Speaking of Jane Smiley, I reread Horse Heaven, by Smiley, at least every couple of years. I LOVE this book, it’s truly “horse heaven” to me! If you like horses or racing, it’s a Must Read. Audio great as well. Every year, thousands of thoroughbred foals are born, but how many will make it to the races? This book follows 4 foals, plus 2 other horses, and their journey thru life and the system in Kentucky. And it’s Jane Smiley, the Pulitzer Prize winner, this woman can write!! Rosalind Maybrick is the wife of a billionaire and as fascinating a character as I’ve ever come across, and then there’s Tiffany Morse, who works at Walmart…. Truly a work of art, it’s lit fic and horse fan heaven, all in one.
And I second the suggestion of Dick Francis for thriller or horse racing fans, and this is not just hack fiction! Great stories, good writing, and sympathetic characters. And yes, start with the older ones.
Also, for middle grade, you can’t do better than The Black Stallion series by Walter Farley! I read and reread those as a teen.
And one more (series)—My Friend Flicka and it’s two sequels by Mary O’Hara. These are not kid stories, they are for adults and are very thoughtful, though the protagonist is young. But it also focuses on his parents, and in particular, his mother. I couldn’t get enough of those, either!
I’m a horse person, eventing my horse in the 70s, and in 2020, I had reservations and plans to finally visit Kentucky and it’s vaunted horse country! I was so looking forward to visiting the famous studs and seeing some great racehorses! You know how that went….haven’t been able to make plans since.
