In my childhood I loved pony stories so when I heard about this book I was eager to read it. 

It's set in the 1950s and in Yorkshire. Birdie is a young girl who is sent to live with her great-aunt in a mining village. There she discovers, and befriends, a pit pony.

This is a beautiful book which is a real page-turner for readers aged nine upwards.

Birdie Bagshaw has spent her life in a children's home for mixed race children in Leeds but has now been invited to live with her great-aunt in the Yorkshire Dales.

It's an unhappy move though because Birdie isn't welcomed by the local children, their parents, or her distant relatives. 

Birdie is bullied at school and her aunt is stern and frosty. Trying to find a place of isolation and safety, Birdie explores the coal mine and finds the last remaining pit pony in the village, whom she calls Mr Duke,

The girl and the pony quickly establish a very special bond so that when Mr Duke's future is in danger, Birdie seeks to save him.

This is a fantastic book! There's a lot going on - themes of friendship and community, racism, identity and bullying. There's adventure, courage and kindness.

But this is also quite a tough read for anyone who loves animals. Pit ponies spent all their lives under ground, in perpetual darkness, with no fresh air, pulling heavy loads hour upon hour They only stopped being used in mines in 1997. On several occasions in this story things don't look good for Mr Duke. 

I was fully invested in Birdie and Mr Duke so found this a gripping and emotional read. Ultimately I loved it!