Horse
Books | Fiction / Historical / Civil War Era
4.3
(168)
Geraldine Brooks
“Brooks’ chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling.” —The New York Times Book Review “Horse isn’t just an animal story—it’s a moving narrative about race and art.” —TIME“A thrilling story about humanity in all its ugliness and beauty . . . the evocative voices create a story so powerful, reading it feels like watching a neck-and-neck horse race, galloping to its conclusion—you just can’t look away.” —Oprah DailyWinner of the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award · Finalist for the Chautauqua Prize · A Massachusetts Book Award Honor Book A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American historyKentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name on paintings of the racehorse takes up arms for the Union. On a perilous night, he reunites with the stallion and his groom, very far from the glamor of any racetrack. New York City, 1954. Martha Jackson, a gallery owner celebrated for taking risks on edgy contemporary painters, becomes obsessed with a nineteenth-century equestrian oil painting of mysterious provenance. Washington, DC, 2019. Jess, a Smithsonian scientist from Australia, and Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, find themselves unexpectedly connected through their shared interest in the horse—one studying the stallion’s bones for clues to his power and endurance, the other uncovering the lost history of the unsung Black horsemen who were critical to his racing success. Based on the remarkable true story of the record-breaking thoroughbred Lexington, Horse is a novel of art and science, love and obsession, and our unfinished reckoning with racism.
Historical Fiction
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More Details:
Author
Geraldine Brooks
Pages
416
Publisher
Penguin
Published Date
2022-06-14
ISBN
0399562966 9780399562969
Community ReviewsSee all
"Based on a true story of a remarkable racehorse Lexington and his gifted handler Jarrett, set against the background of the antebellum south just ahead of the Civil War. The story of Lexington and Jarrett is re-discovered in the 21st century by researchers. Great historical perspective of horse racing and the involvement of black horsemen and comparison of racial issues, then and now. "
"There were one/two too many storylines and timelines for me. I enjoyed reading about Jarret, the horse trainer, and Lexington, as well as the equestrian artists and the history of horse racing in the mid 1800’s. The rest of the book and all the bouncing around among loosely related storylines and characters took away from the plot, rather than add to it. It took longer than expected to get through this one for me. "
"What a book. Beautifully written. Just devoured it. A masterpiece. #horses #OldSouth #BLM #HorseRaces #StoryWorthReading #GerldineBrooks"
C
Chasethum
"What a great book. Set in three different points in history, this love story, history book, and study of the American spirit will show you how a bond between an animal and person can be just as strong as between two humans. This book deals with racism is a very real heartbreaking way."
"The research for this book along with the excellent writing easily give it 4 stars… it may have been 5 but when they got to the horse racing I lost interest….but finished and it was worth it"
J w
Jfly winslow