REVIEW: The Gilda Stories by Jewelle Gomez

Genre: Fantasy | Gothic Fiction | Historical Fiction

Release Date: Expected 7th September

Publisher: Random House UK | Vintage Classics

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?

"I am a woman, you know that. And you know I am a woman as no other you have known, nor has your mother known, in life or death. I am a woman as you are, and more."

The Gilda Stories is a sweeping, timeless story full of magic and majesty — a darkly compelling vampire story set against glittering backdrops of decadence and delirium. Originally published back in 1991, this is still as relevant and striking as when it first printed.

It weaves a vivid, rich tapestry not only of an endless life, but of still relevant and timely musings about queerness, race, feminine identity and belonging in the most probing and fantastic ways.

The prose is delicate, poetic and subtle — moving fluidly and slowly between times and eras, showing the things that have changed, and the things that have stayed exactly the same. Every character was distinct and recognisable with a clear voice, their own thoughts and motivations which pushed the story forwards.

There is a quiet power lingering throughout every single page — not only creating a gothic literary masterpiece but one that encapsulates feminine fury and generational trauma giving it a voice that cannot be ignored.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was gifted an advanced reviewers copy of this title in return for an honest review. Please check content warnings as this title contains subjects that may be triggering or upsetting.

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