It starts so sweetly, and I remember expect- immediately drew readers into the working ing it would continue like that. Approaching animals’ world, including dogs and other the reread for the article, I still felt that hope domestic creatures. I thought maybe this within myself — but as a young reader, time I could skim through, but there is no Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse skimming Black Beauty. I was sucked in on broke my heart. page one just like before. The tale of one event after another that Sewell died only months after publica- betrayed the trust of this innocent creature, tion, but already her book was a runaway in an age when horses were primary motive Why Sewell’s story’s success. No doubt, she was gratified to see The Legacy of power for human commerce and travel, the influence of this one slim novel. It led struck a chord in many hearts. Animals had resonated, however, to immediate reforms in animal welfare in feelings. By inhabiting the first person point Europe, the British Colonies worldwide and of view of the horse, from colt in a meadow is the power of its deeply the United States. It has been described as to pulling a cab in Victorian London, and a protest book and a call to action. Due to through many owners cruel and kind, to sympathetic portraits, its descriptions of financial hardships of his final home, readers empathized in a London’s taxicab owners, the license fee Black new way with horses, often seen as exten- which immediately drew was reduced so that cabbies could afford to sions of machines. Because of that empathy, care for and not overwork their horses. attitudes in many societies towards horses readers into the working Societies for the Prevention of Cruelty changed. And not only horses. Sewell aimed to Animals already existed, but got signifi- Beauty at practices like fox hunts, docking dogs’ animals’ world cant boosts in support afterBlack Beauty’s By CANDICE VETTER tails and ears, workhouses for the poor, and publication and the subsequent reviews even cruel children who pulled the wings and op-ed pieces in newspapers of the time. off flies. It has been called “the most influ- This one iconic book — the only ential anticruelty novel of all time” Warning: If you have not read Black Beauty stop book written by Anna Sewell, who and has been compared to Harriet reading this article right now — complete plot was born two hundred years ago Beecher Stowe’s Uncle Tom’s Cabin giveaways ahead. this year — broke many of the liter- in the United States because both nov- ary “rules” of the time. There had els caused outrage and set off protest was probably nine years old when been novels from an animal’s point actions that changed society. I first readBlack Beauty. I was a of view before, but this was the first Contrary to the idea that moral- major one in popular English litera- istic books are unpopular, Barnes & prairie girl with the first-hand ture. Earlier “beast fables” presented Noble states Black Beauty is an all- I animals acting like humans — much time bestseller with over 50 million experience of animal husbandry and like Disney does today. copies sold. Numerous film versions deep sympathy for the livestock Black Beauty made readers feel have been produced, there are trans- and pets on the farm (with some an animal’s pain, an animal’s fears, lations in 50 languages, and it has exceptions). A friend of mine the and sometimes, an animal’s con- never been out of print. It paved the tentment and pride. It is clear in way for a whole genre of stories like same age who grew up in urban Sewell’s writing that she was a keen My Friend Flicka and War Horse, with Montreal also read it as a child. observer of horses, perhaps partly dark adult themes, and National The effect on her was even more because of a mistreated injury that Velvet and The