Black Beauty

Black Beauty is a universally beloved work of children’s literature, although Anna Sewell had originally intended it for an adult audience. The novel is a fictionalized autobiography of the horse after which it is named, from his idyllic childhood to the difficult life of a work-horse in 19th century London. Heartfelt and heart wrenching, Black Beauty also manages to be informative, educating its readers about the proper care of horses, and the inhumane treatment often meted out to them. It has inspired numerous adaptations across film and television and continues to spark public interest in animal welfare.