"NATIONAL VELVET". by Bagnold, Enid

New York: William Morrow 303 pp, 8vo (8 1/4" H). B&w drawings. "(Velvet Brown's) passion in life was horses. And so, when she won a notorious and unwanted piebald in a village lottery, (she) began to dream. And, since the breathless imagination of youth sees no obstacles as insuperable, Velvet's thoughts turned to the greatest race in the world - the Grand National. The Piebald (was) part carthorse, part Arab. Because he preferred sociable village life to lonely fields, he learned to jump fences. When Velvet took him on, he looked like a newly painted rocking horse. When he appeared at Aintree, the crowd looked at him and hooted. Enid Bagnold's clear, pungent style gives this joyous and captivating tale a rare flavor. It is rich with the comedy of life and character and poignant in its realization of the eager, indomitable trust of youth." Minor wrinkling at bottom of spine. Dust jacket has minor edge wear/wrinkling, two tiny edge tears, two soft creases at bottom of front panel.. Reprint. Hard Cover. Very Good+/Very Good. Illus. by Laurian Jones..