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(as of Sep 17, 2024 03:09:02 UTC – Details)
“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 Daily
Winner 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 history
Kentucky, 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.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Penguin Books (January 16, 2024)
Language : English
Paperback : 464 pages
ISBN-10 : 0399562974
ISBN-13 : 978-0399562976
Item Weight : 11 ounces
Dimensions : 5.05 x 0.93 x 7.72 inches
4.5
Reviewer: Linda Miller
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Horse, the best of the best!
Review: Loved this. Complex, moving, vibrant book. Never really around horses this book was so interesting and so well written it was hard to put down. I learned a lot about racing and the south, again, which we should never forget to remember.
Reviewer: Thomas Kelso
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A brilliant work of historical fiction with a powerful message
Review: A friend recommended this novel based on my background and writing interests. I love historical fiction and well-written works of science and medicine. I am an orthopedic surgeon who earned a Ph.D. in veterinary science before attending medical school. This book resonated with me. Geraldine Brooks hit my reading trifecta (history, science, and medicine) with her latest novel, Horse, about Lexington, the greatest racehorse of the nineteenth century, which is interlaced with accurate and entertaining details of equine medicine and science. Brooksâ complex plot uses multiple timelines and characters. The central story occurs during the Civil War era covering the lives of the Thoroughbred, Darley (later renamed Lexington), and his trainer, Jarret, a young slave. Brooks uses her knowledge of this period and her writing skill to portray a beautiful, and at times heartbreaking, relationship between the horse and trainer. The story flips back and forth between the present day and two characters, Jess and Theo. This is where I think Brooksâ brilliance as a storyteller is displayed. Jess is an American transplant from Sydney, Australia (like the author) who has a quirky upbringing, ultimately resulting in a masterâs degree in zoology. Note that Jess doesnât have a Ph.D. which would make her overqualified for her position as director of the Vertebrate Osteology Prep Lab at the Smithsonian Support Center. This is the perfect backstory for Jess. She is a science nerd who makes a career out of studying and assembling skeletons. Iâd love to know how Brooks came up with this. Jess receives a request from a colleague at Woods Hole Laboratory in Massachusetts to help assemble a horse skeleton. She begins putting Lexington back together. Theo is a Black Ph.D. art history student developing a thesis project based on nineteenth-century equestrian art (another brilliant backstory). Iâll leave it to the reader to learn the details of Theoâs career as a star polo player. After discovering a painting of Lexington at a neighborhood yard sale, he starts researching the great horse. Through a chance encounter, Jess and Theo meet and discover their mutual interest in Lexington. The third timeline is a brief but wonderful interlude into contemporary art history. Brooks works into the plot the story of Martha Jackson and her involvement with the career of Jackson Pollock. Geraldine Brooks has done a spectacular job telling a complex story. All of the anatomic and veterinary medical details are accurate and well-researched. This a book worthy of a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, I loved it and continue to think about it.
Reviewer: Jasmine
Rating: 4.0 out of 5 stars
Title: Good book, some problematic elements but worth the read…
Review: Overall, I enjoyed this book. This was a wonderfully written story, descriptive and captivating. Horse lovers will enjoy this tale and much of it is rooted in very real history. I will certainly be recommending it to those who ask for equestrian fiction suggestions. There were a few things I didn’t like that I’ll list below.POTENTIAL SPOILERS:1) The training and relationship between Jarrett and Darley/Lexington was well done and for the most part, actually believable to those who understand and work with horses. However, while not impossible, it bordered unrealistic in a couple sections of the book for the sake of entertainment. A blind, racing bred, active breeding stallion ponying 6 rescued horses through the dark of night? Eh. That part is fictional, enjoy it for what it is, even if it’s Heartland-esque.2) Imagining Thomas J. Scott’s identity and preferences outside of being a married, straight man as documented is problematic. If he was fictional, this would’ve been just fine, but he was a real person and although long since passed, I don’t think creating a such a narrative “just because” is appropriate. Since this author seems to want to dabble in modern politics within this book, she should know better than to assume or fabricate such a sensitive aspect of someone’s life no matter the orientation.3) The Theo/police brutality side quest detracted from Lexington’s story and felt like dramatic padding to add pages. Although the author did a nice job of tying up the loose ends of the painting he’d found in a feel-good kind of way, there just weren’t enough parallels between Theo’s experiences and Jarrett’s experiences to warrant the political interjection.
Reviewer: Lucy la prof
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: If youâve ever loved an animalâ¦.
Review: This is the story of a horse- a very famous actual horse- from the mid 1850âs through the Civil War and a bit beyond. His story is basically factionalized, but his accomplishments as a racehorse and the fact that he âsatâ for portraits that exist today are true.By taking that story and blending it with characters from the 1950âs and the present, through the existing artwork and the horseâs actual skeleton, the author masterfully adds aspects of racisme today as a continuation of the racisme of the pre-Civil War US. This is timely and depressing.The center of the novel is the devotion of Jarrett, a young slave in the beginning, and the horse Lexington to each other. They support each other, protect each other, grow up together, and mourn if apart. It is a beautiful story, especially if you have ever loved (and been loved by) an animal.
Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: A wonderful book
Review: Amazing story of a horse that became a racing legend in the 1850’s in Kentucky, and his story lives on today. A beautifully written book
Reviewer: Amazon Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title: An Amazing Horse-
Review: I felt this was a well written book of a famous horse- Lexington. The history , the paintings, skeleton bone information were so well researched!Putting it together made for an amazing story!
Reviewer: Heather
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I loved this book. It was so well written, and the story was amazing! I was very hesitant to read a book about a horse! But what a horse (race horse) he was! Every character was fascinating and so interesting. I couldn’t put this book down.
Reviewer: Kindle Customer
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: I’m not sure how best to describe how good this book is. I chose it because I love horses. I didn’t expect too much from it as I’m not a fan of horse racing. It’s about so much more than horse racing. The book is extremely well written and researched. I’ve learnt a lot about American equestrian art, the American civil war, anatomy and more. The book gives an insight into the injustices and cruelty of slavery and modern day racism. It also draws the reader to the ethics of horse racing today. It isn’t a quick easy read. There is so much to absorb. Having said that the story rattles along at a great pace and had me sitting on the edge of my seat at times. Some of the descriptions off horse racing may be upsetting for some people but it’s well worth reading.
Reviewer: Janet Sterritt
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A truly wonderful book which in parts brought more than one tear to my eyes. Gillian Brooks tells the story of the love between a young groom and his horse, the backdrop being the American Civil War. It provides valuable insights into this antebellum culture, horse racing in particular. She cleverly uses a painting of the horse to catapult us into the 21st century. The tender flower of a mixed race relationship is crushed by the ever present racism in todayâs society.I would definitely recommend this book – real gem!
Reviewer: Stéphanie R
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: Je n’étais pas du tout intéressée par le thème des courses de chevaux, et pourtant, on se plonge tout entier dans le sujet tant il est construit de manière intelligente et captivante. En suivant le parcours des différents personnages qui le composent, dont Lexington, son héros emblématique, on navigue dans deux contextes historiques, celui des années 1850 dans les Etats du sud (esclavagistes) des Etats-Unis aux années post Trump d’aujourd’hui. Le tout est très bien documenté et servi par une belle plume. A lire !
Reviewer: Cliente Amazon
Rating: 5.0 out of 5 stars
Title:
Review: A gripping narrative of race and horselore in America from civil wartime enslavement to contemporary police targeting of young black men, told from the perspective of its protagonists who are not always given a voice. The harsh reality of the lucre that drives horse racing runs parallel to the story of an incredible relationship between a champion thoroughbred and his gifted young black trainer. The contemporary scene lays bare the painful awareness a young woman gains of her own fears and prejudices which are the result of systemic racism in America. Despite the tragedies, this novel is also a beacon of hope, for the possibility of love and of positive societal change. A final observation: the technical detail honed for describing the world of horses, and the study of art and anatomy is truly impressive.
