by Kristin Berkery
One of the first American editions of Black Beauty, published by F.M. Lupton Publishing Company, New York, in 1885.
Sewell was permanently disabled after a childhood accident and never married or had children. Of English Quaker origins, she subscribed to the belief that all humans and animals should be treated fairly. Sewell spent the last few years of her life writing Black Beauty: The Autobiography of a Horse, bedridden by poor health and cared for by her mother. She never got to appreciate its immense success — Sewell died just five months after the book was published in late 1877.
Black Beauty was ground-breaking. It was the first novel to tell a story from the perspective of an animal, giving readers a realistic glimpse into the hard lives of horses in Victorian England. Because horses were necessary for transportation and farm work, they were often mistreated and considered no better than inanimate objects. Sewell had empathy for all animals, but especially horses, and she wrote Black Beauty in the hope that it might inspire people to treat horses with more kindness.
Kristin is a digital marketing expert, artist, and voiceover talent in Sacramento, California, with a life-long passion for horses. In her spare time she’s active with her daughter and son. See Kristin’s marketing agency and LinkedIn profile.
