April Jaffe

Jane Badger Books

April Jaffé

April Jaffe wrote two pony books. Her first book, Satin and Silk, was written during school holidays when she was fourteen years old. The book was based on fact, and it was “the trust and devotion which grew between her pony, Satin, and herself which provided the inspiration for the story.” Her second book, The Enchanted Horse, is notable for the fact it was published by Charlotte Hough, whose lively illustrations graced several pony books.

Finding the books: Satin and Silk is reasonably easy to find, and is cheap as long as you don’t want a copy with a dustjacket. The Enchanted Horse (often confused with the much later title by Magdalen Nabb) is very hard to find indeed.

The Enchanted Horse

Madge Summers inherits Applegate, a riding stable. She has wonderful dreams about the place before she gets there, only to find out it is extremely run down. So, she sets about sorting it out.

April Jaffé

The Enchanted Horse

Hutchinson & Co, London, 1953, 168 pp, illus Charlotte Hough

Satin and Silk

Hammond & Co, London, 1948, 128 pp, illus G Sifton (frontis left)

“When Anne first say Satin he was in a shocking condition, in miserable surroundings,
but she knew instinctively that he was the pony for her, and so persuaded her mother
to buy him. Then she patiently cared for him, and built up his health until he was
thoroughly fit.... Then one day, Satin mysteriously disappeared....”

Bibliography - pony books only

Also:

Portrait Unfinished
Hutchinson, 1954