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Saturday, December 8, 2012

Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand

What do an automobile salesman, a cowboy "horse whisperer," and a failed boxer-turned-jockey all have in common? They all loved and believed in a horse named Seabiscuit. In the 1930s, a decade in which the American people needed a hero, Charles Howard, Tom Smith, and Red Pollard devoted their lives to a horse no one else would take a chance on. Their time, effort, and love turned Seabiscuit, a neurotic horse with a crooked  leg, into one of the  greatest racehorses of all time.

Hillenbrand has written one of the most consuming, page-turning biographies I have ever read. Non-fiction can be slow for me, but Hillenbrand's writing is smooth, fast-paced, and entertaining. To put it bluntly, it reads like fiction. She has clearly done her research and has seamlessly woven it into a beautiful narrative.

The best way to approach this book is to know next to nothing about the characters or this particular piece of history, but even if you do know Seabiscuit's story, reading it in Hillenbrand's words will be a treat.

5 of 5 stars

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