Lara and the Gray Mare

by Kathleen Duey

Book Overview

Nine-year-old Lara is the daughter of the ri - the leader of her cattle-raising clan. While she spends her days tending to the cows, her heart lies with her beloved grey mare. Lara dreams that the mare's foal might one day be hers. But she knows that girls aren't allowed to keep horses-in fourteenth century Ireland, that is a boy's job. When her clan is raided and the mare is stolen, Lara is devastated. What will become of the mare-and her foal? Lara prays with all of her heart, and hopes beyond hope, that the fates will bring the mare back to her . . .

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0142402303
• ISBN13: 9780142402306
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Puffin Books
• Length: 140 Pages
• Weight: 0.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.2" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

Great start to a new series by Kathleen Duey.

This is the first book in the Lara quartet, part of the Hoofbeats series of historical fiction horse stories for young readers. This quartet tells the story of a young girl and her horse in Medieval Ireland. Nine-year-old Lara lives in fourteenth century Ireland, where she is the daughter of her clan's leader. Lara must spend most of her days doing chores, when she would prefer to be with the gray mare that she loves. The mare will soon have a foal, and Lara longs for it to be her own, but girls aren't allowed to have horses. When the mare is stolen in a raid, Lara is heartbroken. Will she ever see her beloved gray mare again? This was another great historical novel for young readers by Kathleen Duey. The setting of medieval Ireland is very different from her previous books, all set in America, but is very well done and comes alive for the reader. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series to find out what happens to Lara next. I recommend this book to young readers who enjoy historical fiction and horse stories.