About a year ago, Wall Street Journal columnist and author Lettie Teague contacted The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation and shared that she had an idea for a biography about Marguerite Henry. She asked to talk to the board about it.
We listened and liked what she had to say, and then provided some support for her as she traveled and researched. (To read about my involvement with the MCF, go here.)
Fast forward a year, and the project has moved forward and now has a publisher with a release scheduled for 2024.
Dr. Rebecca Giusti, who serves on the Board of Directors for The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation, responded to the news that the book was, indeed, going to be published. This is the full text of her response:
The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation Board is eagerly anticipating the new biography on the life of award- winning author and mentor, Marguerite Henry.
Marguerite Henry was a tenacious and thorough researcher, a great writer and a visionary. She was determined to carve out her own life and body of work and do it her way.
Part of her brilliance was reaching out to artist Wesley Dennis. With her words and his vivid illustrations, readers are transported across countries and oceans and in many cases, history is burst into colorful and vivid life. Her works are actually crossroads that appeal to a huge audience; potential and current artists, writers, travelers, explorers, historians and animal lovers. Distant places such as Meknes, Morocco, Siena, Italy, and Vienna, Austria become tangible and real to young readers. With her book, Misty of Chincoteague, she put Chincoteague and Assateague Islands on the map and they now draw huge crowds and tourism during Pony Penning and year-round. Vermont and the Grand Canyon are now viewed within the context of the American-bred Morgan horse and an unforgettable donkey, Brighty who helped solve a murder.
Many of the characters in her books are young and are role models to all her read her works. They must often overcome challenges, demonstrate sound work ethic, and all have compassion to those around them, especially animals that are vulnerable to the whims of humans.
After the Storm of 1962 that decimated the herd of wild Assateague ponies, Marguerite Henry toured with Misty and Stormy to raise money to help replenish the herd.
Her book, Dear Readers and Riders, was a brilliant stroke. Through this work, her mentorship and guidance transcend her death and offers practical and no-nonsense advice to the younger generation while simultaneously igniting passion for imagination and the concept of no limits.
But who is this woman who accomplished so much in her lifetime?
In the current times, we often discuss women of Ms. Henry's generation and their accomplishments against the backdrop of a male-dominated environment. One would not hear that from Ms. Henry. What seemed to matter to her was what you accomplished as a human being. You are not defined by the times. You define the times you are in. And she did, with strength, dedication and for the sheer joy of living and creating.
While we can glean something of the author through her own works, we are so excited to hear about Marguerite's amazing life and drive in a book dedicated to her!
Here is the press release from Trafalgar Square Books:
For Immediate Release
Biography of Marguerite Henry, Beloved Author of Horse Books, to Come from Trafalgar Square Books
Trafalgar Square Books (www.HorseandRiderBooks.com) is thrilled to announce a deal with Wall Street Journal columnist Lettie Teague to write a biography of Marguerite Henry, beloved author of 59 books, including the famed Misty of Chincoteague; King of the Wind; and Justin Morgan Had a Horse. Teague is the winner of three James Beard Awards for her writing and the author of three books. She is also a horse lover—her first horseback ride took place around the same time as the first time she read a Marguerite Henry book, at the age of nine.
“Lettie Teague’s skilled writing, extensive journalistic experience, and personal connection to both horses and the books Marguerite Henry wrote about them make her the ideal individual to take on this exciting and challenging project,” says TSB Managing Editor Rebecca Didier. “The preliminary research she has already done in the existing archives and the contacts she has made promise to yield a rich and wonderful telling of the life of a massively influential writer and truly remarkable woman.”
An accurate and entertaining chronicle of Marguerite Henry’s evolution as a writer (she published her first story at age eleven), extensive travels (she visited many of the places she wrote about in her books, including Siena, Italy; Vienna, Austria; Reno, Nevada; Lexington, Kentucky; and of course, the island of Chincoteague in Virginia), and grand friendship with illustrator Wesley Dennis, whose artwork graced the pages of 15 Henry books, will require cooperation from the important groups who continue to work today to preserve the Henry legacy. TSB is grateful to the University of Minnesota, which houses the Henry archives, for working with Teague. In addition, TSB and Teague are excited to have the blessing of The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation, a group of educators, professionals, business people, artists, and children of all ages, which works “to promote literacy, writing, and conservation of places that allow the imagination to soar unfettered.”
“The Misty of Chincoteague Foundation Board is eagerly anticipating the new biography on the life of award-winning author and mentor, Marguerite Henry,” says Board Director Rebecca Giusti. “Henry was a tenacious and thorough researcher, a great writer, and a visionary. She was determined to carve out her own life and body of work and do it her way…. While we can glean something of the author through her own works, we are so excited to hear about Marguerite Henry's amazing life and drive in a book dedicated to her!”
The biography of Marguerite Henry is scheduled for release in 2024.
For more information about this book or author Lettie Teague, contact Martha Cook (mcook@trafalgarbooks.com).
End of Press Release
I love Marguerite Henry and her books, and have been delighted to serve on the board of MCF, the foundation that Marguerite herself started. Being a small part of the production of a biography that honors her life and legacy is a real thrill.
