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Black Ivory
USED FOR PLEASURE SOLD FOR A PRICERavished by her jailor...sold naked at the slave market...forced to flee for her life and her honor...the radiant, pale-skinned Hester was destined to suffer heartbreak and outrage because her parents were slaves. From the splendid vastness of Thornton Plantation to the dangers of escape and the horrors of captivity to the unexpected romance aboard a glittering showboat, she sought the one power great enough to reverse destiny's cruel course - the magic of one man's all-conquering true love.
354 pages, Paperback
First published April 1, 1980
33 people want to read
About the author
Saliee O'Brien
23 books9 followersPseudonym of Frances Leroy "Frankie-Lee" Griggs Weed Zelley Janas..
She wrote hundreds of novels and short stories, publishing under pseudonyms including Marie Eyre, Francesca Greer, and Stuart Jason.
She was born 19 November 1908 in Appleton City, Missouri, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Griggs and Lillian Maud Bremer. She later moved to Austin, Texas where she met and married Thurlow B. Weed, Jr. They were later divorced, and she and her son Thurlow B. Weed III moved to Hollywood, Florida. There she remarried to Leroy Zelley, whom she outlived, and later married newspaper editor Eugene Janas. Frankie-Lee (Griggs) Janas died 15 February 2002, and was buried next to her husband in Hollywood Memorial Gardens.
Her first publication was a short ghost story that was printed in her hometown newspaper when she was 12 years old. Her final book was "Cayo", a historical fiction set in Key West, Florida, and published in 1983.
Her son having predeceased her, her grandson Thurlow B. Weed IV became her literary heir. There were a number of manuscripts (MSS) that were never published. Of particular interest is a collection of short stories written in the 1950s. They are historical fiction as well as biographical fiction. They are being transcribed, edited,and published as Kindle editions. Other previously unpublished works are being reviewed for possible publication.
She wrote hundreds of novels and short stories, publishing under pseudonyms including Marie Eyre, Francesca Greer, and Stuart Jason.
She was born 19 November 1908 in Appleton City, Missouri, the daughter of Benjamin Franklin Griggs and Lillian Maud Bremer. She later moved to Austin, Texas where she met and married Thurlow B. Weed, Jr. They were later divorced, and she and her son Thurlow B. Weed III moved to Hollywood, Florida. There she remarried to Leroy Zelley, whom she outlived, and later married newspaper editor Eugene Janas. Frankie-Lee (Griggs) Janas died 15 February 2002, and was buried next to her husband in Hollywood Memorial Gardens.
Her first publication was a short ghost story that was printed in her hometown newspaper when she was 12 years old. Her final book was "Cayo", a historical fiction set in Key West, Florida, and published in 1983.
Her son having predeceased her, her grandson Thurlow B. Weed IV became her literary heir. There were a number of manuscripts (MSS) that were never published. Of particular interest is a collection of short stories written in the 1950s. They are historical fiction as well as biographical fiction. They are being transcribed, edited,and published as Kindle editions. Other previously unpublished works are being reviewed for possible publication.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 12, 2016
I really liked this story. A couple of things weren't too plausible but I can overlook that since I found the rest to be entertaining. I thought the part where Hester ran away and became an actress was very boring and uninteresting. I don't care a thing about the world of acting. Also, knowing that Saliee O'Brien is really a man made me cringe a bit at times, those times being when Edward and Beau has sex with her. They were old enough to be her father.
The character Proteus, the slave who unofficially married Hester, came out of nowhere. I don't like, or understand, why he was made to be so violent. He didn't have much of a part in the story. I thought the whole marriage was pointless and unnecessary to the story. It should have been left out.
Without giving away the ending, I'll say that even though part of it was farfetched it was still a bit suspenseful. I'd already guessed it. I grade this 4.5 stars/A-
You can read a spoiler synopsis here.
The character Proteus, the slave who unofficially married Hester, came out of nowhere. I don't like, or understand, why he was made to be so violent. He didn't have much of a part in the story. I thought the whole marriage was pointless and unnecessary to the story. It should have been left out.
Without giving away the ending, I'll say that even though part of it was farfetched it was still a bit suspenseful. I'd already guessed it. I grade this 4.5 stars/A-
You can read a spoiler synopsis here.
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March 20, 2011This is a great book. I first read it when I was 14. It belonged to my aunt. I have looked for this book for years. In used bookstores, Goodwills, I even tried to find it in major bookstores, even they couldn't find it. When I was a kid I was really impressed with the whole Antebellum era. I lived around the Bayou in Louisiana. I tried to find every book about bayou life in the 1800's. Whether fiction or non-fiction. Black Ivory is the only one that truly stayed with me all these years. Saliee O'Brien makes you feel like you are really there with Hester. Watching her laugh and cry. What happened to her and how she dealt with it. Learning about the Underground Railroad. I just wished the story could go on. If you haven't read it, I strongly suggest that you do. It is truly a great romance novel. I recieved this book 2 days ago. And did not put it down until it was finihed.
unread
September 28, 2023Just not feeling this one ATM—I’ll try again another time.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews