Gabriel's Triumph

Description

Recently freed from slavery, Gabriel is burning up the horse track as jockey and stacking up wins for his former master. When Mister Giles asks him to ride Aristo, a powerful but unpredictable horse, in the prestigious Saratoga Chase, Gabriel jumps at the chance to compete against some of the greatest jockeys in the business. But as he begins the journey to Saratoga, he finds that high-stakes horse racing can be a nasty business as he works to keep Aristo safe and fend off horse poachers and jealous jockeys. Gabriel also learns the difficult lesson that being freed is not the same as being free. More than ever, Gabriel misses his father, who is fighting with the Union Army. Who else can he trust? In the second book of the Racing to Freedom trilogy, Alison Hart continues to explore the complex relationships of the Civil War. The result is a gripping story that vividly brings to life the danger and drama of a time when war and issues of race and freedom divided the country. Background historical material and photos are included.

When Alison Hart was seven years old, she wrote, illustrated, and self-published a book called The Wild Dog. Since then, she's authored more than sixty books for young readers. A former teacher, she lives in Virginia.

"Thrilling horse racing once again frames a stirring Civil War story in the second title in the Racing to Freedom series."-Booklist "There is enough excitement and suspense along the way to keep readers interested. The narrative is well written and the major characters have depth and realism.. . . This follow up to Gabriel's Horses (Peachtree 2007) is part of a planned trilogy but stands on its own."-School Library Journal