The Little White Horse, by Elizabeth Goudge

Elizabeth Goudge grew up near some of the
most beautiful estates in England...settings
she recreates in her books.

I think the "little white horse" of this title was changed into a unicorn late in the editing or revision process. The horse never exhibited any behaviors particular to unicorns. Removing the horn would not have changed any element of the story. Just saying...

The Little White Horse (1946), by Elizabeth Goudge, defies labels. It's sort of a fairy story, sort of hero girl emotional rescue book, sort of a gothic mystery, and sort of, yes, allegory. I wouldn't say the hero Maria was on a hero journey or quest because, although she gets wiser, she does not really change. Her values and personality are fixed from the beginning. She certainly has adventures, but the changes occur in those around her... she is the catalyst.

Remove the horn and you still have
the exact same story.

The Little White Horse is about an orphan girl, Maria Merryweather, who is sent to a mysterious estate to live with her only surviving relative, an uncle. She travels with her governess and her pet spaniel. On the journey, they pass through many landscapes and then through a mysterious gated tunnel...a true indication that they are passing into another world or realm or reality. The Moonacre estate turns out to be just that--a self-contained fictional world with its own rules and realities...its own dreamalities (dreamalities...just made that up!). Maria finds that there is a curse on the land, one that only she can lift.

The home in a cave under the mountain.

Goudge blends the conventions of mythology, fairy tale, mysticism, and youth novel into a frothy and yet substantial story that can only be judged by its own assumptions. I kept trying to find a framework from which to evaluate it and failed. I ended up having to just go along for the ride, to move from one fantastical landscape to another. Moonacre is large enough to have a village and a church, farms, parklands, and of course, the huge old manor house with its towers and turrets. But the best locations are indoors--Maria's amazing round bedroom with its tiny door--no big people can even get in; her friend's home in caves under the mountain--also rounded; the old church with a chapel displaying the body of the original Merryweather, the man who incurred the curse.

Maria is a "moon" Merryweather, while her uncle
is a "sun" Merryweather. The interactions of sun
and moon, light and dark, are infused throughout.

The characters are lively and include animals...the animals never speak aloud, but their communication is obvious and they play important roles, are considered family members. They communicate through expression, body language, and movement, as my own companion animals do. Maria starts out with her own spaniel, but is soon adopted by a huge dog, a mysterious cat, a giant hare, and a pony. The animals accompany her on all of her adventures. A group of oddball characters run the house and estate, including a gnomelike male cook/housekeeper who keeps everyone stuffed with an amazing array of food. Don't read this book if you are on a diet--you'll fall off the wagon for sure.

The story resolves in a kind of bliss...happiness reigns...order is restored.

In Harry Potter, you "follow the
spiders," but in this book, keep your
eye on the pink geraniums.

The main themes are dark and light, sun and moon, right action and wrong action. Explosive temper is the main root of all the evil in the book, the factor that brings the curse. Maria and her fiance Robin (yes, she gets engaged at age 13!) are most at risk from their tempers and it is their mastery of temper that allows the resolution.


There is a strong flavor of Christianity in this book...the animals bring a sort of Francis of Assisi feeling to it and the restoration of an ancient monastery is key to the action. The original Merryweather cannot enter heaven because he usurped the old monastery from the monks. Pagan imagery is also prominent...nature is somewhat personified and the plants and animals seem to have their own individual spirits. I guess is comes closest to the Chronicles of Narnia in that regard.

But those are boxes to put the story in and that's what I found out I cannot do. This was a book of great beauty and depth and I feel enhanced for reading it. High recommend.