Aug 8

Book review: Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Vivid book cover of Horse a novel by Geraldine Brooks. — Horse by Geraldine Brooks. Published June 2022 by Viking.

Book review: Horse by Geraldine Brooks

Official blurb

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, who became America’s greatest stud sire, Horse is a gripping, multi-layered reckoning with the legacy of enslavement and racism in America.

My thoughts

Horse by Geraldine Brooks is an epic historical fiction full of meticulously researched story threads woven together with incredible skill.

Australian scientist, Jess, who from a young age "loved the interior architecture of living things” and found herself, almost accidentally, working at the Smithsonian Institue connects with Theo, a Nigerian-American art historian, over the painting and skeleton of a horse. Not just any horse either but a record-breaking thoroughbred named, Lexington.

In the 1950s, Martha, a celebrated gallery owner featuring abstract expressionist artists (eg, Jackson Pollock), holds in her personal collection, a 19th century equestion oil painting.

In 1850, Jarret, an enslaved groom is present at the birth of Darley, a beautiful bay who will go on to be the renowned race horse, Lexington.

Thomas J. Scott, the equestrian artist whose painting is at the heart of the modern day mystery of the "Horse".

The story is gripping and moving. It moves from character to character, scene to scene with a fluidity that centred me in the story as grand observer and engaged me inexorably with the themes, high and low, so that I came away with a much improved understanding of, well of so many things!

The history of horse racing in America and the foundational role black horseman of the 19th century (enslaved and free) played in the national obsession (only to be pushed aside after the civil war).
The development of horse racing (not for the better in many cases) and the importance also of equestrian artists in the trade of horses and subsequent breeding.
Then there's all the history that has been forgotten. The "attic room" at the Smithsonian filled with boxed collections, dutifully catalogued and left to gather dust. This is where "Equus caballus. A horse." was kept for decades, a mystery waiting to be discovered.
I also enjoyed learning about the science and art of bone articulation (and everything that goes with it). There are no dry bits in this writing. No overload of exposition. It was all joined together so well, I could barely identify the seams between history and fiction. What a talent the author has for story telling!
Art history is, of course, a key feature in the story picking up the mystery of Theo's "found" painting and telling the story and connections it contained from the moment the brush was first dipped into the paint to its discover on a pile of street trash. So much can be learned from art. The story of the subject, the time period, and the experience of the observer. Each brush stroke, each fall of light express new aspects, create new connections.
Then there's racism.

Brooks's "imaginative empathy" filled in the historical gaps of the black horsemen. Her sensitive handling of the characters and their experiences (past and present) were moving and allowed me to relate better to the many facets of how life is experienced based on the colour of your skin.

“It doesn’t always have to be about race, does it?”

“Not if you’re a white person…”

(Theo responding to Catherine's question)

Geraldine Brooks addresses the issue of a white woman writing about an area of American history that impacts people to this day in an interview (see the youtube links). Discovering the story of the black horsemen, she didn't want them to remain invisible. Her role is to “Stand and speak to people who can hear me”. That is, not black people who don't need to be told their own history but other white people who may not be familiar with it, who may not have an in-depth understanding of racism. People who can be reached through good story telling.

This story is about a horse and the people around it (past and present). It’s also about racism, art, love, obsession, and connection. Brooks’ research is meticulous as is her ability to turn that research into a wonderfully flowing story. It’s masterfully written, explores differing narratives with perfect ease while tracing, and untangling, the history of a 19th century racehorse. I was intrigued, moved, horrified, and so very glad I picked Horse by Geraldine Brooks as this week's read.

I'll delve further into my book review on Horse by Geraldine Brooks in my new Substack newsletter!

About the author

Geraldine Brooks is an Australian author and journalist. She covered the crises in the Middle East, Africa and the Balkans for The Wall Street Journal and was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in fiction in 2006 for her novel, March (my next read).

Learn more about Geraldine Brooks

Publisher: Viking (June 2022)

Read an excerpt &