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The Gilda Stories
In this radically reimagined vampire myth, the night hides many things…
Louisiana, 1850. A young girl escapes slavery and is taken in by two mysterious women. Rumoured to be witches, the pair travel only at night, dress in men's clothing and seem to know others' innermost thoughts. But the girl sees the promise of true freedom in their dark glittering eyes: the promise to ‘share the blood’ and live forever. They name her Gilda.
Over the next two hundred years, Gilda moves through unseen spaces: through antebellum brothels, gold-rush bars, Black women’s suffrage groups, hair salons and jazz clubs, searching for a way to exist in the world. Her body, powerful against the passage of time, will know both beauty and horror through the women she desires and the blood she craves. But can Gilda truly outrun the darkness of history and face a future where the lives of everyone she loves are at stake?
Louisiana, 1850. A young girl escapes slavery and is taken in by two mysterious women. Rumoured to be witches, the pair travel only at night, dress in men's clothing and seem to know others' innermost thoughts. But the girl sees the promise of true freedom in their dark glittering eyes: the promise to ‘share the blood’ and live forever. They name her Gilda.
Over the next two hundred years, Gilda moves through unseen spaces: through antebellum brothels, gold-rush bars, Black women’s suffrage groups, hair salons and jazz clubs, searching for a way to exist in the world. Her body, powerful against the passage of time, will know both beauty and horror through the women she desires and the blood she craves. But can Gilda truly outrun the darkness of history and face a future where the lives of everyone she loves are at stake?
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 1, 1991
530 people are currently reading
23909 people want to read
About the author
Jewelle Gomez
50 books267 followersJewelle Gomez (b. 1948 in Boston, Massachusetts) is an American writer and cultural worker.
Gomez was raised by her great grandmother, Grace, who was born on Indian land in Iowa to an African American mother and Ioway father. Grace returned to New England before she was 14 when her father died and was married to John E. Morandus, a Wampanoag and descendent of Massasoit, the sachem for whom Massachusetts was named.
Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s she was shaped socially and politically by the close family ties with her great grandmother, Grace and grandmother Lydia. Their history of independence as well as marginalization in an African American community are threaded throughout her work. Her high school and college years were ripe with Black political and social movements which is reflected in much of her writing. Subsequent years in New York City placed her at the heart of Black theatre including work with the Frank Silvera Writers Workshop and many years as a stage manager for off Broadway productions.
There she became involved in lesbian feminist activism and magazine publication. She was a member of the Conditions (magazine) Collective, a lesbian feminist literary magazine. More recent writing has begun to reflect her Native American (Ioway, Wampanoag) heritage. Her work lives at the intersection of these multiple ethnicities, the ideals of lesbian/feminism and class.
Gomez is the author of seven books, but is most known for the double Lambda Literary Award winning novel The Gilda Stories (Firebrand Books, 1991). This novel, which reframes the traditional vampire mythology, taking a lesbian feminist perspective, is an adventure about an escaped slave who comes of age over two hundred years. According to scholar, Elyce Rae Helford, "Each stage of Gilda's personal voyage is also a study of life as part of multiple communities, all at the margins of mainstream white middle-class America." (UTOPIAN STUDIES, 3.22.01)
She also authored the theatrical adaptation of the novel Bones and Ash which toured 13 U.S. cities performed by the Urban Bush Women Company (1996). The book, which remains in print, was also issued by the Quality Paperback Book Club in an edition including the play.
Her other books include Don't Explain , a collection of short fiction; 43 Septembers , a collection of personal/political essays; Oral Tradition , poems collected and new.
Her fiction and poetry is included in over one hundred anthologies including the first anthology of Black speculative fiction, Dark Matter: A Century of African American Speculative Fiction , from Warner Books, edited by Sheree R. Thomas; Home Girls: a Black feminist Anthology from Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press and Best American Poetry of 2001 edited by Robert Haas.
Gomez has written literary and film criticism for numerous publications including The Village Voice, The San Francisco Chronicle, Ms. Magazine and Black Scholar.
She's been interviewed in periodicals and journals over the past 25 years including Advocate, where writer Victoria Brownworth discussed her writing origins and political interests (September 21, 1993). In the Journal of Lesbian Studies (Vol. 5, #3) she was interviewed for an article entitled "Funding Lesbian Activism," which linked her career in philanthropy with her political roots. She's also interviewed in the 1999 film produced for Public Television, After Stonewall, directed by John Scagliotti.
Her newest work includes a forthcoming comic novel, Televised, which recounts the lives of survivors of the Black Nationalist movement and was excerpted in the anthology Gumbo edited by Marita Golden and E. Lyn Harris.
She is also authoring a play about James Baldwin being written in collaboration with Harry Wate
Gomez was raised by her great grandmother, Grace, who was born on Indian land in Iowa to an African American mother and Ioway father. Grace returned to New England before she was 14 when her father died and was married to John E. Morandus, a Wampanoag and descendent of Massasoit, the sachem for whom Massachusetts was named.
Growing up in the 1950s and 1960s she was shaped socially and politically by the close family ties with her great grandmother, Grace and grandmother Lydia. Their history of independence as well as marginalization in an African American community are threaded throughout her work. Her high school and college years were ripe with Black political and social movements which is reflected in much of her writing. Subsequent years in New York City placed her at the heart of Black theatre including work with the Frank Silvera Writers Workshop and many years as a stage manager for off Broadway productions.
There she became involved in lesbian feminist activism and magazine publication. She was a member of the Conditions (magazine) Collective, a lesbian feminist literary magazine. More recent writing has begun to reflect her Native American (Ioway, Wampanoag) heritage. Her work lives at the intersection of these multiple ethnicities, the ideals of lesbian/feminism and class.
Gomez is the author of seven books, but is most known for the double Lambda Literary Award winning novel The Gilda Stories (Firebrand Books, 1991). This novel, which reframes the traditional vampire mythology, taking a lesbian feminist perspective, is an adventure about an escaped slave who comes of age over two hundred years. According to scholar, Elyce Rae Helford, "Each stage of Gilda's personal voyage is also a study of life as part of multiple communities, all at the margins of mainstream white middle-class America." (UTOPIAN STUDIES, 3.22.01)
She also authored the theatrical adaptation of the novel Bones and Ash which toured 13 U.S. cities performed by the Urban Bush Women Company (1996). The book, which remains in print, was also issued by the Quality Paperback Book Club in an edition including the play.
Her other books include Don't Explain , a collection of short fiction; 43 Septembers , a collection of personal/political essays; Oral Tradition , poems collected and new.
Her fiction and poetry is included in over one hundred anthologies including the first anthology of Black speculative fiction, Dark Matter: A Century of African American Speculative Fiction , from Warner Books, edited by Sheree R. Thomas; Home Girls: a Black feminist Anthology from Kitchen Table: Women of Color Press and Best American Poetry of 2001 edited by Robert Haas.
Gomez has written literary and film criticism for numerous publications including The Village Voice, The San Francisco Chronicle, Ms. Magazine and Black Scholar.
She's been interviewed in periodicals and journals over the past 25 years including Advocate, where writer Victoria Brownworth discussed her writing origins and political interests (September 21, 1993). In the Journal of Lesbian Studies (Vol. 5, #3) she was interviewed for an article entitled "Funding Lesbian Activism," which linked her career in philanthropy with her political roots. She's also interviewed in the 1999 film produced for Public Television, After Stonewall, directed by John Scagliotti.
Her newest work includes a forthcoming comic novel, Televised, which recounts the lives of survivors of the Black Nationalist movement and was excerpted in the anthology Gumbo edited by Marita Golden and E. Lyn Harris.
She is also authoring a play about James Baldwin being written in collaboration with Harry Wate
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June 8, 2020A remarkable book. I generally don't like vampire books for many many reasons, one of which is that the common trope of 'oh no, I am forced to be an exploitative predator, my trauma' makes me want to punch MCs in the fictional face. This is different.
Gilda (as she becomes) starts off as an escaped slave, a little girl who's fled the cotton fields now her mother has died, leaving her family. She's taken in by a vampire, who turns her with consent and care, and who teaches her the first lesson: you leave something of value in exchange for blood. So she uses psychic vampire powers to identify problems and help: open horizons, give self worth, repair memories. It may not be a voluntary exchange, of which she's aware, but it is still a form of payment and valuable, because demanding something for nothing and hurting people are in fact wrong. That's at the core of the story. Gilda moves through the decades learning how to trust and finding a place in the world, but it's over a century before she can begin to confront her experience of slavery, and start overcoming the trauma.
In the process she finds relationships (no less valid because they can't last) and slowly starts to build a found family. It's all about being Black and queer in America, about blood and home soil, giving and taking; about living in a greedy, exploitative, violent place and resisting those things. Lush prose, engaging episodic story, and masses to think about. Absolutely a classic.
Gilda (as she becomes) starts off as an escaped slave, a little girl who's fled the cotton fields now her mother has died, leaving her family. She's taken in by a vampire, who turns her with consent and care, and who teaches her the first lesson: you leave something of value in exchange for blood. So she uses psychic vampire powers to identify problems and help: open horizons, give self worth, repair memories. It may not be a voluntary exchange, of which she's aware, but it is still a form of payment and valuable, because demanding something for nothing and hurting people are in fact wrong. That's at the core of the story. Gilda moves through the decades learning how to trust and finding a place in the world, but it's over a century before she can begin to confront her experience of slavery, and start overcoming the trauma.
In the process she finds relationships (no less valid because they can't last) and slowly starts to build a found family. It's all about being Black and queer in America, about blood and home soil, giving and taking; about living in a greedy, exploitative, violent place and resisting those things. Lush prose, engaging episodic story, and masses to think about. Absolutely a classic.
