Horse Heaven

Description:

A novel set in the world of thoroughbred racing follows a group of owners, trainers, jockeys, gamblers, and "track brats" on a two-year journey through the racing cycle.

Selected Reviews:

"In such a big, ambitious book, there are bound to be a few slow spots. With so many characters in action, it's inevitable that some stories will be more compelling than others....And the novel, as a whole, is so sunny that a realist...might wish for a splash or two of darkness to even out the canvas. But this is HORSE HEAVEN, after all, and a heaven of any kind implies a happy ending....There's a benign deity at the helm in Smiley's world. Her final chapters have a wonderful restorative quality, filled with grace notes and epiphanies that offer a fitting close to this smart, warmhearted, winning book."

--Bill Barich, New York Times Book Review