Summary: "When orphaned young Maria Merryweather arrives at Moonacre Manor, she feels as if she's entered Paradise. Her new guardian, her uncle Sir Benjamin, is kind and funny; the Manor itself feels like home right away; and every person and animal she meets is like an old friend. But there is something incredibly sad beneath all of this beauty and comfort- a tragedy that happened years ago, shadowing Moonacre Manor and the town around it- and Maria is determined to learn about it, change it, and give her own story a happy ending. But what can a solitary girl do?"
When I first bought this book, years ago, I saw J.K. Rowling's comment, "I absolutely adored The Little White Horse". This was during my unicorn phase, where I was searching anywhere and everywhere for books about unicorns.
The Little White Horse is a story with many elements and themes. History repeats itself and after twenty years, Maria's arrival at Moonacre Manor is an important event. She meets many unique and interesting characters and discovers that not all is what it seems. Maria herself, is curious, proud and impatient, character traits of a true Merryweather according to her uncle Sir Benjamin. Moonacre Manor is a magic place where Maria has her own room, built for the Moon Princess ages ago, but with a door that only she and few others could fit through. The room is described as her sanctuary, and Moonacre Manor, her true home.
She arrives at this new home with her governess, Miss Heliotrope and her dog Wiggins, who have been with her for most of her life. But as time goes on, Maria discovers more important characters and learns of the dark mystery surrounding her lovely home, one that speaks of murder.
Maria learns the history of her bloodline through the Old Parson at the church in the village. Pride has always been the Merrywaethers' downfall and that has never changed over the course of history. Woven in the past of the Merryweather bloodline is also the tale of the Moon Princess, who comes but cannot stay due to the curse of the Manor and Paradise Hill. Once Maria listens to these stories, she becomes determined to break the curse and mend the rift of two feuding families.
But she is not alone in this quest, her friend and companion Robin, a character much like Puck and Peter Pan, must help her to break the curse and both are destined to change history for the Merryweather bloodline.
This book is in a word, charming. The narrative is fun and playful, with a witty voice and memorable characters. The story is a fairytale adventure using symbolism of the Christian religion. Wrolf, the Merryweather dog is eventually revealed to be a more symbolic animal, and the little white horse also has an important role to play. Much of the visual elements involve night and day, moon and sun, and of course light and darkness. The wild men of the wood are described as shadows that steal and cause havoc on the valley. The Old Parson describes them as lost sinners who must find their way.
Once the history is revealed, the story becomes a parable. The book as a whole is an enjoyable read and an imaginative journey in age old wisdom. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and mythology.
Five out of five pearls.
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