Actual rating: 3.5 Stars

I can't seem to say whether or not Valerie Tripp is capable of writing an American Girl who isn't a brat. Out of the three separate babydolls that I have read from her, Felicity is my favorite. Felicity is living in colonial Williamsburg where her fathers runs a general store and she would much rather ride horses than practice her stitching. I admired the way the author subtly placed all the historical features into the background like too tight corsets and the odor of a tannery. Plus, all of the illustrations had Felicity in pretty dress patterns.

Felicity was incredibly headstrong and bordered on disobedient for most of the book. She was obsessed with a horse named Penny who was captive to a crotchety old man named Jiggy Fye. It was actually disturbing to read the abusive dialogue and actions he presented to the horse. I liked the quiet apprentice who let Felicity borrow his breeches to ride the horse. I have the next book in the series but I will grudgingly finish them. Pish posh!