Natchez Reads 2025: A Community Conversation on Horse
Natchez Reads 2025:
A Community Conversation on Horse
Join the July community discussion of Horse by Geraldine Brooks, part of the Natchez Reads 2025 series. Explore the local connections behind this powerful novel rooted in Natchez History.
After a wonderful kickoff in May with Kathleen Bond’s presentation on “The Sporting Life of William Johnson,” the Natchez Reads 2025 series continues this summer with an event that invites us to slow down, reflect, and talk together—about a horse, a city, and the layered stories that connect us across time.
On Tuesday, July 22 at 6:00 p.m., the Historic Natchez Foundation will host a community book discussion of Horse by Pulitzer Prize–winning author Geraldine Brooks. The conversation will be led by Betty Jo Harris, a dedicated member of the Foundation staff and someone whose knowledge of local history brings added depth to any gathering. Whether you’ve read the novel cover-to-cover or just begun the first few chapters, this is a chance to join others in exploring the world Brooks has brought to life—and its very real roots right here in Natchez.
Set partly in the 1850s and based on the true story of Lexington, the greatest American racehorse of his time, Horse transports readers through shifting perspectives and time periods. It’s a novel about art, science, race, and memory—but at its core, it’s about the people who saw potential in a horse and the complicated world in which he lived. Readers of Horse will quickly find themselves tracing those early years back to Fatherland Plantation in Natchez, where Lexington was trained by John Benjamin Pryor. The plantation was owned by Adam Lewis Bingaman and located on the land now preserved as the Grand Village of the Natchez Indians.
To read Horse as a Natchez local is to recognize the fingerprints of our own history in every chapter. To read it as a visitor is to gain a deeper appreciation for the ways this small city shaped events—and lives—felt far beyond its borders.
The discussion will take place at the Historic Natchez Foundation at 108 South Commerce Street. It’s free and open to all, and you’re welcome to join the conversation even if you haven’t finished the book (yet!). A small selection of books—including Horse and related local literature—will be available for purchase at the event.
And if you need a place to stay, Beaumont House Bed and Breakfast offers a peaceful retreat in the heart of downtown. We’re just a short stroll from the Foundation and close to many of the landmarks mentioned in the book. It’s our pleasure to help guests connect with the spirit of Natchez—through history, hospitality, and meaningful conversation.
Stay tuned for our next post, featuring a very special guest with deep family ties to the real story behind Horse.
