A review by rainweaver13
The Georges and the Jewels by Jane Smiley

4.0

A good book for girls and young women (and 62-year-olds) who love horses (and wrestled with family, religion, and middle school). Young Abby has to deal with a strict religious father, a brother who couldn't take it any more and left, a mother who tries to keep the peace, friends and acquaintances at school who are deep in the vicissitudes of junior high girls (which is a strange and unpredictable place)... but she has the horses. Her father buys, trains and resells horses, and Abby helps train them so that "a little girl can ride it." He doesn't want her to get attached to the horses so he won't let her name them. All the mares are Jewel and all the geldings are George.

Naturally, things happen. "The Georges and the Jewels" left me with a wistful smile and slightly back in touch with the horse-crazy girl I was at that age. I may read the other books in the series just for calming in these unsettled days.