Blind Beauty

Kliatt, March, 2005 by Pat Dole

BLIND BEAUTY. K.M. Peyton. 2003. Read by Nicki Pauli. 6 tapes. 9 hrs. Bolinda Audio Books. 1-74030-619-8. $48.00. Vinyl; plot, reader notes. JSA *

Animal lovers in particular will be enthralled by this exciting horse racing story, set in England, of two misfits: an unhappy girl encased in a prickly shell of defiance and a big, ugly, clumsy thoroughbred horse. When Tessa is only three, she bonds with Shina, a blind mare, and never forgets that love. Her Irish horsebreeder father is such a feckless alcoholic, however, that her parents divorce, and her mother moves to England, where she marries Maurice, a rich but cruel and grasping racehorse owner whose only concern is how much money he can amass by betting. Tessa despises him and hates her life as his stepdaughter, so much so that she spins out of control emotionally. After she has been expelled from every private school to which she is sent Maurice banishes her to work in a training stable. From then on her whole life turns around.

Buffoon, an ungainly, unpromising horse, is sent there to be trained, and Tessa is drawn to him so deeply that the experience for both of them is almost mystical. Only later does she discover that he is Shina's son. The plot centers on their mutual love and her determination to prove his worth, all the way to the Grand National, the peak of the British racing season. But she must overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles, the worst of which is her own frightful temper, to come to terms with life and to realize her dreams.

Reader Pauli's semi-voiced narration is perfect. Her voice is beautifully pitched and modulated in the narrative sections and then so flexible that every character achieves a convincing reality. Without over dramatizing she maintains a gripping pace throughout. Although the author obviously loves and understands horses, the crux of the novel is Tessa's slow and painful progress toward maturity, as she changes from a fierce and isolated 12-year-old into "someone who is beginning to understand that love and loyalty can extend to human beings as well as to horses." Pat Dole, Richmond, VA

J--Recommended for junior high school students. The contents are of particular interest to young adolescent and their teachers.

S--Recommended for senior high school students.

A--Recommended for advanced students and adults. This code help librarian and teachers working in high schools where there are honors and advanced placement students. This also will help extend KLIATT's usefulness in public libraries.

*--The asterisk highlights exceptional books.