*spoilers*

This was a pretty decent book. I really felt for Darcy in the beginning: She was born the same day as another foal, and they started their lives as best friends. Darcy looked to the other young horse for guidance, so when she fell off the cliff and died Darcy was kind of lost. For a long time she mourned over her friend, but then she got sold to the McKenna family. She works hard for the family, and when the eldest daughter, Shannon, gets into it with the snobby rich son of their rich landlord, a race is called. Darcy and Shannon win the race by cutting through the bog, a place the other horse can't get through. I thought that was awesome, that Darcy was able to pick her way through the bog in order to beat the other horse; Darcy knew her way through the bog because the other daughter had ridden her through there as a shortcut to the doctor's when their mother got sick. Add in the eldest son going off to war, and coming back with a missing leg and (temporarily) broken spirit, and this was a fine book. Once again I was very impressed with the beautiful illustrations, too. ( )