Brooks’s newest work of historical fiction centers on the racing horse, Lexington, and several famous paintings of him. She divides Horse into three eras. Kentucky and New Orleans in the 1850’s occupy the largest portion of the novel and describes Lexington, his trainer, Jarret, Thomas Scott, the artist who painted him, and the races and hardships the horse endured. The second era, the shortest of the three, takes place in 1954 and revolves around a New York art dealer and Scott’s painting. The final section is present day and involves an art student who finds the painting on a neighbor’s curb in Washington DC.

Once again Geraldine Brooks has written a multi-layered book of historical fiction. While not her best, Horse is still a good read, especially if you are a horse lover.