Reviewed by Rosie Malezer for Readers' Favorite

The Girl with the Chicken-House Pony is a novel written by Doris Anderson. Annie Thompson has a secret which threatens to destroy her. Not only is Annie a target for school bully, Ginny, but when Annie was nine years old, she had been molested several times by Lonny - the teenage son of her parents' friends. He later raped her on a beach, causing internal injury, but Annie was afraid to tell because Lonny had threatened to kill her and her parents with his father's gun. Three years later, Annie is overjoyed when her parents move to a farm, enabling her to start a new life at a new school. Annie's love of horses distracts her from what Lonny had done to her, enabling her to focus her attention on the new horses. Learning of a six-year-old pony for sale, their family goes for a drive to see it. When they arrive to look at the pony (named Precious), Annie is shocked to find Precious locked inside a chicken house because the pony had been known to try to escape. Afraid and easily startled, Precious acted up at first, trying to get her own way and having tantrums, but after being hit by a car during one of those tantrums, Precious is badly shaken and quickly settles down. As time passes, Precious and Annie seem to find a mutual love and respect, each healing the other’s inner turmoil, until her best friend, Kathy, becomes friends with Ginny, reinforcing Annie’s belief that she is weak and is a loser. When her determination kicks in strongly, Annie vows to prove to herself and the world that she is a lot better than they give her credit for.

I was extremely impressed by Doris Anderson’s ability to portray the invisible scars, caused by such intense emotional pain, so well in words. Fear is a powerful weapon. When a young child suddenly becomes rebellious, it is sad when parents and teachers write it off as mental illness or some kind of phase. I shed tears for Annie as I read this story, easily being able to relate to her pain, yet smiled with her reaction to Precious and the bond that the two shared. The Girl with the Chicken-House Pony is one of the most powerful tales I have read in a very long time. I recommend this book to all readers aged 12 and over, as it not only brings awareness of the importance of making your children feel safe and protected, but also teaches children that such horrific experiences need to be discussed with somebody they trust completely. Animals are wonderful therapy for all of us and, in this instance, Annie was just as therapeutic for Precious as the pony was to Annie. This truly is an incredible, emotional story of courage and determination which should be stocked in every library.