THE DARK HORSE

by Rumer Godden ‧ RELEASE DATE: Jan. 1, 1981

Splendid horseflesh, stereotyped Indians, and a flock of quipping nuns led by a savvy Mother Superior--these are the familiar stuff of Godden's new highly sentimental indulgence, which often rises above its story with immaculate Indian streetscapes and meticulous special details (on the care and training of horses). In 1933 Calcutta, the race horse Dark Invader is sold by his Irish owner to Mr. Leventine, a flamboyant, mixed-blooded multimillionaire on the bare fringes of Calcutta society; he dreams of becoming a ""racing personality."" And imported along with Dark Invader is the horse's ""stable lad"": tiny Ted Mullins, a de-silked jockey (he hit the booze when beloved wife Ella died) whose integrity and old-fashioned ""long rein"" technique win the respect of stable-owner John Quillan--especially when Ted helps to straighten out Quillan's brood of charming but unruly mixed-blooded children. But Dark Invader has problems--having been savaged in his first and only long race by a mean jockey, Streaky Bacon. And meanwhile there are problems, too, over at the convent of the Sisters of Poverty: Mother Morag, along with the sisters, is in despair at the death of their old horse Solomon, which used to draw the rickety cart in which the nuns collected leftover restaurant food to feed the poor. Will these two horse problems converge miraculously? Of course. Despondent over Ella's death, and not even able to raise a whinny out of D. Invader, Ted gets sozzled--and in the resulting confusion, the horse falls into the hands of Streaky Bacon, bolts, and shows up. . . where? At the convent. And after some beady-eyed horse trading by Mother Morag, plus the obligatory Big Race, it all ends in a glow of goodness and good will. A plodder on a sloppy track, yes, but expertly handled like a thoroughbred.

Pub Date: Jan. 1, 1981

ISBN: N/A

Page Count: -

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: N/A

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 1, 1981

Categories: FICTION