Marlena Frick

Author about whom I know very little. I think she was British, she certainly lived in Britain and her books were published in the UK. She was however married to a Polish man.

She only wrote a handful of books, including an adult novel about the relationship between an old man and a horse, and a memoir of her husband's death from cancer. Both not exactlly upbeat reading. The Homecoming, her horse story, is her most well-known and widely published work. It is a poignant and well written tale set in Provence, France and was also made into a French film in 1970. Not one for a comfort read though.

Horse & Pony Books:

THE HOMECOMING
(HODDER AND STOUGHTON 1964)
ILLUSTRATED BY RITA PARSONS
American edition published by David McKay
SUMMARY: Adult/older children's fiction set in France. Valentin works for the farmer Pascal. As he has a good eye for a horse he is sent to the sales to buy a hunter and comes back with a beautiful Carmargue horse called Pompidou. Over the years the horse becomes like a son to him. But when he and the horse are both old and tired Pascal tells him to sell Pompidou to the bull ring. Appalled at the horrible death that would await his old friend, Valentin steals the horse and sets off to the swamps of Carmargue to set him free.
PONYMAD RATING: 4 HORSESHOES
Read Review

The book was adapted for film in 1970. See link.

Collector's Info:
Reasonably easy to find in both the UK and the USA. Harder in Australia although there may be a few copies to be found there.