The Fair Folk of Mullarkey Inspiration - Sadie

This is a discussion article for Black Annis Year. If you haven’t read the book yet, please skip this article  for now. There will be spoilers. 
 

Sadie is the true heart of Black Annis Year, and her story is the one I’ve been wanting to write for years. I tried to include it in the Valkyrie Bestiary books and even as a subplot in the Knack series, but it never fit. 

Sadie needed her own story. She’s based on a real ex-Amish plow horse named Ellie. I met Ellie at a rescue ranch in Pennsylvania. She was the true matriarch of the farm, always leading the way when animals were moved from one pasture to another, and teaching the others with her indomitable spirit and placid good manners. 

Just like Sadie, Ellie fell and was unable to get up. We called in the fire department who graciously agreed to help, and they got her standing again. But we knew we couldn’t ask them to repeat the grueling procedure if she fell again, so we agreed to call the vet if she went down. And she did. 

I really did sit in the rain on a muddy hill singing to her while I waited for the vet. It’s an hour of my life I will never forget. And Ellie did go through the electric fence, get up on her own, and...disappear. When I saw her standing in the forest by the river, with spring flowers all around, it was truly a magical moment. 

Even the hoof stocks were real, though they weren’t brought to us by a handsome, bearded vet.

All that happened over 10 years ago, and Ellie’s (or Sadie’s) story has stuck with me ever since. I hope you found her the hero I believe she is, and that her story brought you all the right feels. 
 

How does knowing that Sadie was a real-life horse affect your view of the story?

In the blurb for Black Annis Year, it says “an old plow horse teaches her to hold onto joy.” How do you think Sadie’s story affects Elenna?

Find more discussion questions on the Book Club Prompts page.