If New Orleans Could Talk
This gripping tale of family, freedom, and forbidden dreams is set in early 20th-century New Orleans. Earl and his family are determined to make a better life for themselves, and his daughter Linda is eager to learn, grow, and lead the family out of the South.
Betty Jones, a brothel madam with bright blue eyes, assumes the role of elder to Linda. Betty and Linda want to create a business that was forbidden and off-limits to blacks. Their business was dependent on a complex and dangerous start-up plan. If the plan fails there would be catastrophic consequences for everyone they cared about.
Meanwhile, Linda's brother Charlie abandons his family to find respect but unwittingly creates enemies when he dares to cross the color barrier.
But something was coming that only Betty can foresee, can she get Linda ready in time?
An unforgettable story of resilience and courage, readers will be on the edge of their seats as they follow Linda and her family's journey to migrate from the Segregated South. A captivating thriller with amazing heroes, heroines, and villains, including a hint of mystic-like intervention as the suspense and story evolve.
The book cover was nominated for Book Cover of the Month by AllAuthor.com
REVIEW
3/21/2023 Goodreads Review
Recently relocated to New Orleans, Earl Thomas sets about getting his family settled and in the business of making money so they can get to their next safe destination, Chicago. As freed slaves, the Thomas family seeks what no Black person has done before them, obtaining a port license, and starting a business. With Earl’s daughter, Linda, leading the helm with brothel owner, Betty Jones, these two intelligent women craft a plan that might just work. Full of criminals, thugs, white overseers, and a community of people unwilling to give up, “If New Orleans Could Talk: Early 1900s Segregation In A City With Secrets (The whileBlack Chronicles Book 3)” is a look into the world of being a free man in a white world.
Author Alvin M. Hayes brings us characters that are relatable, real, strong, intelligent, and fierce go-getters. Going beyond the storyline, Hayes shows readers his passion for Black history, allowing it to shine through, like his insertion of the McDonoghville Cemetery. This cemetery is a burial site in New Orleans of enslaved and formerly enslaved people, landmark readers may otherwise never know without the peppering of real history sprinkled throughout this fictional read.
Despite being the third book in the whileBlack Chronicles, “If New Orleans Could Talk” seamlessly stood as a standalone read. While there was certainly family history that drove them to New Orleans, the fresh backdrop of the French Quarter and bustling port made this a well-rounded story of its own volition. However, with the powerful ending and mentions of Chicago throughout, I cannot wait for the author’s next installment in the Chronicles, as the time of Jim Crow segregation begins to take hold.
Hayes is a maestro in the art of educating readers while providing an engaging, thought-provoking, and powerful read. With strong females, a plan for the ages, and the backdrop of lively New Orleans in the early 1900s, “If New Orleans Could Talk” is an enduring tale.
A May 12, 2023 excerpt from Austin Macauley Publishers
"....your work was found to be a most evocative and immersive novel piercing to the depths of its character's psyches as well as deep into the history of New Orleans."
Amazon Reviews
Reviewed in the United States on November 16, 2023
It took me 2 days to read this spellbinding book. The characters jumped off the page to tell their stories.
Excellent Black History Lesson
Reviewed in the United States on October 8, 2023
Verified Purchase
Thank you so much for uplifting the strength of the village. So needed, especially during these times. I am honored to learn of Mama Coleman's story too
Reviewed in the United States on April 13, 2023
Loved the positive ending and the examples of how throughout history, we were successful entrepreneurs with a plan. Please continue to share your gift of telling our black history via your creative writing style with us.
Published March 2023
December , 2023 Amazon Review
Best Sellers Rank:
#42 in Teen & Young Adult US 20th Century Historical Fiction eBooks
#35 in African Literature (Kindle Store)
#217 in Teen & Young Adult 20th Century United States Historical Fiction
Customer Reviews: 4.4 out of 5 stars 75 ratings