A review by astoriareader
Horse by Geraldine Brooks

challenging emotional informative reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

SYNOPSIS:
  • Lexington, a remarkable horse, is the thread binding all the characters and timelines together.
  • Jarrett, a talented groom/trainer that was enslaved, is in charge of Lexington’s care during the time before the Civil War & during it. With his story, there’s several others intertwined, such as an equestrian artist that paints Lexington on different occasions.
  • Martha Jackson is an art dealer in NYC in the 1950s.
  • In 2019, Jess, an Australian white woman who runs the Smithsonian Institution's Osteology Prep Lab, and Theo, a Black man getting his PhD from Georgetown & working on a thesis about the portrayal of Black folks in American equestrian art.
  • The stories are intertwined by Lexington, the equestrian paintings, and racism/the legacy of slavery.

MY THOUGHTS
  • I am going to preface my review by saying that I don’t like that a white author being the voice of an enslaved Black man & the voice of a Black man in contemporary society facing racial injustices. Since I’m also white, I am curious to get others takes on this point.
  • Despite my caveat above, decided to still round up to give 5 stars because the writing is top-notch.
  • Historical fiction / literary fiction
  • Generational saga 
  • Multiple POVs + multiple timelines
  • Brooks meticulously researched the book, and she expertly plotted the novel to weave together a beautiful, emotional story. 
  • My favorite sections were Jarrett’s story. The connection between Jarrett and Lexington is palpable and endearing. The bond between Jarrett & the horse is the cornerstone of the book. I found myself rooting for them, and I kept wanting to get through the book to find out their fates.
  • Since the book spans over many years, we also get to see Jarrett’s character development. Over time, Jarrett becomes more aware of the world around him, and he offers astute observations. 
  • I also really enjoyed the incorporation of the horse’s preserved bones. I was fascinated to learn about scientific aspect & work done by the Smithsonian.
  • On paper, I should have hated this book. I have never been a fan of horse racing, and I don’t gravitate toward Civil Era stories. To my surprise, I loved it.
  • I wasn’t familiar with the world  of antebellum racing. The story educated me on another way white folks made money off of Black folks’ unpaid (or underpaid) labor and skills.
  • I love learning new words, and I looked up so many words while reading this one.   

TL;DR: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️Historical fiction + generational saga. Many stories intertwined by a common thread: Lexington, a remarkable horse.
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