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Pryor Knowledge: Horse racing, Love, and Slavery in the Antebellum South
Ben Pryor’s passion for training horses oozes from his very marrow.
In the early 1800s, a zeal for horse racing binds the young nation together. Dramatic races shared national headlines with westward expansion, obscene wealth from ‘king cotton,’ and a rising bitterness between the North and South.
Ben’s father, descended from colonial Virginia’s elite, sees his zeal as a character flaw. After all, in the Early American South, most trainers are enslaved.
Undeterred, Ben flees to Natchez, Mississippi, vowing to prove everyone wrong.
Determined to stay untouched by politics, Ben keeps his head down and his focus strong. Yet, in a country churning with change, circumstances force him to face the friction that sparks and flashes around him. Should he follow the law? Or do what’s right? When unexpected love blooms, will romance derail dreams of becoming one of the nation's top trainers?
Based on real and fictional characters, PRYOR KNOWLEDGE transports readers through the gumbo of charm and debauchery that was the lower Mississippi River.
“A must-read for horseracing fans. Gibson provides a beautifully researched story of the times and historical figures surrounding champion Lexington’s career. I found her novel to be superbly written and a real page-turner!”
-Sasscer Hill, winner of the Dr. Tony Ryan Award for Best Book in Racing Literature
"M. B. Gibson sheds new light on the fast-paced world of horseracing in the antebellum South. But this is no mere horse tale. Based on actual events, it's also a gripping story about love, honor, slavery, and evil in a country on the edge of civil war."
- Paul Davis, Pulitzer-Prize nominated journalist and author
In the early 1800s, a zeal for horse racing binds the young nation together. Dramatic races shared national headlines with westward expansion, obscene wealth from ‘king cotton,’ and a rising bitterness between the North and South.
Ben’s father, descended from colonial Virginia’s elite, sees his zeal as a character flaw. After all, in the Early American South, most trainers are enslaved.
Undeterred, Ben flees to Natchez, Mississippi, vowing to prove everyone wrong.
Determined to stay untouched by politics, Ben keeps his head down and his focus strong. Yet, in a country churning with change, circumstances force him to face the friction that sparks and flashes around him. Should he follow the law? Or do what’s right? When unexpected love blooms, will romance derail dreams of becoming one of the nation's top trainers?
Based on real and fictional characters, PRYOR KNOWLEDGE transports readers through the gumbo of charm and debauchery that was the lower Mississippi River.
“A must-read for horseracing fans. Gibson provides a beautifully researched story of the times and historical figures surrounding champion Lexington’s career. I found her novel to be superbly written and a real page-turner!”
-Sasscer Hill, winner of the Dr. Tony Ryan Award for Best Book in Racing Literature
"M. B. Gibson sheds new light on the fast-paced world of horseracing in the antebellum South. But this is no mere horse tale. Based on actual events, it's also a gripping story about love, honor, slavery, and evil in a country on the edge of civil war."
- Paul Davis, Pulitzer-Prize nominated journalist and author
399 pages, Paperback
Published March 25, 2025
15 people are currently reading
31 people want to read
About the author
M.B. Gibson
5 books28 followersMary Beth Gibson is the author of the award-winning Duncullen Saga, historical novels set in eighteenth-century Tipperary, Ireland, and Revolutionary War-era South Carolina.
Her newest release, Pryor Knowledge, explores everyday life in the early 19th century amidst the immensely popular world of horse racing.
M. B. Gibson is active in the Aiken Chapter of the South Carolina Writers Association and the Authors Club of Augusta. After teaching adolescents for over thirty years and raising three headstrong daughters, she now lives the quiet life with her husband in Blackville, South Carolina.
Her newest release, Pryor Knowledge, explores everyday life in the early 19th century amidst the immensely popular world of horse racing.
M. B. Gibson is active in the Aiken Chapter of the South Carolina Writers Association and the Authors Club of Augusta. After teaching adolescents for over thirty years and raising three headstrong daughters, she now lives the quiet life with her husband in Blackville, South Carolina.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 19, 2025
I really enjoyed this interesting novel. It's set in Natchez, a fascinating, beautiful town on the banks of the Mississippi River. In the 1800s when the novel is set, Natchez was one of the wealthiest places in the USA. Vast fortunes were accumulated from the forced labour of enslaved people, and from the buying and selling of humans at Forks in the Road, one of the busiest slave markets in the USA.
