Horse: A Novel

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. Brooks’ 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 Brooks’ 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 master’s degree in zoology. Note that Jess doesn’t 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. I’d 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). I’ll leave it to the reader to learn the details of Theo’s 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.

Well written, interesting story of the best race horse of all time in the US. A story a out love, trust and courage.

Wunderbare Pferdegeschichte in historischen Setting.

It took me some pages to get into it but then it was WOW. I really enjoyed the storyline and history of this book. We can see that it was based on real characters and a true story but the twists and turns kept me hooked.

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.