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I recently re-read Misty of Chincoteague, and much of the plot I remembered wasn't in it. That's because I was confusing the storyline of Stormy, Misty's Foal, with the original book. Yesterday I re-read Stormy, and then I also read Sea Star, Orphan of Chincoteague. Now I'm totally lost.

HOW did Misty get back to Maureen and Paul between the Sea Star and Stormy books? I feel silly for saying this, but I've actually been GOOGLING this question, and can't find it, although I see I'm not the only person wondering about it, as someone in the reader reviews on Amazon asked the same question.

I know there is a fourth book by the same author about a Misty descendant, called Misty's Twilight, but that is set years in the future and has nothing to do with this. Is there a short story or some kind of explanation I missed, as to how the kids get Misty back after they sell her to the people making a film about her?

Thanks!
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Christie Keith
Caber Feidh Scottish Deerhounds
Holistic Husbandry since 1986
www.caberfeidh.com/

Huh, weird. As a writer I can say this much... sometimes we write stuff the way we think it should've been, or maybe a way that may have been more interesting. We're not always thinking about our readers' sanity, considering much of us don't have too much of our own
Now I'm curious though, I wanna read these books... hooray, now the forums not entirely dead!

>>Now I'm curious though, I wanna read these books... hooray, now the forums not entirely dead!

I actually heard some more info on this. It seems that the "true story" of what happened, but which I mean in real life rather than the books ... Marguerite Henry, the author of the Misty books, heard about Misty and her mother, Phantom, and went to Chincoteague and bought Misty from the Beebe family (who are featured in the books). In the books, filmmakers buy Misty, but in real life, it was Henry.

She kept Misty for several years, wrote the books - one of the terms of the sale is that the kids had to be in the book, and they were - which were made into a film, and then sent Misty back to Chincoteague to breed. Misty lived until old age, staying on the Beebe's Pony Farm for the rest of her life (same as in the book).

In the books, there is no explanation of when or how Misty came back to Chincoteague. In "Sea Star," they sell Misty in order to pay for their uncle's college education, to filmmakers who are going to make a film of Misty's story and want to tour around the country with her. There is no mention of her every coming back to them, they just sell her. I found it odd.

Then in "Stormy, Misty's Foal," which is the longest of all the books and about a famous flood that caused Chincoteague to be evacuated, Misty is indeed back at the Pony Farm to breed, but they never explain how she got there.

If I were going to read these, I'd skip Sea Star. It's not about Misty, it bothers me they sold her, and it makes the next book not make sense. JMO, I'd read Misty of Chincoteague and then Stormy, Misty's Foal (which btw is a REALLY good book, especially after the recent floods and hurricanes in the Gulf).
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Christie Keith
Caber Feidh Scottish Deerhounds
Holistic Husbandry since 1986
www.caberfeidh.com/

Hello!
The Misty books have long been favorites for me.
In Sea Star, Misty is sold and sent away, supposedly to meet other children. Sort of like a publicity tour. This is actually a somewhat fictionalized account of what actually happened to Misty.
In 'A Pictorial Album of Misty' (which is non-fiction and not at all dramatized), also by Marguerite Henry, it turns out that Ms Henry herself buys Misty. You can see numerous pictures of Misty in Ms Henry's Illinois home. I would guess that Ms Henry had Misty for about 5 years or so. Ms Henry then decided to send Misty back to Chincoteague in order to 'foal', and so Misty was returned to the Beebe's. It never does say in any of the books if Misty was sold to Ms Henry, or simply 'loaned', but back to Chincoteague she went.
Once again, some liberty is taken in Stormy. Stormy is in fact Misty's last foal. The first foal she had was a colt, Phantom Wings, and he was actually the foal that was the subject of a naming contest for children. Wisp O' Mist, a filly, came next, then Stormy.
Louise