Children’s book succeeds in hooking readers
TERRI Farley's first "Phantom Stallion" series was a runaway hit with more than a million copies in print. I believe she's struck gold again.
"The Horse Charmer"
by Terri Farley
304 pages, $4.99
This new series takes place on a fictitious Hawaiian island, an island Farley invented after volunteering at a local horse ranch. With only three weeks' on-site research, she's done an admirable job of absorbing Hawaiian customs, legends, atmosphere and vocabulary, although she does miss it occasionally. It took me a moment to figure out that woven "luahala" hats were really lau hala, and, hey, no one would ever be permitted to clump through the house and on upstairs in barnyard-filthy boots.
Overlooking such points, though, the story is well crafted and a good read for 8- to 14-year-olds who love horses or an exciting adventure story. Thirteen-year-old Darby, the main character in the first series, has gone to live with her part-Hawaiian grandfather. He paid for her and her unbroken wild horse to come from Nevada to spend some months with him on his Iolani Ranch.
The horse, Hoku, arrives in bad shape, and Darby has to win her trust while nursing her back to health. She also has to learn to be a paniolo. Farley's description of Darby learning to ride is gripping, perhaps recalling her own first solo ride. She vividly portrays many characters, the buildings and scenery, giving us a you-are-there feel.
I was a bit confused by all the characters (human and horse) and was glad to find a listing in the back. It would have helped to know from the beginning that it was there.
As the first book in a new series, "The Horse Charmer" does its job well: The immediate problem of whether Hoku will survive and then bond with Darby is resolved, and we get to know the main characters.
But enough is left hanging to entice us into the next book. Why is Darby's mother estranged from her grandfather? Will Darby ever learn to be more of a help than a hindrance? Who will inherit the ranch?