Patricia Cecil Hass

Swampfire

Dodd, Mead, New York,1973, illus Charles Robinson, 187 pp.

Angus & Robertson, London, 1976, 189 pp. Cover Ron Mitchell.

Three youngsters camping in the Great Dismal Swamp bite off more than they expect when
they decide to catch the "ghost" horse running loose in the swamp:  Sally and Andrew usually
summer with their cousin Anne on her Virginia farm.  This summer they have a new friend, Robin,
who is of Native American Indian descent, and the only one who knows the “ghost” is really a
horse.  

Patricia Cecil Hass has written just the one horse book, Swampfire.  Not a prolific author, she edited  Conserving the Commonwealth; on the early years of the environmental movement in Virginia, and co wrote with Richard Queen a book on his experiences as one of the Iran hostages, Hostage to Iran, Hostage to Myself. She produced television films for children while living in Washington with her husband and children.  The whole family spent as much time as they could in their family house in Virginia, Old Mansion, on which Swamp Farm is based.

Many thanks to Susan Bourgeau for her help with this section.

Finding the book:  The book is easy to find, and is generally reasonably priced.  The UK edition is also reasonably easy to find.

Sources and links:

Dustjackets of Swampfire, US and UK editions.

Bibliography: horse books only