Book Description

It’s the first day at Wendelby horse riding camp when eleven-year-old Kristina sees a pale little face in the attic window of an abandoned — and possibly haunted — house. Kristina’s parents have just separated, and she has moved with her mum and little sister to her mum’s hometown in the south of Sweden. Kristina feels awkward and clumsy most of the time, and her friends at school don’t exactly make her feel better about herself. Turning up at the camp not knowing anyone, she feels alone and a little scared. But it’s not long until she meets Anna, a girl who seems to have no fear, and Finesse, the chestnut horse that opens Kristina’s heart. Kristina and her new-found friends sneak out at night to investigate the mysterious house. A woman used to live there — some say she could talk to animals, others say she was a witch who will return from the dead to make sure no one disturbs the house. Who is the child in the attic? And what happened to the people that used to live there? Kristina finds letters from the 1950s that talk about longing, grief and loneliness, but also about great kindness and love. Back at the camp, an overheard phone conversation late at night suggests that Viktoria, the two-faced riding instructor, is about to do something suspicious. Set in Sweden, in the magical long days and white nights of summer, this is a story about a haunted house, a stolen horse and a man that disappeared more than sixty years ago. It’s also a story about friendship, belonging and the strong bond between a girl and a horse.