Bridget and William

Two independent stories here, The title story was Gardam's 1981 Carnege recommendation; Horse first appeared in 1982. They are both miniature masterpieces, showing well this writer's art in folding up time, place and, moreover, the felt life of childhood within accessible stories. Bridget is determined to keep her beloved pony and her trek down the hill, through the snow, is perfectly paced in the writing. In Horse a community is united across generations to save a remarkable landmark. Notice how, in both, the young learn their culture, and its lores, through the stories they hear from the old. A rare, special reading treat for seven to twelves.