About Gale’s Historical Young Adult Fiction,
A Thing of Beauty

In Gale Holt’s new historical young adult fiction, Rebecca Ramey is in the very worst place for a quiet, shy East Texas girl – a new faster-paced town and new school way too close to Dallas. Eleven-year-old Becky longs to be back with her cousins and grandparents, and, above all, back tearing around barrels on a fast horse. This is a tale of an unsettled family living in unsettled times, 1978-79.

What could have possessed her father to move them away? Rebecca just can’t see it, but high school counselor Clifford Ramey chafed to move for greater opportunities. The real root desire is to escape his father’s binge drinking and his mother’s inexplicable need for control–all fallout from a long-ago mysterious tragedy.

Regardless, Becky feels out-of-sorts and out-of-place. She may have to grapple with the scorn of her adopted blond, big-bosomed, social-climbing sister — “the worst thing in her life,” but Becky won’t back down from being a horse-loving country girl. Jessica is a pain, but she is inwardly insecure and only Becky sees her adopted sister is headed for big trouble.

Her parents may take their quiet girl for granted, but she is about to make herself heard in a big way. New kids look out. Don’t underestimate this quiet girl. She’s tough, she’s feisty, and she will take on even high school football players if necessary. And she will be back on horseback performing A Thing of Beauty. Along the way, she will find unexpected allies and how to give folks a break – that means giving grace.