Horse: A Novel
"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.
"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.
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Community Reviews
The club generally appreciated the characters and juxtaposition of the historical time to the modern time.
It took two attempts for me to get through Horse, which is unlike me. I really wanted to love it as I still think about The People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks to this day. For me there were just too many characters and the dual timeline, in this case, was disjointed. I really enjoyed Jarret and the story of his relationship with Lexington. While I saw the tie in between the 2019 timeline and the 1850âs timeline, the 1950âs timeline didnât add anything to the story. 2.5 stars rounded up because of the painstaking research that obviously went into the writing of this novel.
the worst thing about this book is its title. felt surprisingly emotional at the end. enjoyed the historical notes at the end.
will post a full review soon
Update:
yeah I liked this more than I thought I would! I enjoyed Jarrettâs connection with Lexington, I enjoyed the parallels drawn between Jarrettâs existence and Theoâs existence, though it was like really overt (idk if thatâs a bad thing though)⦠And overall I just enjoyed unraveling the history. I think that was definitely the strong point of the book.
would recommend if youâre interested, but didnât change my life
roomie book bracket #7
rating: 4 stars
will post a full review soon
Update:
yeah I liked this more than I thought I would! I enjoyed Jarrettâs connection with Lexington, I enjoyed the parallels drawn between Jarrettâs existence and Theoâs existence, though it was like really overt (idk if thatâs a bad thing though)⦠And overall I just enjoyed unraveling the history. I think that was definitely the strong point of the book.
would recommend if youâre interested, but didnât change my life
roomie book bracket #7
rating: 4 stars
Incredible mix of fact and fiction
Masterfully written, it weaves history and reality, specifically in depicting racism at inception through its current state, noting how much and sadly how little has changed. The novel gives much overdue visibility to the role played by extraordinarily gifted black horse trainers and their role in the growth of horse racing industry. All of this is woven into a historical novel that is compelling, thrilling, and difficult to put down.
Masterfully written, it weaves history and reality, specifically in depicting racism at inception through its current state, noting how much and sadly how little has changed. The novel gives much overdue visibility to the role played by extraordinarily gifted black horse trainers and their role in the growth of horse racing industry. All of this is woven into a historical novel that is compelling, thrilling, and difficult to put down.
A bit slow to get started. Lived his it not only went from future to present tense, but also how it jumped from character to character to get more insight on each character. I do feel as though it's a bit incomplete, characters stories not quite completed leaving questions. Overall a good historical read.
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