A Year at the Races

Jane Smiley

Jane Smiley, novelist, is also Jane Smiley, horse owner. A Year at the Races is exactly that, a depiction of a year with two of her Thoroughbred racers, Hornblower and Waterwheel. It is also an extended meditation on what we know and don't know about horses and how we, as humans, interact with them.

There's a lot here to absorb, and I get the feeling that those who are already familiar with the world of horses-- racing them, training them, breeding them-- will likely get more out of this immediately than someone who is entirely new to the process. However, the latter person will just have to read a little more closely in some sections to figure out what Smiley is on about. (It's always there, you may just have to search for it a bit at times if you get overwhelmed.)

A good book, one that horse lovers will want to have in their collections.