Vixens

by Frank Yerby

LAIRD FOURNOIS -- A former Union Forces solier, was reckless at love and a legend in New Orleans. Now, his honor belonged to an insane woman, Sabrina; his heart to the golden-skinned hellion, Denise.

SABRINA -- Behind her beauty was a mind warped by terror. In the dark confusion of her life, there was only one sharp reality -- her love for her husband, who had spent his wedding night in another woman's arms.

DENISE LASCALS -- She was the talk of Louisiana. Her open pursuit of pleasure made women whisper. Her violet eyes made Laird forget his wife.

America's latter-day secret societies are born in this sequel to The Foxes of Harrow: Defeated feudal lords of the South attempting to set back the clock of history. White Leaguers and Klansmen swoop down to terrorize recently liberated Blacks. Brawling, thieving northern carpetbaggers display no conscience other than the dollar sign. Mulatto half-breeds wander about with confused identities fall victim to there own confused behaviors. As creeping swamps and forests reclaim the once luxurious Southern mansions, scalawags, men of Southern birth and breeding, and carpetbaggers reach out and feed on the decay of a wounded, bitter South.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Historical, Civil War

286 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1947

About the author

Born in Augusta, Georgia to Rufus Garvin Yerby, an African American, and Wilhelmina Smythe, who was caucasian. He graduated from Haines Normal Institute in Augusta and graduated from Paine College in 1937. Thereafter, Yerby enrolled in Fisk University where he received his Master's degree in 1938. In 1939, Yerby entered the University of Chicago to work toward his doctorate but later left the university. Yerby taught briefly at Florida A&M University and at Southern University in Baton Rouge.

Frank Yerby rose to fame as a writer of popular fiction tinged with a distinctive southern flavor. In 1946 he became the first African-American to publish a best-seller with The Foxes of Harrow. That same year he also became the first African-American to have a book purchased for screen adaptation by a Hollywood studio, when 20th Century Fox optioned Foxes. Ultimately the book became a 1947 Oscar-nominated film starring Rex Harrison and Maureen O'Hara. Yerby was originally noted for writing romance novels set in the Antebellum South. In mid-century he embarked on a series of best-selling novels ranging from the Athens of Pericles to Europe in the Dark Ages. Yerby took considerable pains in research, and often footnoted his historical novels. In all he wrote 33 novels.

Reviews

[L J Field]

I enjoyed this, Yerby’s second book, even more than his first, The Foxes of Harrow, which also received 5 stars. This novel picks up almost immediately after the first, but with a new cast of characters. A few, such as Etienne Fox, do appear, but they make minor appearances. In this book we have the Civil War just ended and the south reeling from changes that have come. The old plantations are rotting, as there aren’t slaves to keep up the house or crops. The blacks are continuously threatened by white insurgents, amongst who are the Klu Klux Klan. The races try to live harmoniously in New Orleans, but danger is always a step away.

Laird Fournois is originally from New Orleans, but has fought on the side of the Union. He , in the beliefs of the populace, has condemned himself. He has few friends, but he has the family mansion and his fields and he intends to bring them back to its historical value. He has two women who love him, but marries one only to have her go mad after the killing of her father by a black man. The girl he truly loves will not quit him. She sees no life for herself without Laird.

There is a carpetbagger named Hugh Duncan who rises to the very top of New Orleans society, but he
Is a vicious man who wants the total despoliation of the black community and the girl who makes Laird’s life worth living.

This is an exciting novel, full of surprises, and very well written.

[Chris Gager]

I've managed to rescue a few of Frank Yerby's books over the years, but so far haven't read one. He was a pretty popular author in the middle of the 20th century. Sort of a historical fiction version of Harold Robbins. The book smells a bit musty and the prose inside reads a bit musty as well, especially the romantic stuff. On the plus side, the author gets into some nice period historical detail on the political shenanigans going on in post-bellum New Orleans. This is popular fiction and therefore is easy enough to keep reading, even as one realizes it's not exactly great writing. Good enough so far, although the descriptive prose is regularly overdone and purplish.

- If you've read "Andersonville" this book will very effectively take you right back there.

- The author, who was of mixed race(white/black) deploys the n-word liberally. Of course, this would have been more acceptable in the 1940's and one assumes that it is also historically accurate.

An obvious plot development is now occurring. OBVIOUS!

