Hoofbeats: Lara and the Gray Mare # 1

This is the first book in the Lara quartet, part of the Hoofbeats series of historical fiction horse stories for young readers. This quartet tells the story of a young girl and her horse in Medieval Ireland. Nine-year-old Lara lives in fourteenth century Ireland, where she is the daughter of her clan's leader. Lara must spend most of her days doing chores, when she would prefer to be with the gray mare that she loves. The mare will soon have a foal, and Lara longs for it to be her own, but girls aren't allowed to have horses. When the mare is stolen in a raid, Lara is heartbroken. Will she ever see her beloved gray mare again? This was another great historical novel for young readers by Kathleen Duey. The setting of medieval Ireland is very different from her previous books, all set in America, but is very well done and comes alive for the reader. I can't wait to read the rest of the books in the series to find out what happens to Lara next. I recommend this book to young readers who enjoy historical fiction and horse stories.