Esther Greenacre Hall

American author of children's novels, mainly aimed at young adult females. She seems to have had early feminist tendencies as many of these novels were concerned with girls working or attempting to pursue careers, fairly unusual for the time. Two of these books were horse-related, again re-visiting the career plot, with the heroine studying at university in order to become a doctor.

Holly Series:
Short young adult series which is partly a college story and is about a girl who hopes to become a doctor but finds it hard to shake off the horsy ranch life she has grown up with.

1) COLLEGE ON HORSEBACK
(SMITH & HAAS [USA] 1933)
ILLUSTRATED BY PAUL BROWN.
Reprinted a number of times in hardback by the original publishers.
Reprinted in hardback by Random House with no illustrations.
Rare.
SUMMARY: Ranch girl Holly finds it hard to adjust to college life, but things pick up when she decides to start giving riding lessons to the other girls there.

2) BACK TO BUCKEYE
(SMITH & HAAS [USA] 1934)
ILLUSTRATED BY LEE TOWNSEND
SUMMARY: When an accident puts her brother out of commission, Holly gives up her summer school to return home to Buckeye Ranch and help out.

Collector's Info:
Back to Buckeye can be found fairly easily in the USA. College on Horseback however is a lot rarer and may be expensive. Neither book was published in the UK and both are extremely hard to find here.