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Bred to Win
The story of an astonishing woman, Annie Grebauer, and the two passions of her life: one, Sam Cumberland, the scion of one of the America's greatest racing families; the other the magnificent thoroughbreds she and Sam breed and race in competition with each other.
A captivating tale of tragedy and triumph.
A captivating tale of tragedy and triumph.
659 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published April 1, 1990
3 people are currently reading
59 people want to read
About the author
William Kinsolving
21 books10 followersAfter a questionable academic career at Stanford (I mean, how practical is a double major in Drama and Far Eastern Theology?), Kinsolving fled to the Oregon Shakespeare Festival to play Richard the Second. He then attended The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art for polish. Returning to New York, he appeared as an actor off-, under-, and on Broadway, as well as a saloon singer in any number of seedy Greenwich Village nightclubs. For creative diversion during these years, he acted and/or directed back in Oregon, then at the Stratford Shakespeare Theater, Harvard, Dartmouth, Café La Mama, then went and won the Best Actor of the Year award from the SF Chronicle for performing at the Berkeley Rep.
Ineluctably transitioning to a second career as most do, Kinsolving wrote his first play, was awarded a Ford Foundation Playwriting Grant, and had the play produced by the Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival. This led to the first of some 54 films on which he worked for every major studio in Los Angeles, London and Rome as screenwriter and script doctor. Suspecting that such a life was leading to the corruption of his soul (not to dare mention his body), he retreated to northern California to write the first of five novels including several best-sellers.
Concurrently while serving on the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of the Arts, he met and was smart enough to marry Susan Kinsolving, the poet. She presented him with two astonishing daughters, and presently puts up with him in Connecticut. Quixotically between books, he joined the Board of Directors of both The Actors’ Company, as well as a California biotech corporation. He regressed indulgently to cabaret and fundraising performances, accompanied by the likes of Peter Duchin and Emmanuel Ax, singing at the Algonquin Hotel’s late lamented Oak Room and at one of the late Brooke Astor’s better birthday parties among many other venues.
A sixth novel is finished! Set in ante-bellum America, it’s the first book of a trilogy featuring three brothers and an extraordinary woman. The second book covers the Civil War from unique perspectives; the third, Reconstruction from one-off points-of-view.
Ineluctably transitioning to a second career as most do, Kinsolving wrote his first play, was awarded a Ford Foundation Playwriting Grant, and had the play produced by the Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival. This led to the first of some 54 films on which he worked for every major studio in Los Angeles, London and Rome as screenwriter and script doctor. Suspecting that such a life was leading to the corruption of his soul (not to dare mention his body), he retreated to northern California to write the first of five novels including several best-sellers.
Concurrently while serving on the Board of Trustees of the California Institute of the Arts, he met and was smart enough to marry Susan Kinsolving, the poet. She presented him with two astonishing daughters, and presently puts up with him in Connecticut. Quixotically between books, he joined the Board of Directors of both The Actors’ Company, as well as a California biotech corporation. He regressed indulgently to cabaret and fundraising performances, accompanied by the likes of Peter Duchin and Emmanuel Ax, singing at the Algonquin Hotel’s late lamented Oak Room and at one of the late Brooke Astor’s better birthday parties among many other venues.
A sixth novel is finished! Set in ante-bellum America, it’s the first book of a trilogy featuring three brothers and an extraordinary woman. The second book covers the Civil War from unique perspectives; the third, Reconstruction from one-off points-of-view.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
August 14, 2012
One of my most favorite books of all time. I couldnt put it down, if you like the horse industry you will love this book.
April 1, 2020
One of my all-time favorites - I go back and re-read it from time to time.
December 22, 2016
This book was given to me by an acquaintance at a party, at her house. She was pregnant then. I was 19 years old at the time and was extremely shy, acting like a wall flower at the party.
The very next day I started to read this book, I was hooked. So hooked I could not put the book down. The only time I had to put this book down was when I had to go to work and university. Every night, those characters Annie Grebeaur, Sam Cumberland, Winnie, Charlie Dell, and the scumbag Phil Angelo, even Annie's jack ass brothers - all gave me company. Actually, even Annie's son, and the German woman that she saved one night.
This book is both inspirational and educational at the same time. There so many things about horse racing, horse-breeding, and training that I did not understand or even know exist. The part where Annie's son cloned three horses "X,Y,Z" was a very clever twist.
My only criticism is that, why didn't Sam and Annie end up marrying each other? After all what she'd been through and two husbands later - she should have ended up with Sam.
