"After him there were merely other horses." That's how Charles E. Trevathan describes Lexington, the horse in the title of Geraldine Brooks' 2022 novel, which focuses on the most famous thoroughbred in history. Despite the emphasis on the magnificence of Lexington, the book also focuses on slavery in 1850s America and discrimination in modern times. As TIME describes the novel: "Horse isn't an animal story- it's a moving history about race and art." That is exactly the main focus of the book. Indeed, Brooks portrays the life of an enslaved person, Jarret, before, during, and after the Civil War, and also introduces us to a more modern character, an art historian, who faces racism in his daily life. 

I will give five stars to the relevance of this story because it aligns with the historical timeline taught in the U.S. History class. Horse is a helpful novel for any American history student to read because it provides insight not only into the lives of slaves and the perspectives of their owners, but also to the views of those who have freed their slaves and even anti-slavery point of view. In the early chapter, we are introduced to the life of Jarret, who is referred to as Warfield's Jarret. In New Orleans, he is treated fairly well but is selled away from his father to Ten Broeck with Lexington. Before his leave, he meets Cassius Clay, who is different from other characters, introducing a new perspective into the book. Cassius Clay, the husband of Warfield, is an anti-slavery proponent who freed his slaves. Returning from the battlefield, Cassius Clay meets Jarret and is defensive toward him, especially when it involves his daughter. Despite his belief in freeing the slaves, he still holds a superior view toward enslaved people and believes that freeing the slaves is more of an economic good than a moral good. He considers "slavery was an economic burden rather than a boon" (Brooks 110). Cassius Clay's view gives us a vivid example of some less extreme anti-slavery proponents' beliefs during that time. The author also includes contemporary art (art gallery) and art history relevant to students interested in being artists or historians.

I will also give the novel five stars for the accuracy and level of research that this novel shows. Since the story is based on a real-life racehorse and characters, we can feel the level of confidence and expertise when the author is telling the story. Also, from the Afterward, we can know that Brooks did lots of background research on the topic, including visiting the International Museum of the Horse, investigating the setting, farms, plantations, and characters (including Martha Jackson, Harry Lewis, etc), and reading through different articles that might help her on portraying a truthful life of Jarret, the black enslaved groom who is in charge of the training of Lexington and later gains freedom in Canada. As you read through Jess's (the Smithsonian scientist) chapters, there are ample details on the bones and structure of the horse, which shows Brooks' deep research and understanding of the horses. 

Even though Horse is well-researched, the ability of the audience to engage with the story earns only three stars. For many of Jarret's chapters, Brooks does build a sense of unpredictability which drives the readers to read more. For example, she draws uncertainty and a sense of danger when Jarret tries to run away with Lexington and when she ends a chapter on the finding of the peculiar eye structure of Lexington. She tries to engage and intrigue us by ending each chapter with a special event known as a "cliffhanger." Still, since we already know the main storyline from the modern chapters, there are fewer surprises, making it less appealing. Under Brooks' portrayal of the book, students can't relate to or sympathize with the situation of Jess. Furthermore, the romantic relationship between Theo and Jess seems awkward and not relatable for most readers, even though it is described in a modern setting (a time which should be more accessible to our understanding). This affair distracts people from the main focus of the research for the horse and receives bad feedback from the readers. The inability of the audience to engage with the characters is one of the most significant weaknesses of this book, making people reluctant to re-read this book later. 

The ending is an essential factor in judging a book. Horse, a book with multiple narrators/ perspectives from different characters, allows us to have different endings for each character. Jarret's ending of having a free life and happy marriage in Canada receives positive feelings. Jarret's reluctance to return to the United States reveals the prevailing racism even after emancipation. However, Theo, a character often compared to Jarret, is a victim of gun violence from a white police officer who accuses him of assault. Theo's abrupt death is sudden to the readers and brings unfair emotion to the readers' feelings. However, this might be an intended reaction to emphasize the continuing gun violence from police toward sudden race in the United States. 

Overall, I enjoyed reading this book and will recommend it to the junior class next year as a reading for the second semester. Horse is a book with high relevancy to 11th grade U.S. history students and numerous details depicted through the author's thorough research. We can get details and better understand the corresponding history material. However, I suggest teachers warn the students about the book's weaknesses, especially the possibility of lack of engagement and relatability, before students read the book.