A review by probablyoverthinking
Horse by Geraldine Brooks

challenging dark emotional sad tense

2.0

I really struggled with this one. The history is absolutely fascinating and I love the idea of connecting a painting with its origin story. I do think it might have been better as a history book without the fiction, or with another author. She clearly put in work to be real about the race issues but it feels wrong. It feels like overstepping for a white person to write a first person account of American slavery. I recognize it's well researched but the writing is almost like she was overcompensating for being white which then ends up being somehow performative. I wonder if the two POV black characters had to be extraordinary and sophisticated in their talents and manners. And other tropes that would be a spoiler with a dash of white saviorism. Actually more than a dash, because it happens in all 3 timelines. 
I don't necessarily hate every book that feels like it kills me a little on the inside. But if it does that it has to be really well written, and this was just not. I had issues with all three timelines. I guess I could have just ended this after saying someone else should have written this book. 
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