I don't know how and why, but Annie's character in the book, her story, her motherhood, truly inspired me. Although, my love of horses and horse racing ended when I left Hong Kong in 2007, I never stopped thinking about this book. I used to be heavily involved in horse racing in Hong Kong. My family owned a share of a horse that ran in Happy Valley every weekend. I was very young then and did not understand how the world of horse racing is ran.
I lost the very copy that acquaintance of mine gave me. So, I bought my own copy from Amazon. This one was a hardcover. The one that was given to me was paperback, and with different graphics.
Anyway, I really love this book. I read and re-read for about 3 times now. Cover to cover.
I recommend to everyone.
The very next day I started to read this book, I was hooked. So hooked I could not put the book down. The only time I had to put this book down was when I had to go to work and university. Every night, those characters Annie Grebeaur, Sam Cumberland, Winnie, Charlie Dell, and the scumbag Phil Angelo, even Annie's jack ass brothers - all gave me company. Actually, even Annie's son, and the German woman that she saved one night.
This book is both inspirational and educational at the same time. There so many things about horse racing, horse-breeding, and training that I did not understand or even know exist. The part where Annie's son cloned three horses "X,Y,Z" was a very clever twist.
My only criticism is that, why didn't Sam and Annie end up marrying each other? After all what she'd been through and two husbands later - she should have ended up with Sam.
I don't know how and why, but Annie's character in the book, her story, her motherhood, truly inspired me. Although, my love of horses and horse racing ended when I left Hong Kong in 2007, I never stopped thinking about this book. I used to be heavily involved in horse racing in Hong Kong. My family owned a share of a horse that ran in Happy Valley every weekend. I was very young then and did not understand how the world of horse racing is ran.
I lost the very copy that acquaintance of mine gave me. So, I bought my own copy from Amazon. This one was a hardcover. The one that was given to me was paperback, and with different graphics.
Anyway, I really love this book. I read and re-read for about 3 times now. Cover to cover.
I recommend to everyone.
December 28, 2009
At 566 pages, this book is way too long. It had some interesting parts, but I felt it could have and SHOULD have ended way sooner than it actually did. Slightly depressing as well.
February 25, 2013
I love this book. The saga-esque storyline, the romance, and the incredible detail that the author goes into regarding the world of thoroughbred racing combine to make this one of my favourites.
March 2, 2018
First time I read this book I was 14, probably not meant for that age. It follows the life of a teen girl who is raised by her father after her mother had died. She has two brothers who molest her. One night she runs away and gains work at a race track. Her life gets better, mostly from there as she moves up the ranks of the track hierarchy from a stable hand to a rich owner. Filled with intimacy, love and sadness. This book is definitely one for those who love horses as well as a story about the downtrodden rising up.
May 12, 2017
Love this book. One of my favourite reads over and over. Great characters and captivating story.
May 30, 2021
I had been looking for a book about thoroughbred horse racing, particularly that involved The Kentucky Derby. This book more than met my wishes! I learned a lot about horses in general, the racing world, their training, etc. And the book also had great romance and mystery. Hated to see it end.
May 13, 2023
I liked this book a lot but none of his other books sound interesting.
May 20, 2023
The cover on this book does not do it justice, since it is SUCH A GREAT BOOK. Amazing story of a woman who overcomes the odds to build a racing empire.
March 23, 2022
I first read this book when I was 12. My mom panicked when she first saw me reading it :P I have read it about 5 times since and I fall in love with the story every time. I love to complexity and the evolution of the characters and that, because of the timeline of the book, you get such a complete story. The only thing I can compare this to is Memoirs of a Geisha, but it took me years to finally finish Memoirs, whereas my first read of Bred to Win took less than a week. I don't recommend if you are triggered by sexual abuse, but otherwise I highly recommend.
February 24, 2017
An oldie and still a goody... I picked this off my shelf and once again got immersed in the Thoroughbred racing scene. The author knows racing, and he knows strong women. Thoroughly enjoyed this!
March 2, 2014
An epic saga about the Thoroughbred racing and breeding industry as it follows Annie (of several last names) through a path from abject poverty to the heights of success on the race track (and almost back). It takes Kinsolving 37 chapters and 612 pages to coalesce his many subplots to a very satisfactory ending. Thanks to my sister-in-law, Barb, who gave me this book with high recommendations years ago (it is stamped discard BHBL Community Library). I was daunted by the heft; but find it was well worth the occasional trudge.
March 12, 2012
Was a very long story that dragged on a bit. Had interesting parts with parts being very sad and having adult references. Had lots of exciting bits to it too. Betrayals and detemination being a big part I'm this book. A good book though it was very long
April 17, 2009
Long, good, sad, exciting.
August 30, 2011
An epic horselover's tale based on more of a whinny than a full throated gallop.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews