-Dr. Catherine Morgan, from the novel
I had seen this novel on the NYT Bestseller List for some time and I have enjoyed others by this author, so I waited to get it from the library. With its 416 pages, it was a satisfying read compared to the last two I struggled through with over 600 pages each! Also, it took me back to my youth when I read every horse story I could get my hands on.
In Horse, the author weaves a mixture of fact and fiction, past and present. In 2019 Theo is a graduate student in art history who finds a painting of a horse discarded by a neighbor which he takes to the Smithsonian to be refurbished and evaluated. He meets Jess, a scientist at the Smithsonian and they connect over a common interest in the horse featured in the painting. They learn the horse is called Lexington and the quote above tells you much of what you need to know.
In 1850 Jarret is an enslaved horse groom in Kentucky who forms a special bond with the colt who will become the illustrious Lexington. Jarret connects with Thomas J. Scott, an itinerant equestrian painter commissioned to do a portrait of the horse.
I learned much I did not know about the history of thoroughbred racing in America, the impact of the Civil War on African American jockeys and American equestrian art. The author's note is quite intriguing as she discusses how she came to write the book and what is fact and fiction in the story. I found the writing first-rate, the plot compelling and most characters likeable. I am giving Horse a rating of 3; I liked it, didn't love it.
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