Henry Forge

Henry Forge is the son of John Henry and Lavinia Forge, and is also the father of Henrietta Forge. The novel follows the many chapters of Henry's life as he lives on the farm in Paris, Kentucky, that his family has owned for many generations. At the opening of the novel, Henry is a young child who frequently clashes with his father, who is a racist and commanding patriarch. As a child and teenager, Henry becomes deeply fascinated with racehorses, and vows to turn the farm into a breeding ground for racehorses, even though it is expressly against his father's wishes. Henry accomplishes this goal in the 1960s, when John Henry passes away.

As an adult, Henry briefly marries Judith Schwebel, and they give birth to Henry's only child, his daughter Henrietta. Henry is deeply involved with Henrietta's upbringing, centering her life around learning how to one...