It's a place of deep human despair and misery, but it's also very seductive, with elegant mansions and quaint cottages, beautiful forests and pastures. There's a stunning promenade on a bluff above the river, where the respectable part of town is located, and then just below that is the 'red light district' known as Under the Hill, where ships dock, and people visit to gamble, fight, drink or pay for sex. Natchez is portrayed as a place of contradictions and distressing history, of violence and bigotry, but where friendship and strong family ties offer a sense of hope.
One of the many things the author did well was to show the wide range of different opinions and politics of the characters. Good historical fictions entertains us with stories of the past, and at the same time, helps us come to a deeper understand of the present and the legacies we have inherited.
The story is about Ben Pryor, a white working class man who is a horse trainer. Horse racing was a popular form of entertainment in the Antebellum era, and the racetrack was a place where people from all walks of life could come together in a vibrant, wild, celebratory atmosphere. The author expertly walks the fine line between showcasing her meticulous historical research, and giving the reader a propulsive, entertaining story. I also enjoyed the author's note at the end, where she lists the real life historical figures that appear in the book, and reveals what liberties she took to create the novel.
Ben moves easily up and down the rungs of the stratified social ladder, he's welcome to sit in the drawing rooms of the big house, and in the cabins where the enslaved people live. He's got a strong moral compass; but he's limited by the laws and social expectations of the day, and the choices he makes. His interracial marriage is a lens through which the complex nuance of this society is explored. His wife Franny, who is enslaved to him, is a formidable, extraordinary woman. Throughout the story the range of characters face different moral dilemmas. The unsettling question that might linger with some readers is: what would I do in that situation? And also, what can I do now? This is a compelling story that leaves you with much to consider.
It's a place of deep human despair and misery, but it's also very seductive, with elegant mansions and quaint cottages, beautiful forests and pastures. There's a stunning promenade on a bluff above the river, where the respectable part of town is located, and then just below that is the 'red light district' known as Under the Hill, where ships dock, and people visit to gamble, fight, drink or pay for sex. Natchez is portrayed as a place of contradictions and distressing history, of violence and bigotry, but where friendship and strong family ties offer a sense of hope.
One of the many things the author did well was to show the wide range of different opinions and politics of the characters. Good historical fictions entertains us with stories of the past, and at the same time, helps us come to a deeper understand of the present and the legacies we have inherited.
The story is about Ben Pryor, a white working class man who is a horse trainer. Horse racing was a popular form of entertainment in the Antebellum era, and the racetrack was a place where people from all walks of life could come together in a vibrant, wild, celebratory atmosphere. The author expertly walks the fine line between showcasing her meticulous historical research, and giving the reader a propulsive, entertaining story. I also enjoyed the author's note at the end, where she lists the real life historical figures that appear in the book, and reveals what liberties she took to create the novel.
Ben moves easily up and down the rungs of the stratified social ladder, he's welcome to sit in the drawing rooms of the big house, and in the cabins where the enslaved people live. He's got a strong moral compass; but he's limited by the laws and social expectations of the day, and the choices he makes. His interracial marriage is a lens through which the complex nuance of this society is explored. His wife Franny, who is enslaved to him, is a formidable, extraordinary woman. Throughout the story the range of characters face different moral dilemmas. The unsettling question that might linger with some readers is: what would I do in that situation? And also, what can I do now? This is a compelling story that leaves you with much to consider.
September 28, 2025
I was lucky enough to meet Ms. Gibson at a author's event in Jackson, Mississippi. She was a delightful person and I became interested in her books.. I started with this one. I didn't think a book about horse racing would interest me, but I underestimated her storytelling abilities.
It's not a book about horse racing. It's a fictionalized book about Ben Pryor, who was a well-known horse trainer during the civil war era. It's very well researched, and while the dialogue is fiction, she follows many of the historical events of the time, and published biographical details of The Pryor family and other characters in the book. It has a feel of authenticity as she explores themes of slavery, racism and mixed-race relationships in the South during that time period.
It was even more interesting to find out the author's relationship to the actual people in the book - which made her privy to inside details of the Pryor family through family folklore and genealogy. If you like your history with a dash of color, this is the book for you.
It's not a book about horse racing. It's a fictionalized book about Ben Pryor, who was a well-known horse trainer during the civil war era. It's very well researched, and while the dialogue is fiction, she follows many of the historical events of the time, and published biographical details of The Pryor family and other characters in the book. It has a feel of authenticity as she explores themes of slavery, racism and mixed-race relationships in the South during that time period.
