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Black Gold
In the 1920s, two African-American Texas families become intertwined in a murderous tapestry of history, love, obsession, and revenge. Lit Guild. Tour.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published February 1, 1995
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134 people want to read
About the author
Anita Richmond Bunkley
8 books11 followersAnita Bunkley is a member of the Texas Institute of Letters and an NAACP Image Award nominee. She writes African-American mainstream and romance. She lives in Houston, Texas.
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
February 10, 2012
This was quite an interesting read, and different from the type of historical books I usually pick up. Nevertheless it was a great read and the story was dynamic and unlike anything I’ve read before.
As a baby Leela loses both her parents and is cared for by her African Grandmother. At the age of 15, Leela’s Grandmother dies and she is sent to live with her Father’s sister and her family. Leela takes to the family immediately but not all members are happy to have her. Leela’s cousin Josephine become increasingly jealous and hateful to her and begins destroying her own life in the process. At the age of 19 Leela meets and marries T.J. Wilder and has a son with him. Eventually she is widowed. With the bank threatening to take her 340-acre farm, Leela seeks the help of wildcatter oil man Victor Beaufort and finds a passion she has never known before. But soon her deceased husband’s brother returns and throws her life in a tail spin wreaking havoc while their mother harbors secrets that may prove to destroy them both.
I loved Leela! In such a volatile and racially charged period, Leela was a strong woman and able to illicit change in her small town. She also found a way to navigate the shady politics and attitudes of men to get things done for the betterment of the community. I loved that she had such strong convictions and didn’t apologize for them. She fought for her family and her farm, and dared to fight for the type of love she always desired.
While her first husband, T.J., didn’t exactly illicit great feelings of desire, I loved him because of his strong work ethic, and the dedication to his family. He made sure his family was provided for and took special interest in Leela and their son. Maybe he didn’t know how to love her in the way she wanted, a result of his childhood, but he loved he in his way. So while T.J. wasn’t exactly a very passionate man, he was definitely someone I could respect.
Victor on the other hand was ambitious and had big dreams of being the first black oil-man in Texas. He manages to convince Leela to let him look for oil on her land. It’s hard not to get swept up in Victor’s ideas and to root for him to conquer all the obstacles and set backs and win he experiences. Unfortunately his pride gets him and Leela in a world of trouble, but I couldn’t help hoping he’d get everything sorted out to his and Leela’s satisfaction.
The minor characters in this book were also well-developed and the antagonists were written so vivdly that I loved to hate them. It’s unfortunate that they remind me of people I know in real life, but that’s also the great thing about them because they are realistic. Carey, Josephine, and Hattie were selfish, inconsiderate users and hustlers and I just wanted them to be dealt with. They did all they could to make those around them as miserable as they were and were intent on ruining Leela.
In Black Gold the author weaves a tell of infinite love, phenomenal gain, and devastating loss. There is a great spirit of love and strength and I really enjoyed this read. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in Historicals or themes of overcoming adversity.
As a baby Leela loses both her parents and is cared for by her African Grandmother. At the age of 15, Leela’s Grandmother dies and she is sent to live with her Father’s sister and her family. Leela takes to the family immediately but not all members are happy to have her. Leela’s cousin Josephine become increasingly jealous and hateful to her and begins destroying her own life in the process. At the age of 19 Leela meets and marries T.J. Wilder and has a son with him. Eventually she is widowed. With the bank threatening to take her 340-acre farm, Leela seeks the help of wildcatter oil man Victor Beaufort and finds a passion she has never known before. But soon her deceased husband’s brother returns and throws her life in a tail spin wreaking havoc while their mother harbors secrets that may prove to destroy them both.
I loved Leela! In such a volatile and racially charged period, Leela was a strong woman and able to illicit change in her small town. She also found a way to navigate the shady politics and attitudes of men to get things done for the betterment of the community. I loved that she had such strong convictions and didn’t apologize for them. She fought for her family and her farm, and dared to fight for the type of love she always desired.