February 25, 2024
You know me and literary fiction; we're frenemies at best. But sometimes, one just needs to pull a book of Mount TBR for the express purpose of exploring under represented voices. The Gilda Stories was first published in 1991 and republished in 2016, so it is one of those books that reached my attention as possibly being urban fantasy before Urban Fantasy genre, and even more interestingly, written by a lesbian woman of color (we used such terms in those days, and Gomez' language in the foreword echoes the third-wave feminism of the time). I found it unexpectedly engrossing; easy to read and get absorbed in the gentle, detailed story-telling, but also equally able to let it sit and rest between readings.
The writing, I think, is impeccable for purpose. It begins in outside New Orleans in 1850 with a nameless, young Black slave girl. The next chapter continues in 1890 in California, then in Missouri in 1921, followed by Boston in 1955, NYC in 1971 and 1981, New Hampshire in 2020, and finally, in New Mexico in 2050.
"But many of the years were simply a broad strip of darkness into which she peered, out of which she could draw little. Whenever she wanted to remember them she read through her journal as she had just done, but still they held little meaning for her. Most decades were dazed watercolor views sketched from a distance. They provided precise narrative of journeys but few sensations."
The plot, however, may be where it challenges some readers. I would think of this as a slice of life kind of book--but definitely not 'cozy'--as Gilda negotiates her extended life and the meaning of family in a variety of settings and decades. This approach allows Gomez to explore large issues of Black female experience through time. Interestingly, I found the themes of sexuality to be understated; this is not vampirism as a vehicle for orgiastic pleasure (why, hello, Laurell Hamilton). But it does explore what it means to be Black, female, and have power, and what we do with that power, and how the people around one interact with that power. Do they attempt to manipulate? Open themselves up to affection? Become dependent?
"You've forgiven me the other's death?'
'No,' Bird responded. 'I leaned there was no need for forgiveness... All along I had been refusing her the final right that was hers, to die when and where she wished. It's the most elemental power.'"
There's quite a bit that feels third-wave about it to me in theme. Much of the philosophy is overt, but there are some scenes that are particularly emblematic of challenging issues that might be triggering to some readers. The first chapter has a powerful attempted assault scene that is certainly hard to witness but is equally certainly the lived slave experience. The second story centers around a relationship with a manipulative white woman. A number of the settings involve prostitution, which makes story-sense to me; prostitution being a type of woman-owned business back in the day, and with mobile clientele, provides the perfect cover for long-lived people as well as a source of new sensations and experiences. I thought it good, moving, rooted in real emotion and likely well-researched (or lived) (what I know about history, meh) and not inclusive of certain things just to make a thematic point.
Gomez really writes it best:
"In Gilda, I created a character who escapes her sense of helplessness as a slave and gains the ultimate power over life and death. She becomes a witness over time to the injustices that humans visit upon one another... What began as fury has become a decades long pursuit in search of meaningful responses to these political and philosophical questions: What is family? How do we live inside our power and at the same time act responsibly? How do we build community? How do we connect authentically across gender, ethnicity, and class lines?"
Overall, feels a lot like Kindred by Butler, without the driving plot. Very worth it for genre fans who have tolerance for the literary fiction voice.
The writing, I think, is impeccable for purpose. It begins in outside New Orleans in 1850 with a nameless, young Black slave girl. The next chapter continues in 1890 in California, then in Missouri in 1921, followed by Boston in 1955, NYC in 1971 and 1981, New Hampshire in 2020, and finally, in New Mexico in 2050.
"But many of the years were simply a broad strip of darkness into which she peered, out of which she could draw little. Whenever she wanted to remember them she read through her journal as she had just done, but still they held little meaning for her. Most decades were dazed watercolor views sketched from a distance. They provided precise narrative of journeys but few sensations."
The plot, however, may be where it challenges some readers. I would think of this as a slice of life kind of book--but definitely not 'cozy'--as Gilda negotiates her extended life and the meaning of family in a variety of settings and decades. This approach allows Gomez to explore large issues of Black female experience through time. Interestingly, I found the themes of sexuality to be understated; this is not vampirism as a vehicle for orgiastic pleasure (why, hello, Laurell Hamilton). But it does explore what it means to be Black, female, and have power, and what we do with that power, and how the people around one interact with that power. Do they attempt to manipulate? Open themselves up to affection? Become dependent?
"You've forgiven me the other's death?'
'No,' Bird responded. 'I leaned there was no need for forgiveness... All along I had been refusing her the final right that was hers, to die when and where she wished. It's the most elemental power.'"
There's quite a bit that feels third-wave about it to me in theme. Much of the philosophy is overt, but there are some scenes that are particularly emblematic of challenging issues that might be triggering to some readers. The first chapter has a powerful attempted assault scene that is certainly hard to witness but is equally certainly the lived slave experience. The second story centers around a relationship with a manipulative white woman. A number of the settings involve prostitution, which makes story-sense to me; prostitution being a type of woman-owned business back in the day, and with mobile clientele, provides the perfect cover for long-lived people as well as a source of new sensations and experiences. I thought it good, moving, rooted in real emotion and likely well-researched (or lived) (what I know about history, meh) and not inclusive of certain things just to make a thematic point.
Gomez really writes it best:
"In Gilda, I created a character who escapes her sense of helplessness as a slave and gains the ultimate power over life and death. She becomes a witness over time to the injustices that humans visit upon one another... What began as fury has become a decades long pursuit in search of meaningful responses to these political and philosophical questions: What is family? How do we live inside our power and at the same time act responsibly? How do we build community? How do we connect authentically across gender, ethnicity, and class lines?"
Overall, feels a lot like Kindred by Butler, without the driving plot. Very worth it for genre fans who have tolerance for the literary fiction voice.
January 12, 2023
A modern vampire story in which the protagonist is gay, black, and female which makes her viewpoint different and unique. The story begins as the young girl has run away from the plantation she was enslaved in. She wakes In the barn she's sheltered in to a white man who intends to rape her and return her to slavery. In her second act of disobedience she kills him.
She meets two extraordinary women, Gilda and Lake, who take her in. They own a brothel, but have no intention of forcing her into this lifestyle, only intending to let her work in the household staff until she decides what to do. Soon, they initiate her into a secret life in which she will never die and she doesn't have to kill either. We follow her through the years up until 2050 when she must make her toughest decision yet.
She meets two extraordinary women, Gilda and Lake, who take her in. They own a brothel, but have no intention of forcing her into this lifestyle, only intending to let her work in the household staff until she decides what to do. Soon, they initiate her into a secret life in which she will never die and she doesn't have to kill either. We follow her through the years up until 2050 when she must make her toughest decision yet.
December 11, 2019
My first encounter with Gilda was by way of the 2015 anthology Ghost: 100 Stories to Read with the Lights On, edited by Louise Welsh. It includes a story from this book, ‘Off-Broadway, 1971’. I was instantly spellbound, and bought The Gilda Stories as soon as I’d finished it. (Literally. I read the story standing up in my kitchen, and ordered the book online before I’d even sat down; that's how rapt I was.)
The Gilda Stories introduces the title character as a slave girl in Louisiana, 1850. Some years later, she is made into a vampire, and each story relates a segment of her long and fascinating life. Yerba Buena (later known as San Francisco) in 1890; Missouri in 1921; Boston in 1955; New York in 1971 and 1981; plus two visions of the future, 2020 and 2050. (As the book was published in 1991, the way Gomez imagines 2020 is especially interesting! Once you get past the clunky technical details, the idea of people communicating with each other via private video channels is pretty prescient, as is the backdrop of increasing environmental decline.)
As my initial reading of ‘Off-Broadway, 1971’ proves, the stories can be enjoyed individually. But to read them in context is something else altogether. Despite the title, as I read I became more and more convinced that this is a novel – a more coherent work than any novel-in-stories I think I have ever read. The stories don’t just show us scenes from Gilda’s life, they build a bigger picture. What’s wonderful about that is that it has a genuine sense of scope; I believed in Gilda as someone who had lived for one hundred, two hundred years. Her character is developed slowly, meticulously. Her relationships deepen, grow in significance, and change in shape over the course of the years. There’s a rare thoughtfulness to Gilda’s progression.
The Gilda Stories is so rich with narrative and visual possibilities, I really can’t believe it hasn’t been made into a film. It’s basically Interview with the Vampire if the main character was a black lesbian. Plus there’s so much potential for sumptuous period settings and costumes. The time is now for someone to option it!
This book truly transported me. Just wonderful.
TinyLetter
The Gilda Stories introduces the title character as a slave girl in Louisiana, 1850. Some years later, she is made into a vampire, and each story relates a segment of her long and fascinating life. Yerba Buena (later known as San Francisco) in 1890; Missouri in 1921; Boston in 1955; New York in 1971 and 1981; plus two visions of the future, 2020 and 2050. (As the book was published in 1991, the way Gomez imagines 2020 is especially interesting! Once you get past the clunky technical details, the idea of people communicating with each other via private video channels is pretty prescient, as is the backdrop of increasing environmental decline.)
As my initial reading of ‘Off-Broadway, 1971’ proves, the stories can be enjoyed individually. But to read them in context is something else altogether. Despite the title, as I read I became more and more convinced that this is a novel – a more coherent work than any novel-in-stories I think I have ever read. The stories don’t just show us scenes from Gilda’s life, they build a bigger picture. What’s wonderful about that is that it has a genuine sense of scope; I believed in Gilda as someone who had lived for one hundred, two hundred years. Her character is developed slowly, meticulously. Her relationships deepen, grow in significance, and change in shape over the course of the years. There’s a rare thoughtfulness to Gilda’s progression.
The Gilda Stories is so rich with narrative and visual possibilities, I really can’t believe it hasn’t been made into a film. It’s basically Interview with the Vampire if the main character was a black lesbian. Plus there’s so much potential for sumptuous period settings and costumes. The time is now for someone to option it!
This book truly transported me. Just wonderful.
TinyLetter
January 6, 2015
As I enthusiastically told friends I was reading and immensely enjoying this cycle of lesbian vampire stories, I would get vaguely patronizing smiles in response–I guess anything vampire-related gets that reaction these days–forcing me to trumpet all the more Gomez’s dazzling ability to intricately braid together the stuff of history, race, desire, time, and (im)mortality into a series of narratives that are not only compulsively entertaining to read, but poignant and thought provoking as well. While there was admittedly a slight sense of diminishing returns as Gilda’s life narrative progressed over its 200+ year trajectory, the central character of Gilda herself–fundamentally invariable as the distinctive contexts around her change like so many grade school dioramas–remains ceaselessly riveting.
[Capsule review from the post My Year of Reading Queerly over at my blog, Queer Modernisms.]
[Capsule review from the post My Year of Reading Queerly over at my blog, Queer Modernisms.]
November 21, 2020
The first book about vampirism that I've read and this was really good. This book follows the life of Gilda for a two hundred year period, set in different parts of the U.S.
Beginning in Louisiana, we meet her as "The Girl", who has recently escaped the plantation where she and her family were enslaved. She is offered a home ina brothel named Woodard owned and operated by Gilda, and her lover Bird, who later brings her into her vampiric family and the protagonist takes her name too.
This was a thrilling read, one that examines power and cruelty and love. One of my favourite parts being "the exchange", in that the vampires here, the good ones at least, give something in return to what they take. Life in this fictional context can be an experience where individuals enrich each other by exchanging ideas, dreams, material and emotional support.
Each chapter was set in a different time and in a different location, this book was published in 1991 and the story itself stretches into 2020 and 2050. I'd say Jewelle Gomez correctly envisioned this year in a lot of ways, the destruction of the planet and mass panic and hysteria especially. This is a book that certainly deserves more readership, I don't understand why I've only come to know of this book's existence this year, and I would have probably gone a longer time without knowing of it had it not been for bookriot's "Black Queer Writers To Read" list. I'd highly recommend this to anyone that is interested in reading Spec Fiction.
Beginning in Louisiana, we meet her as "The Girl", who has recently escaped the plantation where she and her family were enslaved. She is offered a home ina brothel named Woodard owned and operated by Gilda, and her lover Bird, who later brings her into her vampiric family and the protagonist takes her name too.
This was a thrilling read, one that examines power and cruelty and love. One of my favourite parts being "the exchange", in that the vampires here, the good ones at least, give something in return to what they take. Life in this fictional context can be an experience where individuals enrich each other by exchanging ideas, dreams, material and emotional support.
Each chapter was set in a different time and in a different location, this book was published in 1991 and the story itself stretches into 2020 and 2050. I'd say Jewelle Gomez correctly envisioned this year in a lot of ways, the destruction of the planet and mass panic and hysteria especially. This is a book that certainly deserves more readership, I don't understand why I've only come to know of this book's existence this year, and I would have probably gone a longer time without knowing of it had it not been for bookriot's "Black Queer Writers To Read" list. I'd highly recommend this to anyone that is interested in reading Spec Fiction.
February 29, 2024
A cult classic lesbian vampire story that teases apart issues of race, sexuality, and the climate crisis that seemed to lose steam in the final chapter (added for the 25th anniversary).
While the ideas presented in this novel were interesting and worth consideration, I struggled to connect on an emotional level to the story or the characters. There was a certain distance, even from our protagonist, a cold, detached quality that never thawed. I also struggled with some of the boundary crossings between maternal and sexual relationships, though the characters were not biologically related.
Though interesting, the final chapter didn't feel cohesive with the rest of the narrative and left me a bit lost and confused. A sequel moving into the future, or possibly a short story, would have been more appropriate than tacking on a jaunt to the far future in a post-climate apocalypse sci-fi extravaganza. The tone shift was too extreme, and the grounded, naturalistic quality was lost.
This novel has more to offer in its thematic content than in its characters, which sadly made it less to my taste. Still, it's a solid vampire story that asks worthwhile questions.
Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse, racism, slavery, murder, blood, racial slurs, suicide
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While the ideas presented in this novel were interesting and worth consideration, I struggled to connect on an emotional level to the story or the characters. There was a certain distance, even from our protagonist, a cold, detached quality that never thawed. I also struggled with some of the boundary crossings between maternal and sexual relationships, though the characters were not biologically related.
Though interesting, the final chapter didn't feel cohesive with the rest of the narrative and left me a bit lost and confused. A sequel moving into the future, or possibly a short story, would have been more appropriate than tacking on a jaunt to the far future in a post-climate apocalypse sci-fi extravaganza. The tone shift was too extreme, and the grounded, naturalistic quality was lost.
This novel has more to offer in its thematic content than in its characters, which sadly made it less to my taste. Still, it's a solid vampire story that asks worthwhile questions.
Trigger/Content Warnings: sexual assault, sexual harassment, child sexual abuse, racism, slavery, murder, blood, racial slurs, suicide
You can find me on...
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You can join our book club over on Patreon...
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March 8, 2021
I had to sit with this one awhile. My expectations and the reality never once meshed. This *isn't* a vampire story. It's an allegory using the vampire mythos to discuss generational trauma. I'll talk about that more below.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things that were great:
-The vampirism. I thought this was an extremely clever use of the mythos, with nods to classic vampire stories and a fresh new set of eyes or uh...fangs, as the case may be.
-The concept. How do we heal from systemic abuses? How long would it realistically take? Can we fix it before it kills us? As this book smartly shows, the fear/greed combo that keeps racism ingrained in our society is the same that keeps us from dealing with the climate crisis.
-The joy. So often vampire stories are peak goth, (which I LOVE, not gonna lie) but this one was great because it asked why? Why can't they make communities? Why must they be territorial and solitary? And then it does! But also it is lovely to see black, queer, and feminine joy in times and settings that historically authors choose for the trauma they can discuss.
-The cast. I always look for my friends in books, and this book had so many of them!!! Black, queer women and fems, people outside the binary, sex workers, aspiring hearts, baby revolutionaries, dandies...it's just full of love for people who have always been in the story but who often get written out.
Things that got in my way:
-Very personal story. I feel that perhaps the author was speaking to or about real life people/places she knew and loved and wrote them in sort of her personal code. Which, not being "in" on that code made it hard for me to get into. There's a sense of distance, and the value of a relationship doesn't become obvious til one or more stories later. So, while I liked everyone, I understood none of them.
-Writing. Gomez is known for her poetry and short stories, so I expected tightly constructed stories that all say something. But we got slices of life instead, full of meaningless trivial anecdotes and pedestrian phrasing.
-No sense of location. Aside from the description of clothing and big movements going on in the world, I found little to ground me in a time and place. 1950s New York could well have been 1980s LA.
-The last chapter. I read the 25th anniversary version so there was a 2050 added. I liked that we see a lot about the climate, but I'm not sure what this whole chapter does for the ideas of the previous chapters. It felt out of place and inconclusive.
I had a really great conversation with my friend Puja that helped me find the gems in this book. It's hard because objectively I see things of great value, but subjectively I didn't enjoy reading it and had to do a lot of leg work to find the merits. Therefore I give this a grudging 3 stars because I think the things done well are exceptional and important, but I did not like the execution at all.
CONTENT WARNING:
Things that were great:
-The vampirism. I thought this was an extremely clever use of the mythos, with nods to classic vampire stories and a fresh new set of eyes or uh...fangs, as the case may be.
-The concept. How do we heal from systemic abuses? How long would it realistically take? Can we fix it before it kills us? As this book smartly shows, the fear/greed combo that keeps racism ingrained in our society is the same that keeps us from dealing with the climate crisis.
-The joy. So often vampire stories are peak goth, (which I LOVE, not gonna lie) but this one was great because it asked why? Why can't they make communities? Why must they be territorial and solitary? And then it does! But also it is lovely to see black, queer, and feminine joy in times and settings that historically authors choose for the trauma they can discuss.
-The cast. I always look for my friends in books, and this book had so many of them!!! Black, queer women and fems, people outside the binary, sex workers, aspiring hearts, baby revolutionaries, dandies...it's just full of love for people who have always been in the story but who often get written out.
Things that got in my way:
-Very personal story. I feel that perhaps the author was speaking to or about real life people/places she knew and loved and wrote them in sort of her personal code. Which, not being "in" on that code made it hard for me to get into. There's a sense of distance, and the value of a relationship doesn't become obvious til one or more stories later. So, while I liked everyone, I understood none of them.
-Writing. Gomez is known for her poetry and short stories, so I expected tightly constructed stories that all say something. But we got slices of life instead, full of meaningless trivial anecdotes and pedestrian phrasing.
-No sense of location. Aside from the description of clothing and big movements going on in the world, I found little to ground me in a time and place. 1950s New York could well have been 1980s LA.
-The last chapter. I read the 25th anniversary version so there was a 2050 added. I liked that we see a lot about the climate, but I'm not sure what this whole chapter does for the ideas of the previous chapters. It felt out of place and inconclusive.
I had a really great conversation with my friend Puja that helped me find the gems in this book. It's hard because objectively I see things of great value, but subjectively I didn't enjoy reading it and had to do a lot of leg work to find the merits. Therefore I give this a grudging 3 stars because I think the things done well are exceptional and important, but I did not like the execution at all.
August 10, 2018
I read my first Jewelle L. Goméz short story Storyville 1910 published in the Heiresses of Russ 2011 a year ago. It was about Gilda - the main character – visiting Woodards, the place that used to be her home. I found The Gilda Stories while I was looking for more information about the author and was so happy that I was able to read more about this intriguing black lesbian vampire.
Goméz wrote the book in the early 90ies, way before Buffy and those sparkling Twilight twats and I think if you are partial to the genre, you cannot miss having this book in your collection. I think it’s an essential read. Here are a few other indorsements:
“This revolutionary classic by a pioneer in black speculative fiction will delight and inspire generations to come.” —Tananarive Due, author of Ghost Summer
“The Gilda Stories was ahead of its time when it was first published in 1991, and this anniversary edition reminds us why it’s still an important novel. Gomez’s characters are rooted in historical reality yet lift seductively out of it, to trouble traditional models of family, identity, and literary genre and imagine for us bold new patterns. A lush, exciting, inspiring read.” —Sarah Waters, author of Tipping the Velvet
“Gilda’s body knows silk, telepathy, lavender, longing, timeless love, and so much blood. With sensory, action-packed prose and a poet’s eye for beauty, Jewelle Gomez gives us an empathy transfusion. This all-American novel of the undead is a life-affirming read.” —Lenelle Moïse, author of Haiti Glass
“Jewelle Gomez’s sense of culture and her grasp of history are as penetrating now as twenty-five years ago, and perhaps more so, given the current challenges to black lives. From ‘Louisiana 1850’ to ‘Land of Enchantment 2050,’ from New Orleans to Macchu Pichu, through endless tides of blood and timeless evocations of place, Gilda’s ensemble of players transports me through two hundred years and a second century of black feminist literary practice and prophecy.” —Cheryl Clarke, author of Living As A Lesbian
f/f
Themes: expect no vampiric grandstanding, this has a whole different approach, don’t expect explicit sex scenes either, the scenes are subtle and poetic, there is blood and there is violence but overall it is a positive story.
5 stars
Goméz wrote the book in the early 90ies, way before Buffy and those sparkling Twilight twats and I think if you are partial to the genre, you cannot miss having this book in your collection. I think it’s an essential read. Here are a few other indorsements:
“This revolutionary classic by a pioneer in black speculative fiction will delight and inspire generations to come.” —Tananarive Due, author of Ghost Summer
“The Gilda Stories was ahead of its time when it was first published in 1991, and this anniversary edition reminds us why it’s still an important novel. Gomez’s characters are rooted in historical reality yet lift seductively out of it, to trouble traditional models of family, identity, and literary genre and imagine for us bold new patterns. A lush, exciting, inspiring read.” —Sarah Waters, author of Tipping the Velvet
“Gilda’s body knows silk, telepathy, lavender, longing, timeless love, and so much blood. With sensory, action-packed prose and a poet’s eye for beauty, Jewelle Gomez gives us an empathy transfusion. This all-American novel of the undead is a life-affirming read.” —Lenelle Moïse, author of Haiti Glass
“Jewelle Gomez’s sense of culture and her grasp of history are as penetrating now as twenty-five years ago, and perhaps more so, given the current challenges to black lives. From ‘Louisiana 1850’ to ‘Land of Enchantment 2050,’ from New Orleans to Macchu Pichu, through endless tides of blood and timeless evocations of place, Gilda’s ensemble of players transports me through two hundred years and a second century of black feminist literary practice and prophecy.” —Cheryl Clarke, author of Living As A Lesbian
f/f
Themes: expect no vampiric grandstanding, this has a whole different approach, don’t expect explicit sex scenes either, the scenes are subtle and poetic, there is blood and there is violence but overall it is a positive story.
5 stars
August 29, 2023
3.5 stars rounded up
The Gilda Stories is really interesting as a piece of queer Black feminist fiction and feels like a modern classic. Re-conceptualizing vampire mythology around a formerly enslaved Black lesbian with a significant queer indigenous side character truly puts a different spin on this kind of tale. We see Gilda come of age across two hundred years as she interacts with different times, places, people, and Black movements. It ends in an imagined future that is quite cautionary.
As a novel, the writing style is a bit dense and it's covering a lot of ground in very few pages, which makes it a less than ideal reading experience. But I really think it's worth the trouble and would make for a great addition to curricula. I'm glad I finally got around to this one and would love to see more queer vampire stories centering people of color.
The Gilda Stories is really interesting as a piece of queer Black feminist fiction and feels like a modern classic. Re-conceptualizing vampire mythology around a formerly enslaved Black lesbian with a significant queer indigenous side character truly puts a different spin on this kind of tale. We see Gilda come of age across two hundred years as she interacts with different times, places, people, and Black movements. It ends in an imagined future that is quite cautionary.
As a novel, the writing style is a bit dense and it's covering a lot of ground in very few pages, which makes it a less than ideal reading experience. But I really think it's worth the trouble and would make for a great addition to curricula. I'm glad I finally got around to this one and would love to see more queer vampire stories centering people of color.
October 31, 2020
I was sent this book as a review copy by the publisher via Edelweiss for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This book was so good. It’s about a Black runaway enslaved girl who's taken under the wing of two vampire women who are a couple. When she is old enough to be able to decide for herself, she lets herself be turned into a vampire under the promise of keeping alive the “ethical code” by which her mentors live (never take anything without leaving something behind). This is material of the first story: the one after that are all different stories that take place many years apart with the same protagonist, Gilda, who makes herself a life (or many lives) as a vampire.
This book is a both a classic for lesbian representation and Black representation. Black lesbian vampires are not something you see often even now and it was groundbreaking back then. This being older than the books I usually read meant it was not the easiest read for me, but it kept me engaged the whole time and I found the themes and lives that Gilda lives fascinating.
The different stories offer a great variety of themes ranging from love, attraction, friendship and morals. I did not expect to find such great queer representation and even a beautiful wlw/mlm friendship/found family but it was so heartwarming to see. My favorite thing was how we see Gilda many decades apart in each story and seeing how she had adapted every time to a new way of life, seeing her different struggles and the different people she surrounded herself with. I've read so many books where the protagonists are immortal but this is truly the first time I can say a book made me long for the kind of infinite possibilities you can have if you know you're not going to die unless you choose to. Trying out new jobs, new arts, deciding you've outgrown a place and finding a new one: this book captures these things perfectly and although it might have been marginal compared to the deeper themes it talked about, it also left a big nostalgic hole in my heart for the lives I'll never live because I'm, unfortunately, not an immortal vampire.
Overall I found this such a powerful read and I have no doubt that as a white woman I couldn't fully grasp the depth of many parts of it, but I still want to recommend it to everyone. Just like Gilda always leaves something behind after taking some, the time you dedicate to reading this won't go unrewarded, and you'll be left a richer person than you were.
This book was so good. It’s about a Black runaway enslaved girl who's taken under the wing of two vampire women who are a couple. When she is old enough to be able to decide for herself, she lets herself be turned into a vampire under the promise of keeping alive the “ethical code” by which her mentors live (never take anything without leaving something behind). This is material of the first story: the one after that are all different stories that take place many years apart with the same protagonist, Gilda, who makes herself a life (or many lives) as a vampire.
This book is a both a classic for lesbian representation and Black representation. Black lesbian vampires are not something you see often even now and it was groundbreaking back then. This being older than the books I usually read meant it was not the easiest read for me, but it kept me engaged the whole time and I found the themes and lives that Gilda lives fascinating.
The different stories offer a great variety of themes ranging from love, attraction, friendship and morals. I did not expect to find such great queer representation and even a beautiful wlw/mlm friendship/found family but it was so heartwarming to see. My favorite thing was how we see Gilda many decades apart in each story and seeing how she had adapted every time to a new way of life, seeing her different struggles and the different people she surrounded herself with. I've read so many books where the protagonists are immortal but this is truly the first time I can say a book made me long for the kind of infinite possibilities you can have if you know you're not going to die unless you choose to. Trying out new jobs, new arts, deciding you've outgrown a place and finding a new one: this book captures these things perfectly and although it might have been marginal compared to the deeper themes it talked about, it also left a big nostalgic hole in my heart for the lives I'll never live because I'm, unfortunately, not an immortal vampire.
Overall I found this such a powerful read and I have no doubt that as a white woman I couldn't fully grasp the depth of many parts of it, but I still want to recommend it to everyone. Just like Gilda always leaves something behind after taking some, the time you dedicate to reading this won't go unrewarded, and you'll be left a richer person than you were.
Read
February 29, 2024Clearly, the Gilda Stories is the number one most underrated vampire, sapphic romance book of our time. I have never heard anyone ever recommend it in any of my bookish communities and it's shocking, to be honest.
Gilda, who begins simply as "The Girl", is a runaway enslaved child. She is almost brutally overcome by a plantation owner but she stabs him with a kitchen knife and hides out in the basement of a brothel in New Orleans.
The owner of this house of ill repute, is a woman named "Gilda" (if she's the original Gilda, we never really know). Gilda is a vampire who is ready to "be with the universe again" so she transfers her love and power to "The Girl" who becomes the new, Gilda.
"We take blood, not life, and leave something in exchange."
The book follows Gilda through centuries as she navigates the world with the fear of *not* dying and her quest to find her chosen family. Her loved ones.
"The past does not lie down and decay like a dead animal, Aurelia. It waits for you to find it again and again."
"The present no longer existed: her life was a line stretched through time--humming with the wind, taut and delicate, strong and wiry."
For sure make time to read the afterword. It says everything I would want to say
Gilda, who begins simply as "The Girl", is a runaway enslaved child. She is almost brutally overcome by a plantation owner but she stabs him with a kitchen knife and hides out in the basement of a brothel in New Orleans.
The owner of this house of ill repute, is a woman named "Gilda" (if she's the original Gilda, we never really know). Gilda is a vampire who is ready to "be with the universe again" so she transfers her love and power to "The Girl" who becomes the new, Gilda.
