The
emotional component of Horse is what drew me to this beautifully written book that deals with slavery, the South before the Civil War, horse racing,
race, and the love between a horse and a young enslaved groom.
Though not a
horsey person, I was enthralled by the bond between Jarret and Lexington, the thoroughbred
horse he took care of for most of Lexington's life. How when Lexington became
blind, he taught the horse to follow verbal commands.
This is an historic novel based on the real life of Lexington, who lived in the mid-1800s and
sired the most champions in the history of racing. I love the way Geraldine
Brooks seamlessly blended fact and fiction, the past and the present as
Lexington's skeleton is re-discovered and placed in a site worthy of his
history.
It is a complex book about much more than a horse.
"Brooks' chronological and cross-disciplinary leaps are thrilling." -The New York Times Book Review
"Horse isn't just an animal story-it's a moving narrative about race and art." -TIME
A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic, and the greatest racehorse in American history: from these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winner braids a sweeping story of spirit, obsession, and injustice across American history
Kentucky, 1850. An enslaved groom named Jarret and a bay foal forge a bond of understanding that will carry the horse to record-setting victories across the South. When the nation erupts in civil war, an…
The Last Devil to Die is the fourth Thursday Murder Club Mystery. Having read them all, I looked forward to reading this book, and I wasn't disappointed.
I so enjoy reading about the series' protagonists, four pensioners, as the English call retired people living on their pensions, who reside in a senior residence somewhere in Kent. Somehow, they manage to get involved in solving murders that often involve criminals from other countries.
What I love about this series—and this book especially—is the friendship these four older, very different people share.
In The Last Devil to Die, Elizabeth, Joyce, Ibrahim, and Ron try to find out who murdered a friend of Stephen's, Elizabeth's husband. They join hands with the local police, whom they've befriended in previous books, and boldly confront criminals in their determination to find the murderer. There are adventures, romances, and most especially, the poignant segment of Elizabeth and Stephen's dealing with Stephen's dementia.
I was sorry when the book ended, for I longed to hear more about the doings of this geriatric Gang of Four.
A new mystery is afoot in the fourth book in the Thursday Murder Club series from million-copy bestselling author Richard Osman
You'd think you be allowed to relax over Christmas, but not in the world of the Thursday Murder Club.
On Boxing Day, a dangerous package is smuggled across the English coast. When it goes missing, chaos is unleashed. The body count starts to rise – including someone close to the Thursday Murder Club--as our gang face an impossible search, and their most deadly opponents yet.
With the clock ticking down and a killer heading to Cooper’s Chase, has their…
I was completely wowed by this
historical novel about Belle, whom J. C. Morgan employed to curate his famous
Pierpont Morgan Library in the early days of the 20th century.
That he hired a
woman was unusual. He never knew that Belle da Costa Greene, as she'd presented
herself, was not Portuguese as she claimed, but a biracial woman passing as
white. Belle's parents were both light-skinned. While Belle's mother chose to
pass for white so her children could benefit, her husband, Richard Theodore
Greener, Harvard's first black graduate, would not. And so they divorced.
Extremely
intelligent, Belle traveled in high society and astutely purchased many
manuscripts, books, and works of art that made the library what it is today.
Though determined to keep her secret in order to keep her position and support
her mother and siblings, Belle also had romances, one of which hurt her deeply.
The book is extraordinary in the way it brings to light Belle's resourcefulness
as she paved her way in a time when she had to hide her identity from the
world.
The Instant New York Times Bestseller! A Good Morning America* Book Club Pick!
Named a Best Book of the Year by NPR! Named a Notable Book of the Year by the Washington Post!
“Historical fiction at its best!”*
A remarkable novel about J. P. Morgan’s personal librarian, Belle da Costa Greene, the Black American woman who was forced to hide her true identity and pass as white in order to leave a lasting legacy that enriched our nation, from New York Times bestselling authors Marie Benedict and Victoria Christopher Murray.
In her twenties, Belle da Costa Greene is hired by…
Carrie Singleton is just about done with Clover Ridge, Connecticut, until she's offered a job as the head of programs and events at the spooky local library, complete with its own librarian ghost.
Her first major event is a program presented by a retired homicide detective, Al Buckley, who claims he knows who murdered Laura Foster, a much-loved part-time library aide who was bludgeoned to death fifteen years earlier. As he invites members of the audience to share stories about Laura, he suddenly keels over and dies. The medical examiner reveals that poison is what did him in and Carrie’s determined to discover who murdered the detective, convinced it’s the same man who killed Laura all those years ago.
