African Americans - Fiction & Literature, War & Military Fiction
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Overview
Janelle Roy is a Beautiful, fiercely determined African-American nurse in a time of bitterly contested change in America and fiery conflict abroad. The year is 1943, and Janelle has defied the prejudice of the white medical establishment by working in prestigious private practice. But when a wealthy old woman in her care dies, Janelle no longer can go it alone to save her career. She needs the help of Dalton Graham, a brilliant white civil rights lawyer. In a legal battle that will test her courage and scar her reputation no matter what the verdict, she finds herself fighting not only for her future but against a dangerous attraction she has for this man. Because everyone is needed for the war effort, black fighter pilots are training in Tuskegee, Alabama, and black nurses are to be employed there. Janelle makes the long journey from Ohio to the still rigidly segregated South - and discovers both the promise and the peril of being on the crest of change that is gaining momentum in the nation. In the passionate arms of Lance Fuller, a black fighter pilot and a man of dazzling charm, she overcomes her suspicions of secrets he will not reveal. And in the face of the disaster that strikes when her headstrong brother Perry is accused by the army of murder, she again must put her trust in Dalton Graham despite the forbidden feelings that flare between them. Sweeping from the sleet-covered streets of Ohio to the red clay of Alabama to the skies over North Africa, with a memorable heroine and superbly drawn characters, Wild Embers brings to life a piece of our American past that never should be forgotten. In interweaving vividly imagined people with actual watershed historical events, Anita Richmond Bunkley again shows herself to be a storyteller of irresistible strength and artistry.The year is 1943, and Janelle, an African-American nurse, defies prejudice by working in a private practice. But when a wealthy old woman dies, she turns to Civil Rights lawyer Dalton Graham. After Pearl Harbor, Janelle goes off to Tuskegee for training, where once again she must call on Dalton despite the feelings that flare between them.
Editorials
Publishers Weekly -
The role of African Americans in the WWII military is the focus of this uneven novel by the author of Black Gold. In 1943, Janelle Roy, a nurse in Columbus, Ohio, is falsely blamed for the death of a wealthy white patient. Slandered by the dead woman's sister, she is represented by white NAACP lawyer Dalton Graham, who clears her name but abruptly breaks off their budding romance. Humiliated and unable to secure work, Janelle is accepted as an Army nurse (there is a quota for ``colored'' personnel) and heads to Tuskeegee, Ala., a base for training black pilots, who are segregated even in the military. En route, she meets sexy black pilot Lance Fuller. They eventually fall in love, but Lance is ordered into combat before he can reveal an important secret that may threaten their relationship. Each then suffers a traumatic accident that jeopardizes their plans for the future. A secondary plot concerns Janelle's brother Perry, a headstrong, idealistic agitator for civil rights whose resentment of racial prejudice leads to violence and tragedy. Bunkley is best depicting her characters' refreshing ambivalence about interracial relationships and civil rights protests. The novel's pace is slowed, however, by a distracting number of minor characters and stilted romantic dialogue, and Bunkley provides a frothy ending that runs counter to her otherwise realistic depiction of the lives of black people in the 1940s. Literary Guild alternate. (Feb.)Lillian Lewis
This World War II story has many ups and downs. In Columbus, Georgia, Janelle Taylor, a young nurse with lofty ambitions and a knack for re-creating her upbringing, finds herself in the midst of a scandal. The scandal coincides with the military's removal of the ban on racial barriers. She opts to make a fresh start by enlisting in the army as a military nurse stationed in Tuskegee, Alabama. Taylor continually finds herself ecstatic over one event only to be shattered by another. Her relationships with the men in her life--brother, Perry; attorney, Dalton; and lover, Lance--provide an intricate weave of romance, anger, and disbelief. During the war, her relationships are forever changed: she loses her brother, finds the greatest love of her life, and manages to assist the NAACP in integrating the local segregated manufacturer. Not only is" Wild Embers" the charming place that Lance calls home, but it is also a story about the quicksilver nature of emotions, memories, and responses of a life evolving.Book Details
Published
February 29, 1996
Publisher
Dutton / Signet
Pages
448
Format
Paperbound
ISBN
9780451179746