The horse parts were fine but the people parts... yeesh. They felt artificial, like one of those treacly Very Special TV Episodes: oh, how noble, the young white ruling-class girl treats enslaved Jarret with kindness; and Jarret, working one season in the cotton fields after a (comparatively!) safe life, comes out of it having learned a Valuable Lesson In Compassion. It was awkward, but I was going along with it... right up to that chapter. The one where the abundance of unnecessary detail makes it really clear what Brooks is going to do, but you think no, she wouldn’t, but yes, she does, and I’m not forgiving her for that.