Moving on as this book veers from decent historical fiction(post-bellum Louisiana political events) to strident romantic melodrama. WAY too much of the latter, unfortunately, and as a result I've lowered my rating to 2*. I like to respect these older novels if I can, but this one's tending to far toward mediocrity.

Finished last night as boy and girl, after MANY obstacles to their love, ride off into the sunset leaving behind an impressive pile of bodies, some which are directly associated with them. The ones NOT directly associated with them accumulate during the regular touching on various nasty-violent(usually vented against freed Negroes) incidents from the bloody/crazy history of New Orleans and Louisiana after the Civil War. The final event described in THIS aspect of the book us a massacre at Colfax, La in 1873(?). Ugly ... The book itself, as I have mentioned already, is a mash-up of ill-fitting seriousness and ludicrous romantic baloney. The very definition of mediocre. Still, in keeping with my fairness policy, I may give Mr. Yerby one more shot down the reading road some time.

- 2.5* rounds down to 2*

[Linda]

I always enjoyed Yerby when I was younger. Maybe the brutality of his stories and his characters didn't have the same impetus on me then, but this one really was awfully hard to get through with the total evil that was so rampant and the conflict between honor and humanity. Couldn't quit reading, but also can't say that I enjoyed it. Mr. Yerby, though, was undoubtedly a very talented man.

[Kara]

Yes, yes, we get it, the Reconstruction Era was horrible for everyone.

[John Vibber]

I had been reading extensively about the history of Reconstruction in Louisiana and heard that Yerby's book describes this place and time. I started knowing only the publication date. I knew nothing about the author. I was delighted and surprised as the story developed. Historic events like the massacres in New Orleans, Colfax, and Coushatta are accurately described. Likewise, significant political characters and events are woven into the story. The book was written close to the time Strum Thurmond was starting the Dixiecrats and the myths of Reconstruction still pervailed. For instance, the massacres I mentioned were then described as riots. Yerby's descriptions of Republican rule is close in many ways that that of modern historians. When I was about three quarters through the book I was pleased to find out that Yerby was a prominent African American author. I guess he got the true story of Reconstruction from W.E.B.Dubois.

With all that academic stuff said, this a romantic novel. One of my friends would describe it as a "bodice ripper." It is that, but it is also well written and fun to read.

[L.]

You saved me, Frank Yerby. You saved me. After suffering through a dull "thriller" (I'm looking right at you, Scott Turow!), you pulled me up from the doldrums with your scandalous sudsy soap opera. All I ask is to be entertained and you did it, Frankie. I wouldn't call this a direct sequel to The Foxes of Harrow but it is in the same neighborhood. Taking place directly after the end of the Civil War, Yerby shows the state of Louisiana being torn apart not so much by the Yankee carpetbaggers as by their own people. White supremacist groups are organized to terrorize the newly enfranchised freed slaves. Lots of blood is spilled and horses are abused.

May 31, 2024

[John]

this was the first yerby book i read and it had a wonderul story, west, new orleans, and indians

[Kim]

To many historical, political names of a history period I am not familiar with. Didn't grab me.

[Christina]

This is another book from my mother's collection. Some of the characters from 'The Foxes of Harrow' appear in this book, but the focus is on other characters. This book takes place after the Civil War, near New Orleans. It's pretty good for light reading, but it's not as strong as Yerby's first book.

[LECTORAPIA]

Frank Yerby es uno de mis escritores favoritos ya que es capaz de unir todas las piezas de un acontecimiento histórico sin dejar de lado las emociones de los personajes ficticios.
En este libro es posible aprender un montón de hechos históricos, así como también soñar con los anhelos de los propios personajes.

[Carrie Dalby]

3.5
Adventurous and quick pacing. After reading this, I can say I prefer Frances Parkinson Keyes for my vintage historical Southern Gothic sagas, but this was an interesting change of pace.

[Daisy]

The Vixens by Frank Yerby (1947)

[Linda]

Laird is forced to marry Sabrina,although he loves Denise. Oh my!

[Bella]

The Vixens by Frank Yerby (1947)

[Karinirmgard]

Deutscher Titel - Die Füchsin oder Louisiana-Fieber

[Amy]

Title is completely misleading. Much more about the reconstruction phase post civil war in New Orleans.

[Isabel]

The Vixens by Frank Yerby (1947)