It was even more interesting to find out the author's relationship to the actual people in the book - which made her privy to inside details of the Pryor family through family folklore and genealogy. If you like your history with a dash of color, this is the book for you.
March 25, 2025
A terrific novel! I had the privilege of reading an advance copy of PRYOR KNOWLEDGE and heartily recommend it to historical fiction fans, especially those who love reading about the antebellum South, true accounts from horse racing's history, and America's rocky road to becoming a racially integrated society.
Gibson has a unique ability to craft stories from the past that read as authentically is if they were written at the time. I love her mastery of colloquial language. She always finds fun tidbits to incorporte into the narrative.
It is also important to mention that in this tale, Gibson reaches into her family's ancestry as the source of her inspiration. I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
Gibson has a unique ability to craft stories from the past that read as authentically is if they were written at the time. I love her mastery of colloquial language. She always finds fun tidbits to incorporte into the narrative.
It is also important to mention that in this tale, Gibson reaches into her family's ancestry as the source of her inspiration. I thoroughly enjoyed every page.
March 31, 2025
I was lucky enough to read an advanced copy, and this novel is absolutely wonderful. Soon after I finished, I wrote these words: "Pryor Knowledge is historical fiction at its finest. A lush, vibrant, and at times gritty dive into the pre-Civil War South, M.B. Gibson's latest work shines with excitement, drama, and heart."
There's no better way to experience the burgeoning (and cut-throat) world of American horse racing expertly woven with the tale of an up-and-coming trainer navigating love, heartbreak, dreams, and morality. You will absolutely want to read this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
There's no better way to experience the burgeoning (and cut-throat) world of American horse racing expertly woven with the tale of an up-and-coming trainer navigating love, heartbreak, dreams, and morality. You will absolutely want to read this book. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
September 29, 2025
Good read
Especially liked based on real people. Learned a lot about early horse racing and slave/master relationships in the South prior to 1865.
Especially liked based on real people. Learned a lot about early horse racing and slave/master relationships in the South prior to 1865.
April 30, 2025
I have to admit, I'm not a horse racing fan. In fact, horses kind of scare me. But before I began this historical novel, I was reminded of an absolutely wonderful short story by Sherwood Anderson called "I'm a Fool" that was set in about the same time period and was also about the horse racing world. I loved reading and teaching that story, so I was ready to give "Pryor Knowledge" a go.
Well, the story of horse trainer Ben Pryor certainly goes way beyond what we learn about Andy in Sherwood's short story. Gibson's novel covers about twenty years, and Ben really evolves over that time. His love for horses is obvious, and he certainly is skilled at training the animals. In fact, at the beginning of his story, he seems hyper focused on his job to the exclusion of all else. Ultimately, though, as hard as he tries to avoid them, politics, romance, and some shady characters at the track do influence him.
Surprisingly to me, the well researched information about the horse racing world (the training of the horses, the differing roles of owners, trainers, and jockeys, the organization of the races themselves) was rather interesting. I kind of knew about the popularity of the sport in the 1800's, but to actually read about the extent of it was fascinating.
But, I have to admit, the stories of Ben's personal life and the lives of those around him were really the most appealing parts of the novel for me. It was interesting to get to know him and watch as he "grew up" through the story and through his recognition of the power of love. I did not know how the serious issues near the story's end would be resolved, but I was happy to see that they were.
I don't always read the author's notes at the end of novels. Everyone should read these! Some surprises there!
Well, the story of horse trainer Ben Pryor certainly goes way beyond what we learn about Andy in Sherwood's short story. Gibson's novel covers about twenty years, and Ben really evolves over that time. His love for horses is obvious, and he certainly is skilled at training the animals. In fact, at the beginning of his story, he seems hyper focused on his job to the exclusion of all else. Ultimately, though, as hard as he tries to avoid them, politics, romance, and some shady characters at the track do influence him.
Surprisingly to me, the well researched information about the horse racing world (the training of the horses, the differing roles of owners, trainers, and jockeys, the organization of the races themselves) was rather interesting. I kind of knew about the popularity of the sport in the 1800's, but to actually read about the extent of it was fascinating.
But, I have to admit, the stories of Ben's personal life and the lives of those around him were really the most appealing parts of the novel for me. It was interesting to get to know him and watch as he "grew up" through the story and through his recognition of the power of love. I did not know how the serious issues near the story's end would be resolved, but I was happy to see that they were.
I don't always read the author's notes at the end of novels. Everyone should read these! Some surprises there!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews