The Georges and the Jewels [Paperback]

Although I am long past the young adult age, I loved this book. Jane Smiley is one of my favorite authors and my favorite of her books is "Horse Heaven". I think others who liked "Horse Heaven" will also like this, whatever their age. The main character (and narrator) is young and aside from the horses, the tensions arise from concerns of a teenage girl -- school, her classmates attitudes toward her and her relationship with her parents. But I consider it a serious book, very worthy of adult attention, especially from those who are interested in horses.

Her approach to horses is to consider them in depth and as individuals without sentimentality. I enjoyed the description of the horses and the relationship between them and their human connections. I am always curious about how things are done and loved the details about horse care and training.

I believe that most of Smiley's books are about responsibility and the different ways people do or do not own the consequences of their actions. This book is no exception and it considers these issues through the actions and reflections of unique and believable characters. I recommend it to all ages.

This wonderful novel takes place in the 1960s, when the main character, Abby Lovitt, is in the seventh grade. She lives with her strict but loving parents on their small California horse ranch. The family business consists of buying horses at low prices, getting them healthy and handsome, training them so well that they can claim "a little girl can ride him," and then selling them for a profit. They never keep a horse longer than necessary, as it means money wasted on food. Abby's father came up with a rule that they name all the male horses George and all the female horses Jewel, so as not to get attached to them. Abby isn't thrilled with this, and sometimes secretly names the horses something special.

Abby has been helping to train the horses for a long time, and even more so since her older brother, Danny, got kicked out of the house after a huge fight with their dad. She loves this responsibility, and is quite a talented rider and trainer. Rarely does she encounter a problem that she can't handle --- until she meets Ornery George. Ornery George and Abby can't seem to communicate, and most of the time he ends up bucking her off, despite her excellent riding skills. The only thing the two can agree on is that he will do what he wants and she will let him. She is so upset with him that she dares to stand up to her father and refuses to get on the horse.

But then one day an unusual stranger named Jem Jarrow stops by to look at Ornery George. He begins teaching Abby another way to communicate with horses, a method that Ornery George understands. This new communication even opens up new possibilities between Abby and her father.

THE GEORGES AND THE JEWELS is Pulitzer Prize winner Jane Smiley's first novel for young readers. Here, she combines her vast writing talents with her massive love of horses, resulting in an incredible reading experience. The story leaps out of the starting gate with the first sentence ("Sometimes when you fall off your horse, you just don't want to get back on."), immediately capturing the attentions of any horse-crazed fan. Both experienced horse people and those who are new to the world of horses will find the pages filled with gripping information all woven into a moving story that tugs at the heart. Smiley also does a winning job of writing about relationships, and she explores many different ones, including those between a teen and her parents, a teen and her peers, a girl and her horse, and even horses in a herd.

This is an outstanding story, highly recommended for any horse lover (and even those not so crazy about horses). I can't wait for the sequel, which is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2010; it won't be available fast enough!

--- Reviewed by Chris Shanley-Dillman

This book was so perfectly right for me, that I originally felt I couldn't judge it objectively. So, first I gave it to my daughter who is just starting to ride. And, then I gave it to my mother who was never bitten by the horse bug. We all absolutely loved it. It is a wonderful book that while just right for a nine year old, has the ability to appeal to children and adults alike. I would recommend it to people of any age and with varying degrees of interest in horses. It is that good.

It is the story of a 7th grade girl named Abby growing up in 1960's California horse country. She helps her father train horses so that he can claim, "Kid's Horse for Sale." There are several great story lines that come together in this fast read to make us truly feel for Abby. A central theme is Abby's evolving relationship with a particularly difficult horse, that continues to throw her off. Through the course of the book we see various adults interact with the horse with mixed success, and eventually are able to witness a coming around thanks to a horse whisperer. The horse training details are simultaneously specific, graphic and enlightening. Most of all, it is particularly nice to witness it through the frank eyes of a young girl.

At the same time, Abby is growing up in a born-again Christian household where she is faced with the challenges of having her family's beliefs conflict with the things she is learning at school as well as the estrangement of her brother. This element of the book is important to the development of Abby's character, but is not overly described and is consistently presented without judgment. I wondered if Violet would ask questions about this religious component, but she didn't. She took it at face value, and was much more interested in the social dynamic in Abby's school. As Jane Smiley so adeptly puts it, "The best thing that can happen to you in seventh grade, really, is that you float from one classroom to another like a ghost or spirit, undetected by the humans." Ms. Smiley is a master of the human dynamic, and perfectly brings her skills to bear in helping us experience a little bit of that dreaded 7th grade one more time. Fortunately, it is not too painful to re-live, while there is at least one character in there that each of us can relate to. There is nothing remotely inappropriate in this book for children. Most of all it has a fairly just ending, which I really do like in books - especially children's books.

There are many accomplished children's authors out there. [...] We can now add Jane Smiley to the list of fantastic authors that we can be grateful to for writing exceptional literature for our kids. Thank you, Jane. I also want to add a special shout out to the illustrator, Elaine Clayton. She graces the beginning of each chapter with illustrations of various horse accessories, and they are delightful. While I was sad to finish this book, it is nice to be able to go back and look at the illustrations from time to time.

- Jessica Wheeler

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