Samphire is a part-Arabian grey stallion and teenager Jodie
falls in love as soon as she sees him. Buying him in an
auction in New Forest, England, seems like her dreams
coming true, but then her priorities have to change.
Jodie's father, a pilot in the RAF, is killed in an
accident, and her younger brother Ed has come down with a
kidney disease requiring dialysis. Their mother writes a
gardening column and is doing a great job supporting the
close-knit little family. Jodie and Ed tease each other but
are best friends. Ed, a model plane enthusiast, is
promised a large radio-controlled plane and Jodie gets her
own horse. Up to now she has volunteered in a riding
stable in exchange for rides, so she is well aware of the
work and dirt associated with keeping horses. Samphire
needs much more careful handing however and is not broken,
so some weeks pass before she is able to ride properly.
Ed becomes seriously ill and is rushed to hospital in
London, where his kidney problems are assessed, and now he
requires a transplant. As he has an unusual tissue type
his family are not suitable as donors. His mother loses
her gardening column so her income drops, and suddenly
Jodie sees that changes will have to be made. But how can
she bear to sell Samphire, and wave goodbye to her dreams
of becoming a top sportswoman?
This well-written coming of age story shows the different
facets of growing up - the singlemindedness required to
reach goals, the teamwork required to support a family, the
selflessness thrust upon a young person when they least
want it. As a horsewoman I can say that SAMPHIRE SONG is
very attentive to detail and thrillingly described. Jill
Hucklesby is English and the book is set in England, so I
am puzzled as to why the currency has been changed from
pounds to dollars. Young adults do understand that not
every country uses dollars. I recommend this book as a great
read.
Fourteen-year-old Jodie, a geeky loner dealing with family
problems, forges a bond with her new horse, Samphire, but
must find and rescue him when he goes missing.
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