Absolutely loved this!

John Quillan, a disillusioned ex-British-Army officer, has a new addition to his Calcutta stables: Dark Invader, beautiful, powerful and fast, but with a checkered racing history. With Dark Invader comes Ted Mullins, his stable lad, banished from racing by an old scandal. Along with Darkie's owner, Mr. Leventine, the four are all "dark horses," their promise hidden and perhaps fatally flawed. But Mother Morag, superior of the Sisters of Poverty, is a dark horse in her own way. When the Sisters have to find a way to replace their own ancient horse, Mother Morag's compassion and shrewd understanding may find a way for her neighbors and their horse to get their second chance.

I love Rumer Godden. Can you believe my library is getting rid of all her books? Why, why why? Yes, I got to buy this gem for only a quarter, but really, I would be happier if the library kept making the book available to everyone. This is a lovely book - a true story, too - and Godden's delicious writing and clever insights make it the perfect bedtime reading.

Of all the Rumer Godden books I've read, this is the one I have liked the least. Not at all because of the characters or its focus on horse racing or placement in Calcutta either.

It's primarily because it has very little focus on a plot progression OR a tale per se. It's random events and a lot of situational telling. Telling, telling, telling.

Part of my problem with this is I fail to completely grasp the depth of beggary involved. The nuns are endlessly productive and kind and good to the core. Yet the system! Well, it is dated in too many numerous ways to list. Perhaps it was even 40 years ago when it was new. Most of this author's works are not, considering they are often 100 years in the past. Or nearly. Many are prime relationship emotional and core motive 5 star. This one I felt fell far short of that connection.

I'm sure I am outlier. I have immense trouble considering Mother Teresa a saint as well. Feeding people and enabling a constant needing position without much healing, doctors, or productive work/ activity to base a life? Good works indeed but often far from the best ones.

I found this to be a gem of a book. It is filled with very human characters, all from different backgrounds, but connected by their love of horses, and the Dark Invader in particular.

This is considered an adult novel, or YA, but it seemed more like a children’s book to me, and read that way, it’s lovely.

I grew up in the suburbs not knowing much about horses. I’ve only ridden one once when I was almost too young to remember, and my one experience with a racetrack was sneaking in with high school friends just to walk through. It seemed a scandalous place!

So I came to this story with an open mind. It tells of an intersection between rich and poor, between people and horses. It’s 1930’s Calcutta, and among the rich are the horse owners who can afford lavish homes and tables full of sumptuous food, while an order of nuns fittingly called The Sisters of Poverty go out in the cool of night to collect leftovers from restaurants to feed the poor of their city.

Godden created some marvelous characters. John Quillan, the Irish trainer; Dahlia, his mixed race wife; Leventine, the rich Indian owner; Mother Morag, the savvy Reverend Mother; Ted Mullins, the jockey turned stable boy with a tragic past; the title character himself--Dark Invader, the horse who refused to be mistreated.

The story is simple and sweet, but the view of time and place and culture made it a very enjoyable read.

“Pigeons picked grain from the grain shops, pai dogs nosed rubbish and everywhere was a hubbub of voices, creaking wheels, motor horns, shouting, vendors’ cries, mingling with a smell of sweat and urine, woodsmoke, acrid dung smoke and a pungent smell that later he was to learn came from cooking in hot mustard and oil and, now and again, a waft of heavy sweetness as a flowerseller passed, or from a garland of flowers hung on a door, or from a woman in a clean, softly flowing sari, with flowers round the knot of her hair.”

Godden writes so beautifully and my love of horses when I was a little girl was kindled once again while reading this. I couldn't put it down, it's just such a wonderful story. I intend to read ever so much more by Rumer Godden :)

Story of a beautiful race horse "Dark Avenger", his rider, owner and trainer. When an up and coming race horse throws his rider and loses his races, he is sold and moved to Calcutta. His groomer soon becomes his rider due to their incredible bond. The horse becomes an overnight success and soon becomes the favored horse to win. The new "rider" has one bad evening after the trainer's daughter calls his deceased wife "ugly." That one night becomes a nightmare for all involved except for the local nuns who have just lost their aging horse and find a muscular horse in their yard. Their answer to a prayer. I found this part of the story the icing on the cake. Funny how things work out.

Rumer Godden, RDC-M #5-1981, 1982. A true story about an ex-British Army officer and the new addition to his horse stables. A horse with a checkered racing history. Good.

I finished this last night and have been wondering how to talk about it with sounding too gushy. Rumer Godden's writing does that to me every time. I have read many of her books, from Black Narcissus to Kingfishers Catch Fire. She is an author I always watch for at used book sales so when I saw The Dark Horse at my favorite online used bookseller, I grabbed it so fast I should have been awarded the Viceroy's Cup.

You know from the title that this is a story about a horse, but of course there are people around the horse, and ultimately this book is mainly about how Dark Invader touched their lives and changed one corner of the world. The groom who travels with him to Calcutta, the new owner, the new trainer and his wild but wonderful pack of children, the nun in charge of the convent/old folk's home next to Dark Invader's new digs. They all experience something very nearly magical after this amazing horse arrives in town.

This is a feel-good book for anyone, not just horse lovers. India is brought to vivid life with honesty and respect. The people become your friends, the horse your hero. And according to the author, the events in this 1981 book actually happened.

Author's Note: "This story is taken from an event that happened in Calcutta some fifty years ago and has become a legend in Calcutta's racing circles. It has been published several times in different versions with a variety of characters, but always as an anecdote among other anecdotes. It is documented in the official history of The Royal Calcutta Turf Club, but I have called the Sisters concerned The Sisters of Poverty, because the real Order in the story prefers to remain hidden."

Godden also makes a sort of dedication here: "This novel is based on a version by Sir Owain Jenkins and aided and abetted by him."

Right, so of course I was curious the entire time about which real-life horse might have been turned into Dark Invader. I am not a wizard at internet searching, but I did find Owain Jenkins (quite the character!) and this super list of all winners of the Viceroy's Cup from the first time the race was run to the present. http://www.tbheritage.com/TurfHallmar...

My guess is that Dark Invader might have been Star Of India, who won the Cup three times. But in her epilogue, Godden threw me with a conversation between three of the characters that takes place two years after the days of the final chapter. Dark Invader's first foal is born, and the track vet (and loyal friend of all the people and animals involved in the book) says that the foal should be named Dark Legend, because the sire was Dark Invader and the dam was Fairytale. Well, there really was a Dark Legend. He won the Viceroy's Cup race in 1918-1919. Was he the 'real' Dark Invader, with a little juggling of the calendar by Godden?

Whoever The Dark Horse was in real life, his story is a clear winner.

You just have to love wily nuns and horse racing.

Magical realism, except the magic is real

Set in 1930's India, a land that then as now that takes the sacred seriously, this is a story of sacrifice and redemption. At the center is the dark horse who is greedy, lazy, and fearful. Some might claim that the ending is too perfect. Perhaps, but it is based on real events. Rumer Godden's writing is a joy to read. Her descriptions of people and nature are textured and true.

A solid 4.5
It took a bit of perseverance to get into this one, but the payoff was great!