"We take blood, not life, and leave something in exchange."
The book follows Gilda through centuries as she navigates the world with the fear of *not* dying and her quest to find her chosen family. Her loved ones.
"The past does not lie down and decay like a dead animal, Aurelia. It waits for you to find it again and again."
"The present no longer existed: her life was a line stretched through time--humming with the wind, taut and delicate, strong and wiry."
For sure make time to read the afterword. It says everything I would want to say
September 14, 2013
First and foremost, I am not one for vampire novels. Vampires on the silver screen, or even the TV, I can deal with. But I’m afraid Stephanie Meyer ruined vampire literature for me. If you’re a Twilight fan, I’m very sorry, but I deplore the entire series for a number of reason–if you’d like them, well, leave some comments and I’ll write up a separate post for that. Anyway… the vampires I like are the ones from Buffy the Vampire Slayer–Spike, I’ll find a leather jacket like yours someday and bleach my hair for Halloween! (Ding, got my costume for this year.) The whole craze of the blood sucking undead is something don’t understand. Maybe I’m looking into it too much but the infatuation of the immortal seems a deep rooted issue when people question their own mortality–whether they are thinking of this consciously or not, the fascination with vampires stems from our fear of death. Books that have death as the most dire of consequences do not typically agree with me, as death seems to the most natural of occurrences once you make friends with that dreadful thing I mentioned before–mortality, and so vampire syndrome–the want to live forever and have airbrushed, yet chiseled abs, bores me to now end.
But The Gilda Stories takes a much different approach. Indeed, though the protagonist, and her friends are vampires, this is only a cunning construct the author uses to tell a much bigger story.
Deep down The Gilda Stories is about who we call family and why, where we call home and how we find it, how to constantly feel like an outsider and still be yourself. The vampire aspect of this books is secondary, Gomez only uses it as a way for her protagonist to live forever. Unlike most vampire novels who have a very US/THEM complex going on, between humans and vampires, The Gilda Stories uses this in other ways. Yes, Gilda is a vampire, and so immortal, set apart from humans, but she is nevertheless connected to humans in a more intimate manner than humans are connected to each other.
The structure of the this novel is quite intriguing. There are 8 chapters, each taking place in a different year. The first chapter is in 1850, the last 2050. The way Gilda and her friends change with the times is skillfully written, and serves as a mirror, a way for us to look at ourselves.
I can imagine that it would be easy to read the back cover of this book and dismiss it as escapist fantasy. But that would be a poor assessment of this novel. The issues it deals with are serious issues. Ones that do not let the reader escape from there lives, but makes them think about our cultures from the past, present, future. Who will we become? how do we want to shape our world? Do we have the power to shape it ourselves?
In the end The Gilda Stories will appeal to a larger audience than the Vampire Faithful. In fact it may turn some of the Vampire Faithful off because the plot is based in humanity, not the creates of the night. A good read. Look for it in your independent bookstore before going to the internet!
But The Gilda Stories takes a much different approach. Indeed, though the protagonist, and her friends are vampires, this is only a cunning construct the author uses to tell a much bigger story.
Deep down The Gilda Stories is about who we call family and why, where we call home and how we find it, how to constantly feel like an outsider and still be yourself. The vampire aspect of this books is secondary, Gomez only uses it as a way for her protagonist to live forever. Unlike most vampire novels who have a very US/THEM complex going on, between humans and vampires, The Gilda Stories uses this in other ways. Yes, Gilda is a vampire, and so immortal, set apart from humans, but she is nevertheless connected to humans in a more intimate manner than humans are connected to each other.
The structure of the this novel is quite intriguing. There are 8 chapters, each taking place in a different year. The first chapter is in 1850, the last 2050. The way Gilda and her friends change with the times is skillfully written, and serves as a mirror, a way for us to look at ourselves.
I can imagine that it would be easy to read the back cover of this book and dismiss it as escapist fantasy. But that would be a poor assessment of this novel. The issues it deals with are serious issues. Ones that do not let the reader escape from there lives, but makes them think about our cultures from the past, present, future. Who will we become? how do we want to shape our world? Do we have the power to shape it ourselves?
In the end The Gilda Stories will appeal to a larger audience than the Vampire Faithful. In fact it may turn some of the Vampire Faithful off because the plot is based in humanity, not the creates of the night. A good read. Look for it in your independent bookstore before going to the internet!
February 21, 2021
This was the second book I read in August that was 1) originally published in 1991 and 2) heavily informed by feminist and environmentalist thinking. Of the two, the Gilda Stories hold up much better today, 27 years on. There's plenty of technological detail in the futuristic settings that's outdated, but the ideas themselves are still extraordinarily relevant. There is some really gorgeous reflection in these stories about family, love, and community, about the tension between fitting in and finding your own way, and about power and mutuality. Sometimes the writing style was a little challenging, but all in all this is a really wonderful and important book.
January 14, 2022
Sometimes you read an old book and think, “Oh my God, how did this slip out of the canon?”; sometimes you realize some forgotten classics are justly forgotten. The ideas and themes here are fascinating and ahead of their time, but the text itself is awkward and ungainly, with characters and places that never really come alive.
March 22, 2019
2.5 stars*
The Gilda Stories are a series of episodic tales spanning 200 years, beginning in 1850 and ending in 2050, that follow a black, lesbian vampire. Gilda is a young girl when she escapes slavery and is changed into a vampire as a young adult. The bulk of this story is centered on Gilda's aimless wandering as she comes to terms with her immortality and her connections to her found family.
Before I air out my grievances, I'll start by addressing all the themes I loved. Gilda and her family take a very thoughtful approach to feeding and drinking blood. They do not kill humans and even look at the feeding as more of an exchange or symbiosis. Vampires need blood as a life force so they also make sure to leave something behind. For instance a pleasant dream or resolve to do good. This exchange and writing surrounding the exchange when a vampire feeds were probably my favorite parts of the story.
Gilda has deep, meaningful connections with her vampire chose family. The idea of a found family is very common for queer folx and queer folx of color. I loved how Gilda is accepted and connects with other vampires which are her family. In a way, this is a vampire story used to explore queer identity and connections to both familial and intimate relations over bloodshed and death.
I had issues with the sense of the time and place with each of these chapters. The structure of the novel, often skips ahead decades, and while it was a gentle reading experience in allowing some time to gather information and settle in with Gilda (in each new place and with its set of new faces and friends and lovers), it was very disjointed. Once I finally acclimated to this new chapter in time, the story would often leapt to another. There are also hints of the social justice issues or political climates of each time period, but many times (especially towards the end) I wanted more in terms of the world building of each chapter.
The next gripe I have is a bit of a spoiler.
Later, the story drags on and I got frustrated because I didn't get a sense of Gilda's calling. The repetitive idea of finding Bird was a perpetual, lifelong motivation and I didn't even feel this was Gilda's own calling. It was more of a calling forced upon her by the nature of her being a vampire. I then doubted whether any of Gilda's motivations were her own or the original Gilda's or maybe even Bird's.
I also had some issues with the romanticization of some of the familial relationships with other family members - particularly with Bird. However, the intermingling of the nurturing motherly and sensual relationship were details which weren't for me.
So while I can say I am glad I read this novel - I do still feel very conflicted about it. The Gilda Stories explores issues of queerness, sexism, and racism without needless violence and provides an interesting look at human-vampire relationships. However, I felt the chapters lacked the strength of world building needed for such vast skips between time and space. Gilda, as a protagonist, also didn’t have complete agency over her journey for my liking.
The Gilda Stories are a series of episodic tales spanning 200 years, beginning in 1850 and ending in 2050, that follow a black, lesbian vampire. Gilda is a young girl when she escapes slavery and is changed into a vampire as a young adult. The bulk of this story is centered on Gilda's aimless wandering as she comes to terms with her immortality and her connections to her found family.
Before I air out my grievances, I'll start by addressing all the themes I loved. Gilda and her family take a very thoughtful approach to feeding and drinking blood. They do not kill humans and even look at the feeding as more of an exchange or symbiosis. Vampires need blood as a life force so they also make sure to leave something behind. For instance a pleasant dream or resolve to do good. This exchange and writing surrounding the exchange when a vampire feeds were probably my favorite parts of the story.
Gilda has deep, meaningful connections with her vampire chose family. The idea of a found family is very common for queer folx and queer folx of color. I loved how Gilda is accepted and connects with other vampires which are her family. In a way, this is a vampire story used to explore queer identity and connections to both familial and intimate relations over bloodshed and death.
I had issues with the sense of the time and place with each of these chapters. The structure of the novel, often skips ahead decades, and while it was a gentle reading experience in allowing some time to gather information and settle in with Gilda (in each new place and with its set of new faces and friends and lovers), it was very disjointed. Once I finally acclimated to this new chapter in time, the story would often leapt to another. There are also hints of the social justice issues or political climates of each time period, but many times (especially towards the end) I wanted more in terms of the world building of each chapter.
The next gripe I have is a bit of a spoiler.
Later, the story drags on and I got frustrated because I didn't get a sense of Gilda's calling. The repetitive idea of finding Bird was a perpetual, lifelong motivation and I didn't even feel this was Gilda's own calling. It was more of a calling forced upon her by the nature of her being a vampire. I then doubted whether any of Gilda's motivations were her own or the original Gilda's or maybe even Bird's.
I also had some issues with the romanticization of some of the familial relationships with other family members - particularly with Bird. However, the intermingling of the nurturing motherly and sensual relationship were details which weren't for me.
So while I can say I am glad I read this novel - I do still feel very conflicted about it. The Gilda Stories explores issues of queerness, sexism, and racism without needless violence and provides an interesting look at human-vampire relationships. However, I felt the chapters lacked the strength of world building needed for such vast skips between time and space. Gilda, as a protagonist, also didn’t have complete agency over her journey for my liking.
April 24, 2021
This is a cult classic of black queer literature, it's a vampire book with vampirism as a metaphor (but then isn't it always the case).
This is a book The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue wishes it can be.
It is episodic story of the life of an immortal lesbian ex-slave trough the centuries well into the 2050. It's about longing for a family and home, loneliness and people leaving you, and still the yearning for connection is there. It's about outcasts creating their narratives and fighting and winning. It's about nonconforming.
She didn’t want to offend her new and intriguing friend but recognized immediately what she would feel most comfortable in: pants—whatever effect that had on the society that Sorel proposed to introduce her into. She decided she was already outside of it. Most would only see her as a former slave, so why should she force herself to emulate them unnecessarily.
And you get to feel that Gilda lived these years, lived through history. She is changing with times but also she stays true to herself. She has meaningful connection through the years and these people leave their mark on her.
She had expected to only pass a night or two and then be on the road again. The darkness of night’s roads no longer seemed as inviting. The prospect of resting, healing, learning, drew her.
****
But many of the years were simply a broad strip of darkness into which she peered, out of which she could draw little. Whenever she wanted to remember them she read through her journal as she had just done, but still they held little meaning for her. Most decades were dazed watercolor views sketched from a distance. They provided a precise narrative of journeys but few sensations.
****
“Each time I thought taking a stand, fighting a war would bring the solution to the demons that haunted us. Each time I thought slavery or fanaticism could be banished from the earth with a law or a battle. Each time I’ve been wrong. I’ve run out of that youthful caring, and I know we must believe in possibilities in order to go on. I no longer believe. At least for myself.”
“But the war is important. People have got to be free to live.”
“Yes, and that will no doubt be accomplished. But for men to need war to make freedom… I have never understood. Now I am tired of trying to understand. There are those of our kind who kill every time they go out into the night. They say they need this exhiliration in order to live this life. They are simply murderers. They have no special need; they are rabid children. In our life, we who live by sharing the life blood of others have no need to kill. It is through our connection with life, not death, that we live.”
It’s a beautifully written tender story and how is it a debut?
This is a book The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue wishes it can be.
It is episodic story of the life of an immortal lesbian ex-slave trough the centuries well into the 2050. It's about longing for a family and home, loneliness and people leaving you, and still the yearning for connection is there. It's about outcasts creating their narratives and fighting and winning. It's about nonconforming.
She didn’t want to offend her new and intriguing friend but recognized immediately what she would feel most comfortable in: pants—whatever effect that had on the society that Sorel proposed to introduce her into. She decided she was already outside of it. Most would only see her as a former slave, so why should she force herself to emulate them unnecessarily.
And you get to feel that Gilda lived these years, lived through history. She is changing with times but also she stays true to herself. She has meaningful connection through the years and these people leave their mark on her.
She had expected to only pass a night or two and then be on the road again. The darkness of night’s roads no longer seemed as inviting. The prospect of resting, healing, learning, drew her.
****
But many of the years were simply a broad strip of darkness into which she peered, out of which she could draw little. Whenever she wanted to remember them she read through her journal as she had just done, but still they held little meaning for her. Most decades were dazed watercolor views sketched from a distance. They provided a precise narrative of journeys but few sensations.
****
“Each time I thought taking a stand, fighting a war would bring the solution to the demons that haunted us. Each time I thought slavery or fanaticism could be banished from the earth with a law or a battle. Each time I’ve been wrong. I’ve run out of that youthful caring, and I know we must believe in possibilities in order to go on. I no longer believe. At least for myself.”
“But the war is important. People have got to be free to live.”
“Yes, and that will no doubt be accomplished. But for men to need war to make freedom… I have never understood. Now I am tired of trying to understand. There are those of our kind who kill every time they go out into the night. They say they need this exhiliration in order to live this life. They are simply murderers. They have no special need; they are rabid children. In our life, we who live by sharing the life blood of others have no need to kill. It is through our connection with life, not death, that we live.”
It’s a beautifully written tender story and how is it a debut?
April 1, 2018
4.5 Stars
6.5/7 Cowries
Watch my review here: https://youtu.be/rPsFY549ssA
6.5/7 Cowries
Watch my review here: https://youtu.be/rPsFY549ssA
November 20, 2023
"The Gilda Stories" is one of those books that I've known about for a long time, have wanted to read for a long time, but somehow or other never got around to actually reading. Thankfully this book was chosen for one of the monthly WBTM reads!
Gilda's stories are recounted in a series of chronological frames, from the 1850s New Orleans cathouse where she is turned into a vampire, through Gold Rush era California, several stops in 20th century, and then finally to a dystopian near future. Through all of this, Gilda learns to connect with the people around her, always searching for a sense of real family after a traumatic childhood spent in plantation slavery. I loved the opening chapters of Gilda's origins much more than the middle of the book. I'm still conflicted about the vision of the future that the author writes. But I am heartened to read of the author's website that there are additional Gilda stories around, which I need to search out.
Great story, fundamental for black feminism and identity. Kudos.
Gilda's stories are recounted in a series of chronological frames, from the 1850s New Orleans cathouse where she is turned into a vampire, through Gold Rush era California, several stops in 20th century, and then finally to a dystopian near future. Through all of this, Gilda learns to connect with the people around her, always searching for a sense of real family after a traumatic childhood spent in plantation slavery. I loved the opening chapters of Gilda's origins much more than the middle of the book. I'm still conflicted about the vision of the future that the author writes. But I am heartened to read of the author's website that there are additional Gilda stories around, which I need to search out.
Great story, fundamental for black feminism and identity. Kudos.
October 13, 2020
4.25 Lovely and thought-provoking
September 8, 2025
In 1850 Louisiana, a young Black woman, simply called the Girl at first, narrowly escapes being captured and taken back into slavery. A Creole woman named Gilda takes her to her home, a brothel, and takes care of her. Gilda is no ordinary woman. She and her lover Bird, a Lakota woman, are both vampires, and after some years pass and much pondering they bring the Girl into vampirism. The original Gilda decides to face the final death and the Girl becomes Gilda herself and learns about and embraces her new, immortal life.
Over the many, many years, Gilda will meet other vampires, seek communion with both them and humans, and find love and friendship among other Black women, especially Black lesbians. During these long years, Gilda ponders if she still can remain close to humanity.
Although this book had a slow start, I did end up enjoying it. The Gilda Stories is a more contemplative look at the nature of the vampire from the perspective of a Black lesbian woman than an action-packed urban fantasy or Gothic horror story; though you could argue there are softened elements of the latter peppered throughout. Don't expect for anything high octane--there are a few fight scenes and tension taut moments though that are done generally well for a book that isn't focuses on such moments--and I was perfectly fine with that as Jewelle Gomez has a lot to say in Gilda's story (or stories).
What I found most interesting about Gilda herself is how empathetic and kind she was despite everything she had been through. She was a former slave who experienced racism over the centuries, some sexism, unrequited love, and threats of violence from both humans and vampires. Despite it all, she remained incredibly kind and thoughtful, never wanting to truly kill unless she absolutely had to. Even when she reflects on the moment at the beginning of the book where a white men tried to rape her and take her back to slavery and had to kill him, she states she isn't upset that she did kill only that it had to come to that. Gomez thankfully avoids the whole "I don't kill because I will become like them" schtick and it appears that the reason, or part of it, Gilda doesn't want to kill is because she still longs for a connection with humanity. This longing for connection is mostly felt in the scenes where Gilda feels love for other Black women; not only romantic or sexual love, but the love of a sister, friend, mentor, etc. Some of the women she meets, like Aurelia, she secretly hopes would return her affections, but alas it is not so.
I think this is also just what makes The Gilda Stories refreshing in terms of a vampire novel is just how mostly kind Gilda and the other vampires are to each other. There are at least two vampires, Samuel and Eleanor, who are not kind and seem to be stuck in some sort of abusive cycle with each other. Eleanor is actually the first woman Gilda kisses, despite her feelings for Bird, who at the time left to journey the country, and Gilda is both attracted to her and fears her. Samuel is/was Eleanor's on and off lover, who was also a lover to his wife and somehow played a part in her death. Sorel, another vampire and father-like figure to Gilda, regrets bringing them both into vampirism because such an immortal life is not good for people like them, which I agree with. We do get a conclusion for Eleanor that seemed suitable to the trajectory she was going off-page, but I felt disappointed by Samuel which felt unresolved. He harbored hatred towards Gilda over the years and in one of the later sections, it was clear he was stalking her in the same city, but after Gilda leaves that city...nothing. Did Samuel continue to hate her? Why wasn't there a final confrontation of some sort at some point?
Anyway, back to the whole kindness between vampires. It isn't a "cozy" kindness or "nobody's problematic" kindness, but a genuine desire to feel kindship amount each other. This is why bringing someone into vampirism is such a big deal for them and while the actual scenes of exchanging blood to complete the transformation are both so intimate and sensual. The original initiates the transformation with our Gilda and then Bird completes it; the scenes with the latter woman reveal this intimacy. They embrace like lovers, spill blood into each other's mouths, and even drink the blood from a wound beneath each other's breasts. And then Bird and Gilda becomes lovers and hunt together. Gilda changes two other people and exchanges blood with them, Julius--the sole man Gilda has any kind of intimate encounter with--and Ermis. The scenes with them are just sensual and intimate and after their transformations Gilda instills in them not only the How-Tos of being a vampire, but the serious of connection between one another. Even when vampires take blood from humans to feed, it's done with a sense of care and compassion. When they feed off humans, they project into their minds pleasant thoughts.
It's just...such a unique look at vampirism beyond the typical "You feel this exhilarating, forbidden rush" when the vampire drinks from you that I wish this was explored more in the vampire genre.
Although Gilda remain kind through the book, I would not say she remains naïve. As the years past and her and other Black Americans are faced with the prejudices and discriminations of the world, she wizens up. And yet, that longing for a connection with humanity and that question with what to do with her immoral life still lingers. I would say that Gilda finally knows what to do with these feelings by the novel's bittersweet end, though that's probably because the state of the world then is very much dire and she realizes (with Bird's advice) what needs to be done for her and the other vampires to all stay alive and together. Some might see this development as rushed, but I don't. More of a wake up call than anything.
I enjoyed most of the other characters, even if some of their decisions made me angry, though perhaps that was the point. Gilda forms a great connection with them all, especially Anthony, Sorel's lover. Even those we only saw for one section were great and memorable too. What I enjoyed the most about them is how many queer people we say hiding in the shadows throughout history--perhaps another reason Gomez chose a vampire as her subject matter. While I would not say it's a fully exploratory view, we do see a good amount, mostly through Gilda herself in the beginning, of butch Black lesbians. Gilda occasionally wavers into femme territory with her presentation, but she is mostly comfortable in "masculine" clothes. Gilda's relationships and desires with other women are explored emotionally on page, even if she is not always reciprocated.
As I said, the ending's kind of bittersweet. Writing back in the 1990s, Gomez was able to predict some things about the future ahead of her, even if not 100% accurate. She also predicted the dire state of the world, but also the undying resistance to give up even with our backs against the walls. That sense of community and connection keeps Gilda going; as it should for all of us. I do feel that some of sections, each one taking place in a different era, ended anti-climatically, but I feel that the very ending makes up for it somewhat.
The pacing is slow in the beginning, but it does pick up. The prose is very readable, atmospheric, and psychological. I will say that it is omnificent third person with some head-hopping in the same chapters or even paragraphs; it was a bit jarring at first, but I got used to it. But we read everyone's thoughts and perceptions of each other and I was fine with that.
I liked this, and yes, a TV series is in development. Hopefully something to match AMC's Interview with the Vampire.
Over the many, many years, Gilda will meet other vampires, seek communion with both them and humans, and find love and friendship among other Black women, especially Black lesbians. During these long years, Gilda ponders if she still can remain close to humanity.
Although this book had a slow start, I did end up enjoying it. The Gilda Stories is a more contemplative look at the nature of the vampire from the perspective of a Black lesbian woman than an action-packed urban fantasy or Gothic horror story; though you could argue there are softened elements of the latter peppered throughout. Don't expect for anything high octane--there are a few fight scenes and tension taut moments though that are done generally well for a book that isn't focuses on such moments--and I was perfectly fine with that as Jewelle Gomez has a lot to say in Gilda's story (or stories).
What I found most interesting about Gilda herself is how empathetic and kind she was despite everything she had been through. She was a former slave who experienced racism over the centuries, some sexism, unrequited love, and threats of violence from both humans and vampires. Despite it all, she remained incredibly kind and thoughtful, never wanting to truly kill unless she absolutely had to. Even when she reflects on the moment at the beginning of the book where a white men tried to rape her and take her back to slavery and had to kill him, she states she isn't upset that she did kill only that it had to come to that. Gomez thankfully avoids the whole "I don't kill because I will become like them" schtick and it appears that the reason, or part of it, Gilda doesn't want to kill is because she still longs for a connection with humanity. This longing for connection is mostly felt in the scenes where Gilda feels love for other Black women; not only romantic or sexual love, but the love of a sister, friend, mentor, etc. Some of the women she meets, like Aurelia, she secretly hopes would return her affections, but alas it is not so.
I think this is also just what makes The Gilda Stories refreshing in terms of a vampire novel is just how mostly kind Gilda and the other vampires are to each other. There are at least two vampires, Samuel and Eleanor, who are not kind and seem to be stuck in some sort of abusive cycle with each other. Eleanor is actually the first woman Gilda kisses, despite her feelings for Bird, who at the time left to journey the country, and Gilda is both attracted to her and fears her. Samuel is/was Eleanor's on and off lover, who was also a lover to his wife and somehow played a part in her death. Sorel, another vampire and father-like figure to Gilda, regrets bringing them both into vampirism because such an immortal life is not good for people like them, which I agree with. We do get a conclusion for Eleanor that seemed suitable to the trajectory she was going off-page, but I felt disappointed by Samuel which felt unresolved. He harbored hatred towards Gilda over the years and in one of the later sections, it was clear he was stalking her in the same city, but after Gilda leaves that city...nothing. Did Samuel continue to hate her? Why wasn't there a final confrontation of some sort at some point?
Anyway, back to the whole kindness between vampires. It isn't a "cozy" kindness or "nobody's problematic" kindness, but a genuine desire to feel kindship amount each other. This is why bringing someone into vampirism is such a big deal for them and while the actual scenes of exchanging blood to complete the transformation are both so intimate and sensual. The original initiates the transformation with our Gilda and then Bird completes it; the scenes with the latter woman reveal this intimacy. They embrace like lovers, spill blood into each other's mouths, and even drink the blood from a wound beneath each other's breasts. And then Bird and Gilda becomes lovers and hunt together. Gilda changes two other people and exchanges blood with them, Julius--the sole man Gilda has any kind of intimate encounter with--and Ermis. The scenes with them are just sensual and intimate and after their transformations Gilda instills in them not only the How-Tos of being a vampire, but the serious of connection between one another. Even when vampires take blood from humans to feed, it's done with a sense of care and compassion. When they feed off humans, they project into their minds pleasant thoughts.
It's just...such a unique look at vampirism beyond the typical "You feel this exhilarating, forbidden rush" when the vampire drinks from you that I wish this was explored more in the vampire genre.
Although Gilda remain kind through the book, I would not say she remains naïve. As the years past and her and other Black Americans are faced with the prejudices and discriminations of the world, she wizens up. And yet, that longing for a connection with humanity and that question with what to do with her immoral life still lingers. I would say that Gilda finally knows what to do with these feelings by the novel's bittersweet end, though that's probably because the state of the world then is very much dire and she realizes (with Bird's advice) what needs to be done for her and the other vampires to all stay alive and together. Some might see this development as rushed, but I don't. More of a wake up call than anything.
I enjoyed most of the other characters, even if some of their decisions made me angry, though perhaps that was the point. Gilda forms a great connection with them all, especially Anthony, Sorel's lover. Even those we only saw for one section were great and memorable too. What I enjoyed the most about them is how many queer people we say hiding in the shadows throughout history--perhaps another reason Gomez chose a vampire as her subject matter. While I would not say it's a fully exploratory view, we do see a good amount, mostly through Gilda herself in the beginning, of butch Black lesbians. Gilda occasionally wavers into femme territory with her presentation, but she is mostly comfortable in "masculine" clothes. Gilda's relationships and desires with other women are explored emotionally on page, even if she is not always reciprocated.
As I said, the ending's kind of bittersweet. Writing back in the 1990s, Gomez was able to predict some things about the future ahead of her, even if not 100% accurate. She also predicted the dire state of the world, but also the undying resistance to give up even with our backs against the walls. That sense of community and connection keeps Gilda going; as it should for all of us. I do feel that some of sections, each one taking place in a different era, ended anti-climatically, but I feel that the very ending makes up for it somewhat.
The pacing is slow in the beginning, but it does pick up. The prose is very readable, atmospheric, and psychological. I will say that it is omnificent third person with some head-hopping in the same chapters or even paragraphs; it was a bit jarring at first, but I got used to it. But we read everyone's thoughts and perceptions of each other and I was fine with that.
I liked this, and yes, a TV series is in development. Hopefully something to match AMC's Interview with the Vampire.
September 28, 2019
I first heard of The Gilda Stories from a Tor article a friend linked. I don't usually read vampire books as I don't like vampires as a trope very much (or urban fantasy as a subgenre), but it's one of this year's r/Fantasy Bingo squares and the concept seemed interesting enough.
Regardless: the approach to vampires was interesting and subversive, but sadly I didn't enjoy it at all. The narration is incredibly distant and I struggled to connect with the story or the characters. This is something that often happens with older books - I was surprised it was published only in 1991. It felt like watching the characters from a mountain, or a hazy dream. I don't think it's bad per se (I'm particular about prose), but I definitely prefer a closer, more modern approach. Especially with slice of life.
Enjoyment: 2.5/5
Execution: 4/5
Recommended to: those who can tolerate distant narration and want a new take on vampires, fans of intersectional books
Not recommended to: those who prefer more modern prose, content warning: on-screen rape
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
"Each time I thought taking a stand, fighting a war would bring the solution to the demons that haunted us. Each time I thought slavery or fanaticism could be banished from the earth with a law or a battle. Each time I've been wrong."The story follows Gilda from her escape from a slave plantation in 1850 up to 2050 - each chapter takes place a few decades in the future. It's pure slice of life, focused on how the vampires live, how they take blood, their relationships with humans, who do they decide to accept into their families. What I found unusual is that everybody is content to live their lives quietly - they avoid violence, try to leave something in return, and there's no immortal who'd want to, say, take over the world or help mortals in some grand way. Perhaps this is more realistic. And the afterword where the author explains her worldbuilding choices is excellent.
Regardless: the approach to vampires was interesting and subversive, but sadly I didn't enjoy it at all. The narration is incredibly distant and I struggled to connect with the story or the characters. This is something that often happens with older books - I was surprised it was published only in 1991. It felt like watching the characters from a mountain, or a hazy dream. I don't think it's bad per se (I'm particular about prose), but I definitely prefer a closer, more modern approach. Especially with slice of life.
