Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse

Black Beauty is an 1877 novel by English author Anna Sewell. It was composed in the last years of her life, during which she was confined to her house as an invalid. The novel became an immediate bestseller, with Sewell living just long enough (five months) to see her first and only novel become a success. This story is about a horse that is sold from place to place. On his way, he meets many different horses, each of which have different personalities. He also meets lots of owners that treat him differently. Each chapter talks about a different incident in Black Beauty's life, and they all contain a lesson related to the treatment of horses. Although not originally intended as a children's novel, but for people who work with horses, it quickly became a children's classic. With fifty million copies sold, Black Beauty is one of the best-selling books of all time.While outwardly teaching animal welfare, it also contains allegorical lessons about how to treat people with kindness, sympathy and respect.