The Girl who Rode the Wind by Stacy Gregg

The cover of The Girl who Rode the Wind caught my attention recently when we were at the library. I have previously read The Fire Stallion by Stacy and loved it! So it was easy to add this one to the list of what we were borrowing.

It was less easy to find time to read, but I loved the story! It focuses on the amazing Il Palio over in Italy. What was unique about this novel was that it was told from the point of view of a 12-year-old American girl with Italian roots. I had a chuckle at the way she ended up in Italy in the first place.

The two main characters in The Girl Who Rode the Wind – 12-year-old Lola and her fiery grandmother Loretta – are a delight to read about. As Lola discovers Italy, she also discovers the life of her grandmother as a young girl and a developing teenager.

Lola and Loretta share a love of horses. This draws the grandmother and grand daughter together even more, as Lola learns about the life Loretta led in Italy as the second world war occurred. Whilst learning about her grandmother’s choices, the need to grow up quickly and her desire to protect her family whilst also pursuing love, Lola is also learning about the Palio – the wildest racehorse in the world!

The Girl Who Rode the Wind is an incredible historical fictional piece, with a delightful focus on horses and an incredible horse race in Italy. Highly recommended.

Author – Stacy Gregg
Fiction – middle grade
In my library – no, it was borrowed from a local library

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