Three time periods. Four human main characters. Horse racing. Art. Racial issues. Romance. Clean fiction based upon real life.
All descriptors of the book Horse by Geraldine Brooks. I’ll add one more descriptor: one of my favorite books.
When my friend Judy gifted me the audiobook a couple of years ago, I’d never heard of it. I was intrigued, though, because I was one of those girls who loved horse books. From Black Beauty to more contemporary books involving horses, I read as many as I could. Dreams of someday living on a ranch and having my own horses were a constant in my life, even into adulthood.
The horse Lexington, who was known as Darly until he was sold, was a real horse upon which Brooks created a a story by interweaving real people and events with her imagination. The result is a book that you don’t want to put down. Well, I didn’t. I’ve listened to the audiobook three times and am getting ready to do so again since I will be sharing information about it with one of my book clubs in October.
Two weeks ago today, some friends called to see if we wanted to take a quick trip to eastern Kentucky. Along the way, they said, we’d stop at Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace and childhood home and then go on to Lexington to tour Claiborne Farms, a breeding facility where Secretariat is buried. Lexington is only about a four and a half hour drive, so we were up for it. During the drive, I wondered aloud about the location of the International Museum of the Horse, the place described in the book where Lexington’s skeleton is on display. Was it in Louisville or Lexington?
Lexington at the Kentucky Horse Park. I couldn’t believe it. I was thrilled.
Not only did I get to see Lexington’s display, I also was able to pet and give peppermints to two race horses, now used for breeding, at Claiborne. The first horse was worth $11 million. The horse in this picture is worth $85 million.
If you love horses, I encourage you to the read the book. And however you feel about horse racing, you might enjoy touring one or more of the many horse farms in the area as well as the Kentucky Horse Park. I hope to go back someday.
Life As I know it 