Jane Smiley

Pulitzer Prize-winning American author. Born in Los Angeles in 1949. After university, she travelled in Europe, returning to study for a PHD. She taught for many years at Iowa University. Her first book was published in 1980 and she has since written a number of highly acclaimed adult novels and non-fiction, winning the Pulitzer Prize for her novel A Thousand Acres, which was also made into a film.

She loves horses and owns so many she seems to have a herd of her own! Two of her adult novels are set in the world of horses and are a realistic look at the eccentricities and obsessions of that sometimes claustrophobic world. She has also written a non-fictional study of a year on the racing circuit. Recently she has also started to write pony books for children/young adults.

Jane Smiley has her own website

Abby Series:
Teen/young adult series set in the 1960s.

1) THE GEORGES AND THE JEWELS
aka NOBODY'S HORSE (UK title)
(KNOPF [USA] 2009)
(1st UK edition FABER & FABER 2010)
Published in the UK by Faber and Faber when it was re-titled NOBODY'S HORSE.
In print.
SUMMARY: Abby, who lives with her father on his horse ranch, is a troubled girl with both family and school problems. She seems to relate better to horses than people, but her father tries to discourage her from growing too close to any of the horses he sells. Then she meets a troublesome gelding who seems different from all the other horses….

2) A GOOD HORSE
aka SECRET HORSE (UK title)
(KNOPF [USA] 2010)
(1st UK edition FABER & FABER 2011)
Published in the UK by Faber and Faber when it was re-titled SECRET HORSE
In print.
SUMMARY: At last Abby feels like she has some stability with two horses of her own to care for, Black George and the colt Jack. But when George proves such a good jumper that he catches buyer's eyes and there are accusations that Jack's mother was stolen, it seems she may lose both of them.

3) TRUE BLUE
(KNOPF [USA] 2011)
Available September 2011
SUMMARY: Abby welcomes a beautiful new horse to the ranch when his owner has been killed, but soon begins to fear she is being haunted by the ghost of his dead owner!

Collector's Info:
The first two books are in print and available in the both the UK and USA, possibly also Australia. At the time of writing (August 2011) True Blue is not yet published but can be pre-ordered. There is as yet no mention of a UK edition but this may follow shortly (whether it's title will be changed as per the first two books in the series, I do not know.) In the meantime the USA edition is available from Amazon UK.

Other Pony Books: (Adult Fiction)

HORSE HEAVEN
(KNOPF [USA] 2000)
(1st UK edition FABER & FABER 2000)
Reprinted in paperback by Ballantine.
Published in the UK by Faber & Faber in both hardback and paperback.
Also large print editions published by Thorndike and Chivers.
Still in print.
SUMMARY: Realistic and somewhat satirical novel set in the world of American racing.
Read Reviews (on Amazon website)

BARN BLIND
(HARPER & ROW [USA] 1980)
(1st UK edition FLAMINGO PB 1997)
Reprinted in paperback by Ballantine.
Published in the UK by Flamingo Paperbacks/Harper Collins.
Also large print edition published by Thorndike.
Still in print.
SUMMARY: Well written gritty novel. A horse-obsessed trainer pushes her children towards equine-orientated lives, ignoring their own interests and aspirations.

Collector's Info:
Very easy to find in the USA, UK and pretty easy in most other English speaking countries too. Also available in many libraries. Both still in print.