Enjoyment: 2.5/5
Execution: 4/5
Recommended to: those who can tolerate distant narration and want a new take on vampires, fans of intersectional books
Not recommended to: those who prefer more modern prose, content warning: on-screen rape
More reviews on my blog, To Other Worlds.
April 12, 2021
this is amazing! i cant believe that it exists and that i haven't read it until now, but i am also just really grateful that it was written and has been made more available to read. it is a beautiful depiction and (hopeful) prophetic imagining of black queer community and mutual aid while also being a story of resilience and the contentious struggle against white-supremacy, colonialism, and ecological destruction. this novel also manages to depict a life that is adjacent to (simply by proximity and time) but not trapped within a framework of capitalism and heteronormative family forms.
July 19, 2017
I wanted to love this but found the protagonist pretty dull and too right all the time. My illustrious book club co-leader Liza pointed out that Gilda functions as a Black lesbian superhero which I get behind 110%; would love to see this as a graphic novel or movie--lots of action and so much scene; transhistorical storyline; epic potential! As a book, the language and description kinda drag and the protag has too much darn integrity to fully capture my interest.
July 22, 2023
This was quite a sombre look at Vampires- definitely a more mature and persuasive view of what it might really look like through the ages. I loved the historical settings and it was so refreshing not to have the sparkly mesmeric trope for once. I really liked this but it was quite slow. A book in the same vein that I also enjoyed is Fevre Dream by George R Martin. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.
June 22, 2021
“The past does not lie down and decay like a dead animal, Aurelia. It waits for you to find it again and again.”
3.5 stars. I'm so grateful to have finally read this black lesbian classic! It was really fascinating; a look at vampirism as I've never seen it done before. A lot of the themes are the same, but the places the author chooses to put emphasis are different, and it makes for a really lush and unforgettable narrative. I adore the way this moves through history and time, the way Gilda lets life form around her, not able to hold herself apart from humanity. Each time period we're dropped into has a different significance, and a different set of lives that are irrevocably touched. The writing is really really lovely, and more than a few times I found myself entranced by it. I really liked the rituals and intricacies of this type of vampirism (especially the emphasis on community and native soil), as well as the ways the book talked about chosen family, the frank explorations of queerness and blackness. The chapters set in the future, where things get a bit more speculative, are also really interesting, in the way they parallel the past.
“They don’t know that we easily forget them, who they might be. All we ever remember is their scars.”
My biggest complaint is something I feel like I always talk about, so I won't harp on about it too much: I really hate omniscient POV. Head-hopping can break a book for me, and it almost did so with this one. I can't describe how frustrating it is for me to jump from mind to mind in a single scene, clumsily giving the reader information that we either don't need or could have been given to us in a different way. This is a personal thing but IMO it's never effective, and this book didn't change my mind about that. There are so many scenes that I think would have been doubly effective if only from Gilda's POV: the very opening, that night in the barn with Bird, that one conversation with Effie. And if different POVs are really needed, separate them scene by scene.
I think this book was strongest in the realm of character interaction, and the various bonds that Gilda formed over the years. I would have loved it if we got more time with characters like Aurelia and Eleanor, especially since they had such a marked effect on Gilda. I would have also enjoyed a little more... idk, history? Sometimes the writing got a little bogged down by introspection, which I can usually enjoy, but in this, it got a bit dull.
This was really wonderful all in all, and so unique. Very glad to have read it, even if it didn't live up to all my expectations.
Content warnings: .
January 2, 2024
And as you take from them you must reach inside. Feel what they are needing, not what you are hungering for. You leave them with something nex and fresh, something wanted. Let their joy fill you. This is the only way to share and not to rob.
This is by no means a perfect book. It's sometimes a bit weird book. Sometimes it's a book where you are not really sure what is happening. And it is also one of the masterpieces of feminist fiction. This book is intersectional, this book is precious, this book is brilliant. I'm ordering a copy once I find out how can I get some other edition than the Vintage edition, because I'm really not digging that one
I get that this review isn't really a great seller, but if you love feminist SFF you will love this, it's a book that is full of ideas and just so smart, but also easy and comfortable to read. Also, don't let the shelving fool you, this isn't a horror there are some parts that are dark... like, you know, slavery, but the book isn't written like horror.
I also heard that there are some short-stories set in the same universe flying around in some book, so I'm seeking them out now!
BRed at WBtM: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
February 22, 2021
4.5 rounded down. I feel as if I have been consuming vampire stories all my life in search of this book, which is the only vampire tale that ever needed to exist. The slightly dated writing style and voice took a little getting used to, but very quickly I was breezing through this, hungrily surrendering to this epic yet understated tale of being black and indigenous and queer in America through the ages. This is a celebration of found families and community-building by those who aren't meant to survive. But what if they did survive and thrived and engaged in the mundanity of humanity that is denied them in their natural life. I'm blown away by the gentle audacity of this story being published when it was and how relevant it still feels in our current times. I'm rambling but that's because this really moved and spoke to me in a visceral way that I'll be revisiting for a long time to come.
June 22, 2009
Yes, my spouse got me to read another novel!
When left to my own devises, I tend to stay up into the wee hours of the morning and don't rise again until well into the afternoon, I hate garlic, and I avoid direct sun exposure. These and other habits might expose me as a vampire, except that the closest I come to drinking blood is an occasional glass of sangria.
I'm not really interested in the vampire genre of popular literature, but this one is different. Vampire literature is usually about how evil it is to be one of the "creatures of the night," either through the vampire's own angst, or the violent, compassionless and ghoulish tendency of the "undead" to prey upon their mortal food sources. Gilda is more a celebration of life seen through the eyes of one who has it in abundance, and shares her experience with the reader in the light of her times, through oppressive and inspirational periods of American history, and on into a surmised future still endangered, but still celebrating family connections that were made throughout her long life.
Gilda carries much for the reader to identify, with none of the Gothic disturbances of similar literature. As I was reading I came to the conclusion that there is a free flowing identification with Gilda that the author imparts to the reader in that one still shares the same hopes and dreams whether one shares the blood or not.
(Being kosher presents an interesting conundrum at this point--blood being forbidden in a kosher diet. Still, being alive or being dead is quite binary, and therefore, all of us who live are by definition "undead.")
I have to recommend The Gilda Stories, for the poetry, not just in the usage of the language, but in the poetry of the heart. Besides, these are great bedtime stories for all of the "undead" among us.
When left to my own devises, I tend to stay up into the wee hours of the morning and don't rise again until well into the afternoon, I hate garlic, and I avoid direct sun exposure. These and other habits might expose me as a vampire, except that the closest I come to drinking blood is an occasional glass of sangria.
I'm not really interested in the vampire genre of popular literature, but this one is different. Vampire literature is usually about how evil it is to be one of the "creatures of the night," either through the vampire's own angst, or the violent, compassionless and ghoulish tendency of the "undead" to prey upon their mortal food sources. Gilda is more a celebration of life seen through the eyes of one who has it in abundance, and shares her experience with the reader in the light of her times, through oppressive and inspirational periods of American history, and on into a surmised future still endangered, but still celebrating family connections that were made throughout her long life.
Gilda carries much for the reader to identify, with none of the Gothic disturbances of similar literature. As I was reading I came to the conclusion that there is a free flowing identification with Gilda that the author imparts to the reader in that one still shares the same hopes and dreams whether one shares the blood or not.
(Being kosher presents an interesting conundrum at this point--blood being forbidden in a kosher diet. Still, being alive or being dead is quite binary, and therefore, all of us who live are by definition "undead.")
I have to recommend The Gilda Stories, for the poetry, not just in the usage of the language, but in the poetry of the heart. Besides, these are great bedtime stories for all of the "undead" among us.
July 12, 2020
In a nutshell The Gilda Stories could be described as Beloved by Toni Morrison meets Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice. But it's also so much more than that. It begins in 1850 and follows a girl escaping from slavery who is taken under the wing of a brothel owner. Adjusting to her new life and connecting with other people, she takes a step further and is introduced to the life of the vampire. The story then spans the next two hundred years and each chapter is devoted to a particular time and place that she finds herself in, the people who enter her life and those who leave it, and what gives her life meaning over time.
I really enjoyed Gomez's writing and I found this to be a captivating read. I loved the format and the vignette-style chapters that focus on each time and place, as well as the overall through-story.
The characters are varied and interesting. Most of all Gilda is a unique and fascinating character.
I would say this novel is a mix of horror, speculative fiction, historical fiction, dark fantasy, and it combines them excellently. It includes themes such as racism, feminism, chosen family, journeys (both literal and personal), activism and learning.
Being a vampire story, it's always interesting to see which parts of vampire lore are included or which new elements are added. I thought there was a great mix of both here. There is blood taking but also a psychological part too as the vampires see it as an exchange rather than only taking.
Part of the story takes place in what is now the present day and there are a couple of elements here that felt very prescient especially with regards to technology and the environment.
A wonderful and important read that I definitely recommend!
I really enjoyed Gomez's writing and I found this to be a captivating read. I loved the format and the vignette-style chapters that focus on each time and place, as well as the overall through-story.
The characters are varied and interesting. Most of all Gilda is a unique and fascinating character.
I would say this novel is a mix of horror, speculative fiction, historical fiction, dark fantasy, and it combines them excellently. It includes themes such as racism, feminism, chosen family, journeys (both literal and personal), activism and learning.
Being a vampire story, it's always interesting to see which parts of vampire lore are included or which new elements are added. I thought there was a great mix of both here. There is blood taking but also a psychological part too as the vampires see it as an exchange rather than only taking.
Part of the story takes place in what is now the present day and there are a couple of elements here that felt very prescient especially with regards to technology and the environment.
A wonderful and important read that I definitely recommend!
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