Why am I passionate about this?

Growing up, I was one of “those” horse-crazy girls who devoured every Black Stallion and Marguerite Henry book that I could get my hands on. At sixteen I began working at Atlantic City Racecourse in the summer and after I graduated college with a B.S. in Animal Science, I became a trainer of Thoroughbred racehorses. For thirteen wonderful years, I raced horses in New Jersey, Delaware, and Pennsylvania. Due to my insider’s knowledge of the horse racing industry, I based my book selections on accuracy as well as story.


I wrote

Racetrack Rogues: One Woman's Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World

By Dawn LeFevre,

Book cover of Racetrack Rogues: One Woman's Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World

What is my book about?

Nineteen-year-old Dahlia Leggett never dreamed that she’d wind up back at Garden State Park, training a ragtag stable of misfit…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Secretariat

Dawn LeFevre Why did I love this book?

My late mother was a Secretariat junkie and this gorgeous oversized hardcover book only fueled her passion. Loaded with beautiful photos of arguably the most photogenic Thoroughbred in history, Secretariat is sheer horse lover eye-candy at its finest. Ah, but there’s also a wonderful story to go along with those pretty pictures – a true-life fairytale about one of the greatest racehorses of our time and the irrepressible team behind the wonder horse.

By Raymond G. Woolfe Jr.,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Secretariat as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Secretariat was the best-known and most beloved race horse of the twentieth century. In 1973 his legacy was permanently etched into the consciousness of the world when he won the Triple Crown. Here, Raymond G. Woolfe Jr. tells the story of Secretariat from the coin toss that sent him to Helen "Penny" Chenery to his burial at Claiborne Farm, making this the definitive volume for fans of the horse and the sport of horseracing.


Book cover of Ruffian: Burning from the Start

Dawn LeFevre Why did I love this book?

One look at Ruffian and you knew she was a star. Those long legs, that fire in her eye. And when she ran, it was nothing short of magic. Jane Schwartz captures the heart and soul of the brilliant filly from her wobbly first steps to her devastating last breath. And yes, this book will make you cry.

By Jane Schwartz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ruffian as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"A colorful story...Ruffian was nothing if not a heartbreaker. Her story, dramatically recounted by Jane Scwartz, epitomizes both the adrenaline-pumping glory and gut-wrenching ruthlessness inherent in the sport of horse racing."
THE WASHINGTON POST BOOK WORLD
Here is the story f the exceptional filly, a horse so dominating, she was likened to legend. Beginning with her earliest days in Kentucky, the book follows Ruffian at every stage of her career and through the agony of her final hours--venturing behind the scenes of the racing world, and exploring the politics and personalities that came together to shape this exroardiinary filly's life.


Book cover of Seabiscuit: An American Legend

Dawn LeFevre Why did I love this book?

A true-life horse racing Rocky story set against the backdrop of the Great Depression. While the blurb may sound like something straight out of Disney, Hillenbrand doesn’t shy away from exposing the darker side of racing, especially when it comes to the mistreatment of jockeys and horses.

By Laura Hillenbrand,

Why should I read it?

8 authors picked Seabiscuit as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • From the author of the runaway phenomenon Unbroken comes a universal underdog story about the horse who came out of nowhere to become a legend.

Seabiscuit was one of the most electrifying and popular attractions in sports history and the single biggest newsmaker in the world in 1938, receiving more coverage than FDR, Hitler, or Mussolini. But his success was a surprise to the racing establishment, which had written off the crooked-legged racehorse with the sad tail. Three men changed Seabiscuit’s fortunes:

Charles Howard was a onetime bicycle repairman who introduced the automobile to…


Book cover of Bolt

Dawn LeFevre Why did I love this book?

Actually, I could have chosen any of the Dick Francis mystery books for this list as they are wonderfully consistent in quality of writing and story. Plus, as a former steeple chase jockey, Francis knows horse racing. It’s surprising how many “horse books” out there get racing so wrong. I can’t count how many of his books I read while sitting in the barn waiting to race my own horses.

By Dick Francis,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bolt as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Kit Fielding will do whatever it takes to stop the killing of racehorses. Not an easy task considering that the woman he adores is leaving him, an international arms dealer is threatening him, and Kit's nemesis has plans to knock him off the track—and plant him under it.


Book cover of Black Gold

Dawn LeFevre Why did I love this book?

While I loved all of Marguerite’s horse books as a child this one was my favorite. This may be listed as a “children’s book” but the story is in no way “dumbed down” nor is the cruel treatment of Black Gold by his trainer glossed over. Featuring the charming illustrations of Wesley Dennis, Black Gold is a sweet but ultimately tragic underdog story.

By Marguerite Henry,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Black Gold as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

No one thinks much of Black Gold because he is so small. But Jaydee sees something special in his eyes. He knows Black Gold would be great if he was his rider! Finally, Jaydee gets his wish. And Black Gold grows strong and fast under his careful hands. Soon it would be time for the most important race in America. Did they really have what it takes to win? Black Gold's inspirational story proves that the power of love and dedication can make any dream come true.
Set against the thrilling and colorful world of Thoroughbred horses, Black Gold is…


Explore my book 😀

Racetrack Rogues: One Woman's Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World

By Dawn LeFevre,

Book cover of Racetrack Rogues: One Woman's Story of Family, Love, and Loss in the Horse Racing World

What is my book about?

Nineteen-year-old Dahlia Leggett never dreamed that she’d wind up back at Garden State Park, training a ragtag stable of misfit Thoroughbreds. Or that she’d fall for Steve, the sexy son of legendary trainer Bill Bassett, her nemesis. But after the sudden death of her estranged mother Marilyn, it’s goodbye college and hello racetrack.

Book cover of Secretariat
Book cover of Ruffian: Burning from the Start
Book cover of Seabiscuit: An American Legend

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No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944

By Rona Simmons,

Book cover of No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944

Rona Simmons Author Of No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

I come by my interest in history and the years before, during, and after the Second World War honestly. For one thing, both my father and my father-in-law served as pilots in the war, my father a P-38 pilot in North Africa and my father-in-law a B-17 bomber pilot in England. Their histories connect me with a period I think we can still almost reach with our fingertips and one that has had a momentous impact on our lives today. I have taken that interest and passion to discover and write true life stories of the war—focusing on the untold and unheard stories often of the “Average Joe.”

Rona's book list on World War II featuring the average Joe

What is my book about?

October 24, 1944, is not a day of national remembrance. Yet, more Americans serving in World War II perished on that day than on any other single day of the war.

The narrative of No Average Day proceeds hour by hour and incident by incident while focusing its attention on ordinary individuals—clerks, radio operators, cooks, sailors, machinist mates, riflemen, and pilots and their air crews. All were men who chose to serve their country and soon found themselves in a terrifying and otherworldly place.

No Average Day reveals the vastness of the war as it reaches past the beaches in…

No Average Day: The 24 Hours of October 24, 1944

By Rona Simmons,

What is this book about?

October 24, 1944, is not a day of national remembrance. Yet, more Americans serving in World War II perished on that day than on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, or on June 6, 1944, when the Allies stormed the beaches of Normandy, or on any other single day of the war. In its telling of the events of October 24, No Average Day proceeds hour by hour and incident by incident. The book begins with Army Private First-Class Paul Miller's pre-dawn demise in the Sendai #6B Japanese prisoner of war camp. It concludes with the death…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in horse racing, thoroughbred, and racehorses?

Horse Racing 47 books
Thoroughbred 14 books
Racehorses 8 books