A Ride on the Red Mare's Back

Book Review

A Ride on the Red Mare's Back

Guin, Ursula K. Le. A Ride on the Red Mare's Back. New York: Orchard Books, 1992.

The author of the book, Ursula Le Guin, received a little painted wooden horse as a parting gift when she left Sweden. When she learned that there was no legend behind the red horses that were so popular there, she decided she would create a tale around them. Growing up, Le Guin lived with her three older brothers. Although she says that she never feels as if she were treated unequally compared to the boys, she says she wanted to create a story where the girl saved the boy, something she never knew as a child.

This story focuses on a young girl who lives with her little brother, mother, father, and baby in a house along the woods. The father decides to take the little boy to teach him how to hunt. The father soon returns to tell the family that the boy was taken by trolls. Overwhelmed with grief, he refuses to talk to anyone. Her mother must take care of the infant and cannot go out to find the boy. The girl, then, is the only one who can save the boy. She takes responsibility and plunges out into the cold. She brings with her some interesting objects that really lend to the powerful theme of female hero.

First, she carries with her a small, red, wooden horse toy that is painted with flowers. The horse comes to life, and together, the two female characters fight off the evil trolls. She also uses homemade bread to outsmart her enemy, and her only weapon is a pair of knitting needles. Here, the author subtly presents a powerful message- girls can be heroes even if they enjoy doing some of the stereotypical “female hobbies” such as baking or knitting. The girl in the story takes responsibility for her whole family, and is so brave that she saves her brother from a situation that even her father could not handle.

The illustrations in the book are beautiful, and do not shy away from showing the girl looking fearful in some parts of the book. This works for the overall theme that no matter what the girl may have been afraid of, self-determination and bravery allows for triumph. In the end, the picture shows her leading her brother across the once dangerous path. Because she has been brave, she can safely pass, and this time looks confident.