When twelve-year-old Nathaniel and his sisters, Cid and Queenie, discover an ad for a free pony, they can hardly believe their luck. But how will they afford to take care of it? And what will their struggling single mother say? Amazingly she says yes. And so begins a year of discover that Nat, who must deal with his fathers absence, look out for Queenie, who is “different,” and sort out his feelings about a rich, pretty girl at school. Life isn’t easy, but Nat knows he has his very own pony waiting for him at the end of every day. Until a fire destroys the barn…. Poignant yet often humorous, No small Thing is inspired by events in the authors life. It’s not just a horse story, but a story about the search for love and identity in the face of longing, abandonment, and uncertainty.