Gabriel is black and a slave in Kentucky toward the end of the Civil War, but that does not deter him from following his dream of being a jockey. He has a natural instinct and connection to the horses that has been honed by years of hard work while following the directions of his father who is the trainer on a horse farm that trains winning horses. ( )

i love this book!! horses are my favorite animal so its perfect!!

Civil war Kentucky - thoroughbreds, racing, slaves, Confederate raiders. Carefully crafted, lyrical when talking about the connection between man/boy and horse ( )

This book is amazing. I am in a club where we have to read fifteen books and this is my favorite out of all of the books. Alison Hart creates a historical, life like wonder. She doesnt show you What Gabriel is doing, she lets you in. She lets you know what it's like to be him and how his love of horses is so deep. This is a great book for all ages and I highly reccommend it! :) ( )

Gabriel’s father is free, but his mother is a slave, making Gabriel a slave, too. All three work on a horse farm, training and caring for horses that will one day race. It is the time of the Civil War and Gabriel’s father is given an opportunity to join the Union Army and earn enough money to buy his family’s freedom. This leaves Gabriel to care for the horses and protect them from Confederate raiders and a new cruel horse trainer.I liked the story a lot, but the characters and the plot felt a little too pat, a little less nuanced than I might wish for. ( )