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The United States of Books the State of West Virginia
Guest Reviewer ~ Elisha of Rainy Day Reviews
Lord of Misrule
by Jaimy
Gordon
Synopsis from Goodreads
A brilliant novel that captures the dusty, dark, and
beautiful world of small-time horse racing, where trainers, jockeys, grooms and
grifters vie for what little luck is offered at a run-down West Virginia track.
Review:
This won the National Book Award. How
fun is that? I was looking forward to reading this because not only did it win
that award, but it is about horse-riding. My dad and his siblings grew up with
animals. My dad’s dad grew up on a farm. My daughter loves horses and has rode
a horse a few times. I grew up with horses at my church. So, I was especially
excited to read a novel about horses.
However, it was not quite what I
expected. Although I am not sure what I expected. Black beauty perhaps? Black
beauty this was not. This was gritty and dirty (pun not intended). There was
drug use (both illegal and legal) that surprised me. There was also gambling
(although there was a track, so I can’t be surprised there), and characters
that you typically would not want as your neighbors, but may not know; if they
were. Although the story was intense and new to me, I am not sure I care for
this type of story. I may not have been the right reader for this book, but I
am glad I read it and gave it a shot.
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