Cousins Jancsi and Kate are growing up in this sequel to The Good Master. Jansci is made a man with responsibility for his own herd of horses. Kate must give up horse back riding and put on lots of petticoats to be a young lady. Hungary enters World War I in this book and the father enlists, but war is not glamorized. In fact, the father suffers severe PTSD afterward. There is a lot of emphasis on the futility of the war and everyone being equal. 

I enjoy the poetic descriptions of Hungarian countryside and farm life. I also like how the children took on responsibility to grow up.