About the author
Maxine W Kumin (b.1925) is a poet, essayist and author, who was educated at Radcliffe. She and her husband had three children, but raised many other things besides; ten foals among them. The Kumins were keen riders, who evented, did long distance rides, and carriage driving. This last led to a near fatal accident for Maxine, which she wrote about in Inside the Halo and Beyond: Anatomy of a Recovery.
She is a distinguished writer, who has been awarded the Pulitzer Prize, the Robert Frost medal, and in 1981-82 was Poet Laureate of America. Her bibliography is wide ranging, and includes at least two children’s horse books.
Finding the books
Faraway Farm is easy to find. Oh Harry! is still in print.
Links and sources
Maxine Kumin’s website
Maxine Kumin – online poems
Thanks to Lisa Catz for the pictures and summary
Bibliography (horse books only)
Faraway Farm
W W Norton, New York, 1967, illus Kurt Werth
The story of a Shetland pony farm. Winter days are short, and have more work than fun, but spring brings new baby ponies. Summer keeps them busy with lots of visitors and pony rides. Fall brings the big county fair, with its horse show, and other competitions.
Oh Harry!
Roaring Brook, 2011
Harry the Horse is very good indeed at calming other horses, but he has his work cut out when six-year-old Algernon Adams the Third arrives at the barn.
