Horse

Our book club pick from Sophie back in January - very fitting for the year of the horse! A really enjoyable read, based on the true story of Lexington, a celebrated American racehorse whose dominance on the track made him one of the most prolific sires of his era. Lexington’s legendary speed is said to have contributed to the mass production of the handheld stopwatch, so spectators could clock the racehorse themselves.

The novel weaves together three timelines: Kentucky in the 1850s, New York in the 1950s, and modern-day America. The 1850s thread was my favourite; Jarret, an enslaved groom, tends to Lexington, following in the footsteps of his racehorse-trainer father. The 1950s storyline is a nice addition, following Martha Jackson, an art dealer rubbing shoulders with the likes of Jackson Pollock. A lovely and engaging story centred around horse racing but very cognisant of the racial aspect of the time leading to who gets remembered by history.