When eighth-grader Abby Lovitt looks out at those pure-gold rolling hills, she k
nows there's no place she'd rather be than her family's ranch - even with all th
e hard work of tending to nine horses. But some chores are no work at all, like
grooming young Jack. At eight months, his rough foal coat has shed out, leaving
a smooth, rich silk, like chocolate.
As for Black George, such a good horse,
it turns out he's a natural jumper. When he and Abby clear four feet easy as pie
, heads start to turn at the ring-buyers' heads - and Abby knows Daddy won't tur
n down a good offer. Then a letter arrives from a private investigator, and sudd
enly Abby stands to lose not one horse but two.
The letter states that Jack's
mare may have been sold to the Lovitts as stolen goods. A mystery unfolds, more
surprising than Abby could ever expect. Will she lose her beloved Jack to his r
ightful owners? "Jane Smiley is one of the premiere novelists of her generation,
possessed of a mastery of craft and an uncompromising vision that grow more pow
erful with each book".
