Black Beauty was written as a last blow against cruelty by a woman who was told that she had only 18 months to live. Her name was Anna Sewell.
Anna Sewell was the daughter of Norfolk Quakers, Mary and Issac Sewell. Issac tried many jobs icluding bank managing and drapery but unfortunately he wasn't very good at any of them so the family had to move a lot as money was always short.
Mary Sewell, Anna's mother, was a school teacher and she educated both Anna nad her brother. She encouraged Anna's love of literature and taught her that cruelty was abhorrent - "the devil's trade-mark".
Sadly, when Anna was only 14 she had an accident that injured her ankle and for some reason it refused to heal properly. Often Anna could not walk because of the pain, but she could ride and this started Anna Sewell's close indentification with horses. She made a habit of talking to them kindly, "Now thee must go a little faster - thee would be sorry for us to be late."
When Anna was 57 she was told that she had only 18 months to live and she set about writing the story Black Beauty in an attempt to alleviatiate cruelty to horses.
Anna Sewell died 4 months after publication of the book Black Beauty. Even so Anna suceeded in her mission, Black Beauty has sold over 40 million copies. It has been translated into Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Hindustani, Turkish and Braille amongst other languages. Animal welfare groups have given copies to stable hands and drivers to read and it is believed that Black Beauty is one of the few novels that has actually suceeded in reducing suffering.
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