Whenever historical fiction includes an afterward with clarification on names, dates and events, this group is grateful. Geraldine Brooks provided that with Horse. Her style of back-and-forth chapters between contemporary times and history works smoothly—the transitions are clear and smooth.
Our group described the novel as a “literary tapestry, weaving themes together.” It brings archeology to horse racing, shows how a work of representational art helped discover a phenomenal racehorse who left a legacy of famous thoroughbreds. It threads through the lives of famous and not-so-famous quality artists and connects this all to an emancipated father of an enslaved young boy.
The book’s main theme is racism, showing how our country hasn’t changed enough from its past, even up to 2017, from its worst behaviors of privilege, supremacy, and hatred.
So where does the horse fit in? We begin with a skeleton, a portrait, and extremely intelligent people to uncover the truth of Darby/Lexington, and what ultimately brought him down.
The Federation Book Club meets via Zoom at 4:00 PM on the first Thursdays of every month. Note: we are skipping April; our next session is May 4.
Schedule and Books Subject to Change, Upcoming:
May 4: The Clockmaker’s Daughter, novel by Kate Morton
June 1: Last Bus to Wisdom, novel by Ivan Doig
July 6: The Hotel Neversink, novel by Adam O’Fallon Price
Aug 3: The Book of Lost Names, novel by Kristin Harmel