The White Horse of Zennor and Other Stories
by Michael Morpurgo
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At the furthest edge of Britain, where the sea gently washes over the land and myths brush against reality, lies Zennor. Since the beginning of time strange and mysterious things have happened there, and these stories highlight all the most haunting and enchanting events. Once a year, on a misty autumn night, there is a pounding of hoof beats as a great white horse comes thundering over the moor in the moonlight. Then there are the old tin miners that Cherry meets when she is cut off by show more the incoming tide, as well as limping Billy who learns to swim with the seals. The proud Thomas Barbery and the intriguing Mad Miss Marney also add their own stories to this unforgettable collection. show lessTags
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Member Reviews
Over the years I’ve read a few of Morpurgo’s multitude of children’s books. All were solid enough to complete, but I found they occasionally lapsed into the sentimental and the prose was unremarkable. Consequently, I was pleasantly surprised by this book, a collection of five stories set in beautifully described Cornwall, most on farms, and all incorporating elements of local legend and folklore.
In an introductory note, Morpurgo advises his young audience to read the stories in order, explaining that the reason will become clear in the end. It does. The very fine final story focuses on Mad Miss Marney, an elderly woman who lives in a lone book-filled house on the high moor, against whom parents have warned their children. One show more child, the wild and wandering Kate, looks for a reason to meet Miss Marney, and nature provides her with one. She discovers that the elderly woman has the gift of healing—and another talent, too. That talent explains how the stories are linked.
My favourite tale in the book concerns a unhappy young boy with a deformed foot who discovers that the sadness and impairment he experiences on land disappear when he swims in the sea and is befriended by a playful seal. It’s a lovely story.
It was a pleasure to read this book, possibly because I’ve read so much less-than-magical adult fiction and nonfiction recently. Morpurgo’s vocabulary is quite sophisticated here and might prove to be too daunting for some young readers. With the majority of stories set on farms, it is possible, too, that a few details could upset the most sensitive children. Overall, though, the prose is wonderful and the stories most satisfying. In completing this book, I thought of the title of another by Katherine Rundell: Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise. This book is why.
Note: This is a rewrite of a review posted this morning, which unfortunately completely vanished to some glitch in Goodreads. show less
In an introductory note, Morpurgo advises his young audience to read the stories in order, explaining that the reason will become clear in the end. It does. The very fine final story focuses on Mad Miss Marney, an elderly woman who lives in a lone book-filled house on the high moor, against whom parents have warned their children. One show more child, the wild and wandering Kate, looks for a reason to meet Miss Marney, and nature provides her with one. She discovers that the elderly woman has the gift of healing—and another talent, too. That talent explains how the stories are linked.
My favourite tale in the book concerns a unhappy young boy with a deformed foot who discovers that the sadness and impairment he experiences on land disappear when he swims in the sea and is befriended by a playful seal. It’s a lovely story.
It was a pleasure to read this book, possibly because I’ve read so much less-than-magical adult fiction and nonfiction recently. Morpurgo’s vocabulary is quite sophisticated here and might prove to be too daunting for some young readers. With the majority of stories set on farms, it is possible, too, that a few details could upset the most sensitive children. Overall, though, the prose is wonderful and the stories most satisfying. In completing this book, I thought of the title of another by Katherine Rundell: Why You Should Read Children's Books, Even Though You Are So Old and Wise. This book is why.
Note: This is a rewrite of a review posted this morning, which unfortunately completely vanished to some glitch in Goodreads. show less
Beautifully written, vividly imagined supernatural tales.
Very short and immense stories. All so meaningful.
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Author Information
300+ Works 31,747 Members
British author Michael Morpurgo was born in St. Albans, Hertforshire in 1943. He attended the University of London and studied English and French. He became a primary school teacher in Kent for about ten years. He and his wife Clare started a charity called Farms for City Children. They currently own three farms where over 2000 children a year show more stay for a week and experience the countryside by taking part in purposeful farmwork. He has published over 100 books and several screenplays. He won the 1995 Whitbread Children's Book Award for The Wreck of the Zanzibar, the 1996 Nestle Smarties Book Prize for The Butterfly Lion, and the 2000 Children's Book Award for Kensuke's Kingdom. Private Peaceful won the 2005 Red House Children's Book Award and the Blue Peter Book of the Year Award. Five of his books have been made into movies and two have been adapted for television. He was named as the third Children's Laureate in May 2003. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
- ISBNs
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