Spirit of the Saluda River
Diana Tuorto
Independently Published (2010)
ISBN: 978-1453658680
Reviewed by Terri Stepek for Reader Views (03/2025)
The heartwarming tale of Spirit of the Saluda River by Diana Tuorto brings both sorrow and joy to young readers as they learn the story of an older pony rescued from a life-threatening situation. Based on the true story of a pony rescued from an island in the Saluda River in upstate South Carolina, this book will have readers journeying with Spirit through bad times into good.
Told from the point of view of Spirit himself, we learn that his early life was not particularly easy. He describes that he felt like he lived in the shadows at that point, as no one seemed to notice or truly care for him. Spirit recounts his years working with a traveling show where he gave rides to young children. He enjoyed making children happy, but he only saw each child for a few moments; never long enough to make a true connection.
As Spirit’s years in the traveling show continued, his health declined. He developed a problem in one eye that soon spread to the other. His owners would not pay for a veterinarian, and soon Spirit was blind. Shortly afterwards, he was put in a trailer and taken to an abandoned field, where he was left without food or water.
But Spirit was not one to give up. Although blind, he broke free of the pen in search of water and food. He found water, all right—it was the Saluda River, and before Spirit knew what was happening, the mud was latching onto his feet, nearly pinning him in place. He stumbled upon a small island in the middle of the river and remained there, trapped. He had plenty of water now, but no food, no shelter, and no one to look after an aging pony already in poor physical condition.
At this point, one might be wondering why this story was written into an award-winning children’s book. But Spirit’s life didn’t end on that small island. His rescue and subsequent rehabilitation help to balance all the previous events in the book. Like horses, children are raised in all sorts of situations, not all of which are ideal. Like Spirit, a child may feel they live in the shadows, not really being noticed, listened to, cared for, and loved. Like Spirit, some children are different. But like Spirit, they can learn that they have great worth, that they can and should be loved, and that being different doesn’t have to be a bad thing.
Spirit of the Saluda River is not a typical children’s book, obviously. It deals with subjects that are difficult and may be painful to discuss. While the first part of Spirit’s story is certainly sad, his rescue is a turning point for his life, and well worth learning about. With charming line drawings done by illustrator Emmi Gordon, this small book packs a big impact. Teachers and librarians can use this story when discussing first responders, animal rescue, or equine therapy. Children’s counselors can use this story with children who may see similarities between their lives and that of Spirit. Parents can use Spirit’s story to open discussions on difficult subjects, such as animal neglect and abuse. Or families could simply enjoy the story of a pony whose life wasn’t good, then got worse, but ultimately became wonderful. However one chooses to use Diana Tuorto’s tale of Spirit of the Saluda River, it’s a story worth knowing.