HIGH HURDLES by Janet Lambert

 

Well, you can't tell from the look of terror on Dria's face, or the look of profound sadness on Tom's, but at the start of HIGH HURDLES, Miss Alexandria Meredith is on top of the world! She is about to begin her tenure as the editor of the Hi-Bomb the ridiculously named school paper. She has ol' neighbor Rob sniffing around her and her recent memories of her summer on the farm riding Star Dream, the horse her beloved great-grandmother has gifted her. 

Her pals from SUMMER FOR SEVEN are still around. Willie and Millie have graduated and Will is BMOC over at Perdue, Millie can't quite swing college, but she has plans and is improving herself taking post-grad classes at the high school. Holly is still a snob and everyone enjoys busting her chops about how pretentious she is about her summer abroad. 

So, to jump in, Mama (Dria's grandmother who doesn't like to be called anything that makes her sound old like, you know, grandmother) has a bee in her bonnet about Dria riding in the International Horse Show at Madison Square Garden. It'll be a treat for Dria and not at all a way for Mama to swan about high society like a giant radioactive Holly. 

Dria loves Star Dream, but also recognizes her obligation to the Hi-Bomb and the amount of work it will take to get ready. She eventually decides to do it and Star Dream and his needs take over her life. Tom comes up from the far with the horse and helps out. He is cheerful and good as a servant should be, but dang, he looks like 40 miles of hard road on the cover. 

The prepping for the show parts are good and there is some misunderstanding and jealousy with Rob and I could not care less. Rob is a football star and dull as snot. But I do love the scene where his mom helps him figure out a "please forgive me for being a dink" gift for Dria. 

The book really shines once they get to New York. Lambert has clearly been in the horse world and she covers Dria's not-at-all-surprising wins in the ring perfectly. There isn't too much horsy stuff for those of us who aren't horsy, but there is enough to make us feel like we know what is going on. 

There is a manufactured conflict where Mama wants Dria to stay longer to finish out the show. (She had promised to return to school after a week, but if you don't think Mama can't get her out of that obligation, you don't know Mama at all!) There is also a lovely bit where Willie, Millie and Rob show up in New York to see Dria. And frickin' Camilla Lou shows up acting spoiled and dancing with foreigners just to make Dria look extra awesome. She never disappoints!

The book ends with Mama respecting Dria for keeping her word, Dria loving Mama for understanding her and making sure that Mama visits more. Rob and Dria are apparently in love and none of these rich people has offered to send Millie to college yet. Hopefully there's another Dria book so we can get this shit sorted out!

I thought this book was delightful and while the details have become hazy - I really must write up these recaps the minute I finish them! - I enjoyed it thoroughly.