Black Beauty takes place in the same period in which Sewell lived: mid- to late-nineteenth-century England.
Showing the range of uses for horses during this period, Black Beauty works as a saddle and carriage horse on a wealthy country estate, is rented as a beast of burden from a livery stable, pulls a cab, and draws a cart through the crowded London streets. The frequent changes in setting provide a good overview of British life during this era.
The first week of my life as a cab horse was very trying.
Horses were not only the primary mode of transportation during Sewell's lifetime, they were also becoming...