War Horse by Michael Morpurgo

Have you seen the movie War Horse yet?  It is an excellent movie directed by Steven Spielberg.  Comments are always “oh no, it’s too sad” but really, you are missing out if you don’t see it and be sure to see it on the big screen.  The panoramic views of the English countryside are stunning.  You will feel like you are almost there.  Also (note-spoiler alert) there is a happy ending.  So, even though you may shed a few tears the movie is well worth your time. 

There is also a successful stage play of the same name. Winner of 5 Tony Awards® including Best Play! A spectacular hit in London, it is the story of an English boy whose beloved horse is sold to the cavalry and shipped to France during WW I. Years later the boy, now a young man, embarks on an odyssey to bring him home.

The story is based on a children’s novel by British author Michael Morpurgo.  It was first published in the United Kingdom in 1982.  Michael Morpurgo is an English author, poet playwright and librettist best known for his children’s literature. He is known for "magical storytelling" and for recurring themes such as the triumph of an outsider or survival, for characters' relationships with nature, and for vivid settings such as the Cornish coast or World War I.

Hazel Rochman from Booklist says that while parts of the book may be sentimental, it “brings close the fury of the thundering guns, the confusion, and the kindness of enemies who come together in No Man's Land to save the wounded horse”. The horse’s “ability to understand the language wherever he is--England, France, Germany--reinforces the novel's antiwar message, and the terse details speak eloquently about peace”.

Our library does not presently own a copy of this imaginative work but that’s where the Indiana Evergreen system is so helpful.  Ask us to obtain a copy for you or just go to your account at our web site at http://www.steuben.lib.in.us, and place a copy on hold.  The book will be delivered to our library in just a few short days.  We do have an audio version read by John Keating which is available. Check it out!