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Loading... Horse (original 2022; edition 2022)by Geraldine Brooks (Author)
Work InformationHorse by Geraldine Brooks (2022)
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written in 3 parts. First from the 1800's. a slave and his love and connection to his race horse. the second is modern times. A researcher sees the bones of this horse and meets a black man who has a picture of a well known race horse. They find that this is the same horse and meanwhile form a relationship. the black man is very conscience of "Race" differences between blacks and whites. the third part is how the picture came to a famous art collector. ( ) This story is based on a real painting and the long neglected skeleton of a famous race horse, Lexington. She became intrigued with the notation of a groom named Jarret. This book is an imaging of their time together and how this lost painting was discovered. I enjoyed the storyline set in Kentucky, with Jarret and Lexington forging a bond. The contemporary story line paralleled the interaction of Jarret / Mary Bar; Theo is able speak about his struggles to Jess as a voice for Jarret. While it does get political** I think the story line explains the mystery of the painting and skeleton. **(I support the message. Maybe it could have been more subtle and less predictable and preachy). The minute details about horse racing were boring and I skimmed them. Jess is from Australia and works for the Smithsonian tending to animal bone articulation. Theo is the son of two diplomats who has been educated in England and is now attending Georgetown University teaching and getting his Ph.D. in art history. He lives with his dog Clancy and is African American. He lived for a time in Australia also. They meet outside the Smithsonian when Jess thinks Theo is stealing her bicycle; however, they have identical bicycles and hers is just across the sidewalk. Theo has rescued a painting of a horse from a neighbor and takes it to the Smithsonian to have it cleaned and evaluated. It turns out to be a painting of the horse, Lexington, who was born in Kentucky in 1850 and went on to sire more winning horses than any other American thoroughbred after his racing days ended due to blindness. The story tells about Jarret Lewis's relationship with the horse, Lexington, and the racing world, including the painter Thomas J. Scott, before, during, and after the Civil War. Since this part is historical fiction, Jarret's part as groom and trainer in the story is largely fictional, although he is thought to be the son of a great African American trainer, Harry Lewis. Harry worked at the Meadows in Kentucky and had purchased his freedom. The historical story follows Jarret from the birth of Lexington, originally known as Darley, to his later life in Canada. The present part of the story follows the interaction of Jess and Theo as they discover more about themselves, the horse Lexington, and the Thomas Scott paintings of the horse. Both parts highlight the racism present in the historical and present societies. no reviews | add a review
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"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. Jarrett, an enslaved groom, and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. As the nation erupts in civil war, an itinerant young artist who has made his name painting 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 19th 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 drawn to one another 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"-- No library descriptions found. |
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Google Books — Loading... GenresMelvil Decimal System (DDC)823.914Literature English English fiction Modern Period 1901-1999 1945-1999LC ClassificationRatingAverage:
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