why did anna  write the story black beauty
From an early age she was crippled in both legs, and throughout her life suffered continuing ill health. As a child she grew to love horses, and began to become concerned about their treatment. Her compassion was perhaps fostered by her mother Mary, a devout Quaker, abolitionist and purveyor of good works. Her mother may have inspired her literary side also, being a popular writer of children's books herself. When Ms. Sewell's compassionate nature and interest in literature were combined, the result was to become one of the classics of literature. She began writing Black Beauty in 1871 and finished it in 1877.