Patricia Leitch

The Jinny Books

The Jinny books is the series for which Patricia Leitch is best known. Its heroines are the volatile, artistic Jinny and her Arabian mare, Shantih. The series opens with Jinny’s family, the Manders, moving from the city of Stopton to Finmory in the Highlands of Scotland when Mr Manders decides, all of a sudden, to give up being a Probation Officer and pot and write instead.

Jinny and Shantih are well matched. They are both temperamental, and neither of them like listening to anyone other than themselves. Jinny’s early history with Shantih is one of hopeless longing. She longs to be able to ride the mare, but cannot. To make her hopelessness as a rider even more obvious, Ken, who lives with them, can handle Shantih effortlessly.

The series succeeds because Jinny is a very recognisable teenager, and her longings and desires are ones most pony mad children will have had.

Jinny Series: Publishing History
The Jinny series appeared first in paperback, and was published by the paperback division of Collins, Armada. The original titles appear wonderfully period now (though when I bought the early titles of course they appeared perfectly normal. I wore those flared jeans; those skinny-rib sweaters). The titles underwent three major reprints that I know of:

First paperback style: banner title style
Second paperback style: white rosette cover
Third paperback style: gold horseshoe cover
Pavilion reprinted the series with two titles in each book
Severn House did a Library edition (though you can find these books as non-library too) in hardback with laminated boards. They are not particularly easy to find, but not particularly sought after either!

Not all titles appeared in all styles: in particular Horse of Fire and Running Wild appeared first as the white rosette cover.

The hardest titles to find are the last three: Jump for the Moon, Horse of Fire and Running Wild. The first 8 titles are easy to find; 9 a bit more tricky. None of the titles are impossible to find, and they are usually all on offer on the usual websites.

The Jinny Books

1 For Love of a Horse (Armada Original, 1976)
2 A Devil to Ride (Armada Original, 1976)
3 The Summer Riders (Armada Original, 1977)
4 Night of the Red Horse (Armada Original 1978)
5 Gallop to the Hills (Armada 1979)
6 Horse in a Million (Armada 1980)
7 The Magic Pony (Armada 1982)
8 Ride Like The Wind (1983)
9 Chestnut Gold (1984)
10 Jump for the Moon (1985)
11 Horse of Fire (1986)
12 Running Wild (1988)