“King of the Wind,” by Marguerite Henry is an enjoyable Newberry Award Medal book by the master of horse stories. It tells the story of the Godolphin Arabian, that mysterious horse whose name is now found in the pedigrees of almost every superior Thoroughbred Horse alive.
The two main characters are Sham, the horse that would later become The Godolphin Arabian; and Agba, the horse’s loyal friend and groom. From the deserts of Morocco to Europe, “King of the Wind” takes the reader on a fantastic journey full of hardship and misfortune, but glorious in the end. Despite cruel owners and masters Sham and Agba persevere with the help of each other. Overall, “King of the Wind” is a tale like “Black Beauty,” though in this case the horse has a loyal friend who sticks with him to the very end.The story has a well-researched feel, full of historical details that breathe life into the tale. Marguerite Henry skillfully weaves the story in a way that sticks to the facts while entertaining his reader at the same time. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a good horse story.
About the Author
Born to Louis and Anna Breithaupt, the youngest of the five children, Henry was a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Unfortunately, Henry was stricken with rheumatic fever at the age of six, which kept her bedridden until the age of twelve. Because of her illness, Henry wasn't allowed to go to school with other children because of her weak state and the fear of spreading the illness to others. While she was confined indoors, she discovered the joy of reading. Henry's love of animals started during her childhood. Soon afterwards, she also discovered a love for writing when her parents presented her with a writing desk for Christmas. Henry later said, "At last I had a world of my very own -- a writing world, and soon it would be populated by all the creatures of my imagination." Henry sold her first story at the age of 11. She often wrote about animals, such as dogs, cats, birds, foxes, and even mules, but chiefly her stories focused on horses.
She studied at Milwaukee State Teachers College.On May 5, 1923, she married Sidney Crocker Henry. During their sixty-four years of marriage they didn't have children, but instead had many pets that inspired some of Marguerite’’s stories. They lived inWayne, Illinois.In 1945, Henry began a twenty-year collaboration with artist Wesley Dennis. She recalled " I had just finished writing Justin Morgan Had a Horse, and wanted the best horse artist in the world to illustrate it. So I went to the library, studied the horse books, and immediately fell in love with the work of Will James and Wesley Dennis. When I found out that Will James was dead, I sent my manuscript to Wesley Dennis." Henry and Dennis eventually published 15 books together. In 1947, she published Misty of Chincoteague and it was an instant success. Later, this book—as well as Justin Morgan had a Horse and Brighty of the Grand Canyon——were made into movies. She finished her last book, Brown Sunshine of Sawdust Valley, just before her death on November 26, 1997 at the age of 95.
Taken from http://www.wikipedia.com/
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