I've read other books by this author; March, about the Little Women's father, People of the Book, and Year of Wonders. She weaves historical facts into a fictional account of the times and people in her stories.
In this book she tells the life story of the most renowned horse from the late 1800's. Throughout his life he's accompanied by his trainer, Jarrett, a slave who we're introduced to at the birth of the horse and who is with it throughout the trials and triumphs of the horse's life. The book is really about the cruel life of slaves in years before the Civil War contrasted to the daily life of a Nigerian student struggling in modern day U.S.
I enjoyed the book as I have the other stories by Brooks. And of course, there was a DNA twist. The modern day scientist examining the skeleton of the horse uses advanced DNA techniques in her work.
Characters:
Henry - Jarrett's freed slave father
Jarrett- the trainer of Lexington
Lexington - the horse
Theo - the Nigerian thesis student
Jess - anthropologist and Theo's girlfriend
Published: 2022 Read: April 2025 Genre: Historical Fiction
