Written from the point of view of the main character Thomas Rose, Mary Finn portrays the lifestyle of an illiterate but talented young man in the town of Horkstow, England. Belladonna is an incredibly imaginative story suited to teenagers that are lovers of horses and adventure.
When Thomas Rose finds the young French girl Ling hidden amongst elderberry branches in a ditch on the side of the road, life appears to have come to a disappointing halt for him. Having finished with school due to a lack of literary skills, he is resigned to working in his fathers shop, crafting and fixing wheels for carts.
This chance discovery leads the young Englishman on a journey with Ling to track down the man who purchased her beloved horse, Belladonna. Their search brings them to the house of painter George Stubbs, who is known by many in the town as a butcher of horses. The pair fear for Belladonna’s life and through their search, incredible events unfold before them.
Motivation from the Author
At the end of this novel are words from the author, enlightening the reader with the fact that some of the characters portrayed in this story were indeed real people. The town of Horkstow where Thomas lives is also a real village found in North Lincolnshire.
George Stubbs was a painter that passed time in the town of Horkstow between 1756-1758. It is over this time that he developed works of the horse’s anatomy, publishing the Anatomy of the Horse in 1766. Finn’s love for Stubbs’ work proves to be an interesting muse for a novel. Of this story she states, “It was unlikely territory for a novel until Ling appeared, crying out for help.”
About the Author
Living in Dublin, Ireland, Mary Finn is also the author of Anila’s Journey. This novel of an orphan Indian girl was the winner of a Parents’ Choice Gold Award as well as the Éilís Dillon Award.
Belladonna is a delightful historical novel that enlightens readers to the life and times of a fifteen year old boy in the English countryside. Being a historical fiction, Finn incorporates some French into her story as the reader hears more from Ling and toward the end of the novel, some Romani language, spoken by the gypsies.
A hardcover novel of 367 pages, Belladonna has been beautifully written, with words that are descriptive and poetic. It is aimed at 11 year olds and above.
Source
- Belladonna, Mary Finn. Candlewick Press, 2011. ISBN 978 0 7636 5106 0.
Chris Thomas - C. Thomas has studied and worked with horses since 2001. She teaches horse studies part time and is undertaking an Equine Science ...
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