Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry

Marguerite Henry was the first author I met. She was making appearances at local movie theaters to help promote Brighty of the Grand Canyonstarring Joseph Cotton. The film was based on her book and sparked my lifelong interest in the Grand Canyon which I visited for the first time that very year (1967). Henry, however, was best known for her books about horses. Of this I believe that Misty of Chincoteague is her best known novel. Published in 1947, Rand McNally reprinted this and all of Henry’s novels numerous times. The illustrations by Wesley Dennis are all faithfully reproduced in the current Aladdin Books edition, a division of Simon and Schuster. Misty of Chincoteague holds up well. Henry had a talent for images, suspense and setting the scene. Her prose is lively and the characters believable. Henry was also known for doing research and making an effort to get her settings portrayed as accurately as possible. The story is about two kids, Paul and Maureen Beebe, who have their hearts set on capturing a wild mare on Assateague Island which is adjacent to Chincoteague Island. Paul succeeds in capturing not only the mare, but her newborn colt which they name Misty because when he first saw her he couldn’t tell “If I was seeing white mist with the sun on it, or a live colt.” Horse stories are no longer popular, but many of Marguerite Henry’s books remain in print and are available for e-readers like Kindle and Nook. Her books are sentimental but without wallowing in it. They may appear slightly dated and colloquial at times, but the writing is clear and the stories are timeless. Misty of Chincoteague is a great book for a young reader with a love for horses. It’s also recommended for anyone that simply loves to read a good story.