This book, with all the historical details, could have been rather dry, but the author did such a good job with the characters and prose, I never once thought that. The plot moved along smoothly, and Brooks did an outstanding with marrying the two timelines, I breezed through the book in a couple of days.

This is such a grand story. I found it fascinating and well researched. A must read for fans of historical fiction. ( )

This historical novel focuses on the horse Lexington and two young Black men that shuttles between the present day and the 19th-century world of horse racing. The subtext deals with race and class and is a fascinating read on many levels.

Fiction is obliged to stick to possibilities; truth isn’t. Mark Twain. A fascinating gallop through the history of a great horse. I had personally never heard of the horse Lexington. This story of his life and of those around him truly brought that period of time to life as well as echoing some of the challenges of our own time. I have an acquaintance whose last name is Ten Broek - not sure if that’s how he spells it. But it added a personal element to the story.
Another enjoyable feature was the story of the young woman working with the Smithsonian who rearticulates Lexington’s skeleton. ( )

As a reader who's preference is fiction, every now and again, historical fiction makes its way onto my list. Having seen/read the remarkable "Seabiscuit", learning of Geraldine Brook's book became an obvious choice.

The author does a masterful job with use of fact, history and fictional characters to compose a story driven by racism, profiteering and art adding a dab of romance as balance. Central to the plot is Lexington, one of the most remarkable race horses in his time along with his young black groom, Jarrett. The story begins in the present when Theo, a black PhD candidate discovers his neighbor has placed stacks of her belongings on the curb; amongst them a painting of a horse. From here the story shifts to the days of emancipation where the reader is introduced to Jarrett and his father who are 'owned' by Warfield, a wealthy horse rancher. Having bred Alice Corneal, a favorite mare with an iconic thoroughbred, Jarrett assists with the birth of the foal and over time, a lifelong bond forms. Soon after, Thomas Scott, a young artist arrives who is commissioned by Warfield to create a keepsake by painting the foal and in the process, he bonds with Jarrett

Shifting to the 195o's, a contemporary art gallery enters the plot, whose owner becomes obsessed with 19th century art; among her favorites are paintings of Lexington. From here the plot toggles back and forth between time periods and when it shifts to the present, we're introduced to Jess, a lovely yet brilliant Smithsonian Institute researcher who's analyzing Lexington's ancient bone structure. Theo's dissertation research moves to the Smithsonian where he encounters Jess who like him, is an immigrant from 'down under'. As they share research, a flirtatious element rises and over time, a romance blooms. In parallel to the Civil War period, incidents of racism with Theo become a focus.

More than a hundred years prior to Seabiscuit's reign as the most prolific winner in horse racing, Lexington establishes himself as an icon; not only as a winner, but breeder with over 900 mares. But its the story of greed, slavery and art that drives the plot forward. The author builds momentum with race horse history, disregard for humanity and profit. But the overarching theme of racism can't be avoided due to its impact in all time periods. And while I loved the factual story of Seabiscuit which lacked reference to racial injustice, the themes of this book set it apart.

Today, race horsing is downplayed due to the animal treatment and injustice. But stories like this and Seabiscuit are not only engaging and factual, they bring animal/human elements to the forefront. I was delighted to see a reference to Seabiscuit in this story but it was the bond between horse and human that's important. Highly recommended and worth reading. ( )

1850 in Kentucky. A bay colt and an enslaved groom called Jarret form an unbreakable friendship that will lead the horse to historic victories all throughout the South. An itinerant young artist who gained fame for his drawings of racehorses joins the Union army as the country devolves into civil war. He meets the stallion and his groom again on a dangerous night, far from the glitz of any racetrack.

1954 in New York City. A 19th-century oil painting of a horse with a murky history captures Martha Jackson's obsession. Martha Jackson is a prominent gallery owner known for taking chances on cutting-edge contemporary painters.
2019 in Washington, D.C. Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, and Jess, an Australian Smithsonian scientist, are unwittingly drawn together by their shared interest in horses. One is looking for information about the stallion's power and endurance in his bones, and the other is researching the forgotten history of the Black horsemen who were crucial to his racing success.
In this interesting novel I find the author's writing has fallen flat and has become uninteresting compared to her earlier work. It requires character development and some nuance because the author's attempt to express her views on racism in America was far too overt. What a squandered chance; she ought to be demonstrating rather than narrating. Characters and times are both viewed from multiple angles. I found some of the sections to be far more intriguing than others, thus this only works well in part. Even while the famous racing horse serves as a unifying theme in the narrative, its various plot lines make it overly ambitious. ( )