‘It’s been a joy’: new book published in much-loved Jinny and Shantih series

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Horse And Hound

Fans of the much-loved Jinny books by Patricia Leitch have a treat in store as a 13th installment has come out.

Almost 37 years after Running Wild, the 12th book about Jinny and her beloved Arab mare Shantih, was published, sequel Dream of the Dance has been released by Jane Badger Books.

“When Patricia Leitch ended her Jinny series with Running Wild, that was it for Jinny fans,” a spokesperson for the publishing company said. “Although Patricia had ideas for more books, none ever appeared. Jinny ended the series still at school, galloping over the Scottish moors with Shantih.”

But, with the blessing of Patricia Leitch’s estate, readers can now find out more.

“In Dream of the Dance, Jinny is now 16, and about to leave school,” the spokesperson said.

“She faces the challenges we all do when we leave school; what will she do with her life, can she bear to leave Finmory, and what about the horse of her heart, her beloved Arab mare Shantih?

“For Jinny, everything is changing. Her friends are moving on. Her perfect sister, Petra, has her life planned out to the last degree. Even the horses are changing. A stallion has appeared on the moors, and Shantih is desperate to get to him. Jinny does not know what to do with her own life, let alone Shantih’s.”

Dream of the Dance is written by Siân Shipley; Patricia Leitch knew and loved her writing, the spokesperson said.

After Siân sent Patricia some of her stories, she wrote back: “All my writing life I have known I would get a letter that would let me know that someone had really read my books… I shall try to post this to you, an equal writer. Don’t ever stop… You … are a light in my darkness, which is no darkness – all light.”

Jane Badger, who has also republished the original 12 Jinny books, added that she has very much enjoyed bringing Jinny back to life with Siân.

“Editing the books has been a joy: talking about Jinny, Miss Tuke, Ken and Mr MacKenzie and what we think they went on to do,” she said.

One advance reader said the new book is “beautiful, and to me, seems to fit effortlessly into Patricia’s vision of Jinny”.

Another added: “The characters are incredible. It’s literally the same people. It’s like Patricia wrote it!”

The cover is by Loïs Castellain. Jane Badger bought some of her archive in 2024, expecting the cartoon sketches of the carthorse Adolphus for which she was best known.

“It was like opening a treasure chest: Adolphus was there, but there was so much more,” Jane said. “Beautiful horses, Arabs as well as carthorses. She obviously loved them, and the feeling I had as I looked at them was that I’d found a kindred spirit of Jinny’s. One of them in particular just had this sense of celebrating the beauty of Arab horses, and it was perfect for the cover of Dream of the Dance.”

The book is available as an eBook (£3.95) and paperback (£8.99). It can be ordered from the Jane Badger Books website, and from Amazon and Kobo.