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A review by lisa_mc
The Georges and the Jewels by Jane Smiley
3.0
Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer Prize-winning author of “A Thousand Acres,” has returned to the topic of horses, this time in a book for preteens.
Like Smiley’s “Horse Heaven,” “The Georges and the Jewels” takes a fond, detailed look at all things equine. Unlike that wickedly satirical novel, “Georges” is straightforward and much more serious than funny — but most preteens aren’t yet savvy enough for satire anyway, so this is not a strike against it. What “Georges” does have is Smiley’s sharp eye for detail and excellent writing style.
Seventh-grader Abby Lovitt has a life that many a young girl would envy: She rides horses every day. But her family raises horses for a living, so her riding isn’t just for fun, it’s work. So that no one gets too attached to the horses that come and go, all the geldings are named George and all the mares are named Jewel.
Working through frustrations with "Ornery" George, Abby deals with a motherless foal and cliques at school, as well as getting a glimpse into another lifestyle as she helps get a rich girl’s show pony into shape.
The setting is California in the early 1960s, but the story could almost be set today, except for the Lovitts’ lack of a TV. The story lines are engaging and won’t get confusing for young readers. But the ending feels hurried and the lessons learned are fairly predictable — though they are good ones nonetheless.
“The Georges and the Jewels” probably won’t become a classic horse story like “National Velvet” or “Black Beauty” — it’s nuanced rather than melodramatic and doesn’t have a big contest at the end (or vampires or robots, for that matter) — but it won’t be for lack of a good story or good writing.
Like Smiley’s “Horse Heaven,” “The Georges and the Jewels” takes a fond, detailed look at all things equine. Unlike that wickedly satirical novel, “Georges” is straightforward and much more serious than funny — but most preteens aren’t yet savvy enough for satire anyway, so this is not a strike against it. What “Georges” does have is Smiley’s sharp eye for detail and excellent writing style.
Seventh-grader Abby Lovitt has a life that many a young girl would envy: She rides horses every day. But her family raises horses for a living, so her riding isn’t just for fun, it’s work. So that no one gets too attached to the horses that come and go, all the geldings are named George and all the mares are named Jewel.
Working through frustrations with "Ornery" George, Abby deals with a motherless foal and cliques at school, as well as getting a glimpse into another lifestyle as she helps get a rich girl’s show pony into shape.
The setting is California in the early 1960s, but the story could almost be set today, except for the Lovitts’ lack of a TV. The story lines are engaging and won’t get confusing for young readers. But the ending feels hurried and the lessons learned are fairly predictable — though they are good ones nonetheless.
“The Georges and the Jewels” probably won’t become a classic horse story like “National Velvet” or “Black Beauty” — it’s nuanced rather than melodramatic and doesn’t have a big contest at the end (or vampires or robots, for that matter) — but it won’t be for lack of a good story or good writing.