Megan Shepherd (text), Levi Pinfold (illus.), The Secret Horses of Briar Hill, Walker Books Australia, 1 Oct 2016, 240pp., $19.99 (hbk), ISBN: 9781406367584
December 1941. World War II is raging. Emmaline has been evacuated away from the bombs to Briar Hill in Shropshire. When she gets there, she discovers a secret. It’s not to be shared with anyone. But she’ll tell you. There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill.
Few superlatives go far enough to describe a book such as this, so I’ll have to make do with “exquisite”. This is a beautifully crafted book that is rich with emotion and imagination. Shepherd evokes a time and a place that was dominated by darkness, yet she breathes into it such life and colour, all made possible through the light of a child’s hope.
The book is written in the first person, from the point of view of Emmaline, a child newly orphaned by the horrors of war. We see the mystery of the horses unfold through her eyes, the events of the world around her perceived through the lens of a child’s understanding. We feel her losses as acutely as she does, we share her thrill of excitement at the discovery of the winged horses, and we accept her mission of mercy with all of her determination and courage. This is a true journey of a novel, one that we gladly embark upon. We instantly warm to Emmaline; we want her to succeed in her quest. We want her to overcome the obstacles and adversities that are placed in her path.
Pinfold’s illustrations are nothing short of works of art, each portraying a crucial scene from the narrative so that the reader is truly transported to Emmaline’s world. Melancholy but with a spirit of childlike innocence, it is as though each plate is a carefully drawn image from a vivid memory.
The Secret Horses of Briar Hill would be suitable for readers of almost any age – perhaps not for very small children as they may find some of the wartime themes and concepts to be a little frightening, however for everyone else, this book is full of adventure and wonders, and is sure to be one that will be cherished and re-read many times for years to come.
Reviewed by Christian Price
