SNOW FOAL

A young girl is able to heal with the help of an orphaned wild foal.

Set in England, this poignant story interweaves the vulnerabilities of foster children with the healing power of animals, in this case, an orphaned Exmoor pony foal. When 11-year-old Addie is taken from her alcoholic mother and sent to a foster home far from the crowded street where she lived with Mam, she is at first resentful and afraid. Even though the foster home is welcoming, she still feels she needs to be with Mam and take care of her. At the foster home—a large farm—she meets two other foster children: 6-year-old Jude, who doesn’t speak, and 10-year-old Sunni, who is cool toward her. There’s also 14-year-old Gabe, the irrepressible son of the farm owners, Ruth and Sam. As the story unfolds, Addie very slowly learns to trust as she takes care of a tiny foal that Gabe found lost in the snow. Caring for the vulnerable creature, Addie gradually begins to navigate the deep waters of her relationship with her mother. The book is solidly written although a bit repetitive in the frequent mentions of how much Addie misses Mam, which, juxtaposed against the backstory of her neglect of Addie, may need further explanation for some readers. Addie is a nuanced, complicated protagonist, while Jude, Sunni, and Gabe are strong supporting characters. Characters read default White.

Realistic and poignant.