Black Beauty

Title: Black Beauty: His Grooms and Companions, the Autobiography of a Horse

Author: Anna Sewell

An old, retired Black Beauty, a gentle, high-bred horse, narrates his story to the readers, and takes them through the ups and downs of his life from the days he pulled carriage for the elite society, through the days he was made to do hard labour just because a scratch on his knees made him unsuitable to be presented as a carriage horse for the elite anymore, to when he lived a life of peaceful retirement in the countryside. The story journeys through with interesting characters that Black Beauty meets at various points in life, highlighting both kindness and cruelty but making sure to leave the readers with a moral to take home from every chapter of his story. 

Narrated in first person by Black Beauty, Anna Sewell gives the readers a simple account of a horse's life filled with much-needed learning and understanding on kindness to animals, and how to treat everyone and everything with sympathy and respect, in general. The book captures both the sights and plights of erstwhile London, with interesting flashes in the lives and experiences of the London labour class, especially about the carriage-men, giving a glimpse of their hardships.

It is a very simple book, and it was written by Sewell on her last days. The book is known to have created institutions of change in the way people treated animals, by touching their hearts through the simple story of Black Beauty. The book has a strong moral attachment that it brings to the readers when it comes to dealing with animals, and that was the original purpose that Sewell wrote this book for. 

A quick read- this enchanting, sweet tale of a horse is a must read for all!