In the new novel 'Pony Confidential,' a crime-solving pony seeks revenge

NPR's Book of the Day

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Books, Arts

4.2 • 672 Ratings

🗓️ 18 November 2024

⏱️ 9 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Pony Confidential, a new novel by author Christina Lynch, is about an unlikely detective: a crime-solving pony who sets off to find his long-lost first owner. Penny, who was just a little girl when separated from Pony, is now an adult who has been accused of murder–and Pony is ready to clear her name. The book was inspired by a combination of tales from The Odyssey and Lynch's curiosity about the inner world of her own real-life pony, Flora. In today's episode, Lynch joins NPR's Scott Simon to talk about the emotional lives of animals, the novel's subtext about the legal system, and the parallels between Pony and Penny's respective confinement.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, it's NPR's Book of the Day. I'm Andrew Limbong. Of all the great mystery solvers in literature,
0:08.4	I don't think any of them has ever been a pony? Until now, I guess. Christina Lynch's novel
0:14.0	Pony Confidential stars a Pony out to clear the name of the only human he's ever loved.
0:20.1	And while this does sound like an extremely
0:22.3	cute storybook premise, in this interview with NPR Scott Simon, Christina Lynch talks about how
0:28.1	we, humans, I mean, don't really value our animals. We see them through the lens of what
0:34.8	can they do for us as opposed to having any inherent value.
0:38.9	We also tend to see certain people like that, too.
0:42.5	Provoking thoughts for the story about the crime-solving pony.
0:46.1	There's more up ahead.
0:47.7	In the U.S., national security news can feel far away from daily life.
0:52.6	Distant wars, murky conflicts, diplomacy behind closed doors on our new show, Sources and Methods.
0:59.2	NPR reporters on the ground bring you stories of real people helping you understand why distant events matter here at home.
1:06.8	Listen to sources and methods on the NPR app or wherever you get your podcasts.
1:12.3	Pony is small and the color of the sun, but Pony's been passed from small hand to small hand,
1:18.9	given as a gift on Christmas than sold, and the happy child grows too tall.
1:24.1	He's been dressed up as a unicorn confined to a stall, and now pony has had it.
1:30.4	I am a pony.
1:32.9	But not just any pony.
1:34.7	I'm a pony who is bent on revenge.
1:38.0	I am the jago of ponies, a furry fury.
1:42.0	I am both adorable and devious. And until I get what I want, I'm going to make
	...

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