Enid Bagnold, "National Velvet" 1961 HC Book. 11th Printing. Illustrated. Good!

Description: Enid Bagnold, "National Velvet." William Morrow, 1961. 11th Printing. Illustrations by Paul Brown. Hardcover Book. Pictorial front board. Book is in good condition. No dust jacket. Book boards are very good with color print on front very clear and bright. text block very good but does have a bit of age spotting to top and side of book. Corners very good. Spine tight, appears unread. Spine has very small amount of bend at head and foot of spine. Tiny lean to the right when laid flat. Pictures included are of the actual book being offered for sale. A butcher's daughter in a small Sussex town ends her nightly prayers with "Oh, God, give me horses, give me horses! Let me be the best rider in England!" The answer to 14-year-old Velvet Brown's plea materializes in the form of an unwanted piebald, raffled off in a village lottery, who turns out to be adept at jumping fences--exactly the sort of horse that could win the world's most famous steeplechase, the Grand National. Richly atmospheric of rural life in England between the World Wars, "National Velvet" has enchanted generations of readers since its 1935 debut. The heroine's grit and determination, backed by the support of her eccentric and loving family, offer an inspiring example of the struggles and rewards of following a dream. "National Velvet" is the story of a 14-year-old girl named Velvet Brown, who trains and rides her horse, named The Piebald, to victory in the Grand National steeplechase. The novel focuses on the ability of ordinary people, particularly women, to accomplish great things. Velvet is a teenager in the late 1920s, living in a small English coastal village in Sussex, dreaming of one day owning many horses. She is a high-strung, shy, nervous child with a delicate stomach. Her mother is a wise, taciturn woman who was once famous for swimming the English Channel; her father is a butcher. Velvet's best friend is her father's assistant, Mi (Michael) Taylor, whose father – as Mrs. Brown's swimming coach – helped her cross the channel. Mi formerly worked in stables and is familiar with the horse racing world. One day they both watch The Piebald jump over a five-foot-high cobbled fence to escape a field. Mi remarks that "a horse like that'd win the National." Velvet becomes obsessed with winning the horse in an upcoming raffle and riding him to greatness. Velvet does win The Pie, her dream horse. After riding him in a local gymkhana, she and Mi seriously consider entering the Grand National steeplechase at Aintree racecourse and train the Piebald accordingly. Mi uses his connections to the horse training/racing world and obtains a fake clearance document for Velvet in the name of James Tasky, a Russian jockey. Velvet wins the race but is disqualified for dismounting too soon after she slides off the saddle due to exhaustion. Her gender is discovered in the first-aid station. The racing world is both dismayed and fascinated by a young girl's winning its toughest race. Velvet and The Piebald become instant celebrities, with Velvet and her family nearly drowning in notoriety (echoing her mother's unsought fame after swimming the English Channel), complete with merchandising. Velvet strongly objects to the publicity, saying The Piebald is a creature of glory who should not be cheapened in tabloid trash and newsreels. She insists that she did not win the race, the horse did, and she simply wanted to see him go down in history. The National Hunt Committee finds no evidence of fraud, exonerates all involved, and Velvet and her family return to their ordinary lives; or rather, Velvet goes on "to her next adventures", for she is a person to whom great things happen. The New York Times said, "The book is one that horse lovers of every age cannot fail to enjoy," while Time magazine wrote that is was "humorous, charming...a little masterpiece." Collectible and wonderful!

Price: 80 USD

Location: Aberdeen, Mississippi

End Time: 2024-12-25T00:22:40.000Z

Shipping Cost: 5.38 USD