoys it!

*** Released as part of the 2014 D for December release challenge. ***