While her first husband, T.J., didn’t exactly illicit great feelings of desire, I loved him because of his strong work ethic, and the dedication to his family. He made sure his family was provided for and took special interest in Leela and their son. Maybe he didn’t know how to love her in the way she wanted, a result of his childhood, but he loved he in his way. So while T.J. wasn’t exactly a very passionate man, he was definitely someone I could respect.
Victor on the other hand was ambitious and had big dreams of being the first black oil-man in Texas. He manages to convince Leela to let him look for oil on her land. It’s hard not to get swept up in Victor’s ideas and to root for him to conquer all the obstacles and set backs and win he experiences. Unfortunately his pride gets him and Leela in a world of trouble, but I couldn’t help hoping he’d get everything sorted out to his and Leela’s satisfaction.
The minor characters in this book were also well-developed and the antagonists were written so vivdly that I loved to hate them. It’s unfortunate that they remind me of people I know in real life, but that’s also the great thing about them because they are realistic. Carey, Josephine, and Hattie were selfish, inconsiderate users and hustlers and I just wanted them to be dealt with. They did all they could to make those around them as miserable as they were and were intent on ruining Leela.
In Black Gold the author weaves a tell of infinite love, phenomenal gain, and devastating loss. There is a great spirit of love and strength and I really enjoyed this read. Definitely recommended for anyone interested in Historicals or themes of overcoming adversity.
July 18, 2011
A big, sweeping epic novel; rich storytelling.
October 15, 2012
First book by this author. This book was in a bag given to my mother in Covelo CA. It started out slow and I thought I was not going to like it. As it went on, though it got better and better. What an amazing story. The leading lady was a black woman whose parents had both died when she was only a couple of months old. She was raised by her grandmother then an aunt after the grandmother died. She married a wealthy landowner who later died of tuberculosis. She struck oil on their property after her husband died. Her brother in law was a real piece of work, he turned out to be her half brother, they shared the same father!! Wow.
June 28, 2013
One of my favs. Classic example of how someone can write about something I am unfamiliar with and make me fall in love. I read this many many years ago probably about 14 and my mindset was totally different this opened up a new world for me.
February 16, 2010
Absorbing, I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.
May 18, 2010
I really enjoyed this book.. It gave me an insight to how other people can use you and your relationship for selfish purposes.
December 12, 2010
I love this story I read it about 10 times. I lost my copy of this book and can not find it anywhere.
November 13, 2024
My significant other picked this up at the thrift store and I'm glad he did! Historical fiction is my thing and this didn't disappoint. It started a bit slow, but picked it up.
The story is set during Reconstruction in Texas. It felt like a true depiction of the pride and joy of Black people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I loved the descriptions of clothing and that dialect is used for some characters.
The story and writing pulled me in and kept me reading. There was also suspense so that was an added bonus.
The story is set during Reconstruction in Texas. It felt like a true depiction of the pride and joy of Black people in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. I loved the descriptions of clothing and that dialect is used for some characters.
The story and writing pulled me in and kept me reading. There was also suspense so that was an added bonus.
February 12, 2019
I enjoyed reading this book, especially the historical aspects of the story
October 21, 2016
This was my first read by Anita and I thoroughly enjoyed her. Her style is like a mashup of Beverly Jenkins and Bernice McFadden - who are easily my top two authors of all time. I was slightly disappointed with the ending, as I was left with a few "Whatever happened to/with...?" questions. But I would definitely recommend this one to anyone who is looking to expand their black historical fiction library.
Want to Read
December 16, 2011pretty decent account of how oil was discovered in Texas on black owned farms and how blacks had to fight to keep what was theirs. There was a love story, murder and intrigue - can you say Beverly Jenkins (smile).
Read
August 19, 2008F Bun
December 13, 2016
WOW, what an interesting adventure of lies, lust and betrayal over the rush of oil.
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews