Find Another Book

Book details

Wild Girl

Patricia Reilly Giff - Author

This is a family-and-horses story about a child adjusting to a new home and wanting her abilities to be recognised. It also follows a filly’s journey towards a new home.

More about this book

A contemporary and irresistible story from Patricia Reilly GiffLidie lives in Jales, Brazil, where she's free to ride, to be a wild girl, and to dream of going to live with her father and older brother, Rafael, in New York City. Finally Lidie is 12--time to leave Brazil for New York.Meanwhile, a filly is born and begins her journey to a new home. As Lidie's story unfolds, so does the filly's.Lidie's father runs a stable at a famous race track, and Rafael is training to be a jockey. As much as they want to make Lidie feel welcome, they still think of her as the little girl they left behind. They don't even know what a strong rider she is, and that she's determined to befriend and ride the wild filly her father has just bought: Wild Girl.From the Hardcover edition.

Add to Compare Explore

Book Analysis

At a Glance

Discover

Lidie's move· ExplainedThe filly's journey· ExplainedFamily expectations

Consider

Family disruption

Personalised Fit

Beyond the Cover

Lidie's moveThe filly's journeyFamily expectationsRiding abilityIndependence

Fiction

Themes in Context

Two journeys

Lidie's story unfolds alongside a filly's journey to a new home, linking the child's transition with the horse's.Exploratory / explanatory

How the book presents it: The parallel structure places Lidie’s move alongside the filly’s journey, inviting readers to compare their transitions to a new home.

Talk about: What, if anything, do the two journeys have in common?

Being seen as capable

Lidie's father and brother want her to feel welcome but still think of her as the little girl they left behind; they do not know how strong a rider she is.Provisional reading

Talk about: How might Lidie and her family come to understand one another better?

Why It May Be Worth Reading

The parallel journeys give a natural opening to talk about settling somewhere new, being underestimated by family and how trust between a person and an animal might develop.

What Deserves Attention

The change of country and family expectations are central to Lidie’s situation; a reader who has experienced a move or felt underestimated may find these themes especially familiar.

A Conversation Worth Having

If Lidie’s family begins to see her differently, what might help them understand her abilities—and what would she want them to understand about her?

Reading Approach

Follow the two journeys as you read: notice what changes for Lidie and the filly, and pause to compare what each may need when arriving somewhere new.

Confidence & Basis

Theme indicators describe how the book presents a topic; they are not a verdict on the whole book or your family's values. Confidence reflects how much book-specific material was checked. Only part of the book information was available, so some details remain unconfirmed.

What remains unconfirmed

Two journeys: The available plot account does not establish how the parallel storylines conclude or what meaning the narrative gives their connection.
Being seen as capable: The plot account does not show how the family responds to Lidie's efforts or how their relationship changes.

Wild Girl - Patricia Reilly Giff - Google Books

Limited information

Checked: 2 October 2026.

Relevant to: Two journeys; Being seen as capable

Wild Girl by Patricia Reilly Giff | Open Library