Anna Sewell

Anna Sewell was born in Norfolk, England in 1820. At age 14, Sewell fell while walking home from school and injured both ankles. After her injury, Sewell was unable to stand or walk without a crutch for any length of time. As a result, she often used horse-drawn carriages, which contributed to her love of horses. Sewell wrote her only book, Black Beauty, from 1871 to 1877, though her health was failing. Sewell sold the novel to a local publisher in 1877, at age 57; she died the following year of hepatitis. While it was originally written for people who worked with horses to encourage their humane treatment, Black Beauty since became a beloved children’s classic.