Black Gold: A Novel - Hardcover

Melodrama overpowers effectively researched background material in this commercial first novel about African Americans in Texas. Set in the early 1900s, the narrative offers a hearty depiction of the struggle of black landowners to survive difficult economic conditions. Orphaned Leela Brannon Alexander goes from her home in Fort Worth to be raised by her aunt and uncle in Mexia. She marries workaholic, miserly T.J. Wilder, proprietor of Rioluces, the region's most prosperous melon farm, on which his neglected mansion is located. T.J. is the son of mean-mouthed Hattie Logan, a woman who partied hard in her youth, once with Leela's father. Leela gets inklings of future trouble on her wedding day, on which she meets Hattie and T.J.'s half brother Carey, a handsome gambler and wastrel. A rift between the brothers is exacerbated when Carey is caught seducing Leela and T.J. forces Carey out of town at gunpoint. When Carey returns eight years later, T.J. is dead, oil has been discovered on Rioluces Ranch, and Leela is in love again. Arson, gunplay and other events ensue, and soon Leela is on trial for murder. Bunkley has done a service by chronicling black contributions to a turbulent era in Texas history, but her lushly told story of love, hate and greed will appeal mainly to fans of historical romance. Literary Guild selection.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

In the 1920s Mexia, Texas, was the scene of an oil boom, and many of the area's black residents became rich. Leela Brannon, young, beautiful, and black, has survived the loss of her parents and found a life with her aunt's family. A realist, she marries T.J. Wilder, a hard-working, wealthy farmer; he is a good man but not a romantic one. His half-brother, Carey, brings romance and glamor. When T.J. discovers Leela and Carey in an embrace, he forces Carey to go away. T.J. dies, the oil starts to flow, and Leela meets and falls in love with Victor, an elegant wildcatter. Smelling the oil, the profligate Carey returns and with his schemes brings grief to Leela. Although the plot is predictable, all ends well; some of the supporting characters are memorable. By the author of Emily, the Yellow Rose (Rinard Pubs., 1989), this is a positive novel about blacks that should be a hit with African Americans.
- Barbara Maslekoff, Ohioana Lib., Columbus
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.