Bound and Unbound: A paranormal novella duology
Ali Hazelwood
The Gilda Stories
by Jewelle Gomez
About this book
"The Gilda Stories is groundbreaking not just for the wild lives it portrays, but for how it portrays them - communally, unapologetically, roaming fiercely over space and time." (Emma Donoghue, author of Room)
"Jewelle Gomez sees right into the heart. This is a book to give to those you want most to find their own strength." (Dorothy Allison)
This remarkable novel begins in 1850s Louisiana, where Gilda escapes slavery and learns about freedom while working in a brothel. After being initiated into eternal life as one who "shares the blood" by two women there, Gilda spends the next 200 years searching for a place to call home.
An instant lesbian classic when it was first published in 1991, The Gilda Stories has endured as an auspiciously prescient book in its explorations of blackness, radical ecology, re-definitions of family, and yes, the erotic potential of the vampire story.
- Publication Date
- May 25, 2026
- ASIN
- B07RRF7H61
Reader Reviews
June 27, 2012
Jewelle Gomez's book is considered a classic in lesbian literature and the nice thing about classics is that they can be discovered by other people long after they are published. Gomez recently announced that she's working on another volume of stories about Gilda, so reviewing the first book seems especially appropriate now. It would be simple to say that this is a vampire novel, but it goes beyond that. During her travels, Gilda witnesses the rise of African American culture, the civil rights...
February 25, 2025
Gilda is almost the opposite of what we have learned of vampires. We hear of rich vampires, ruthless, full of their implied superiority. And white. They think like empires. Gilda is rich for practical purposes, never, never ruthless, nor ever condescensing. Gilda carries the personal outrage of enslavement, of toxic masculinity, the courage of breaking out, the love for her people, her love for women, her ability to always give back. Because she lives. She forms family. ) One person found this...
September 15, 2014
Along with \"Fledgling\" by Ocatavia Butler, one of the most imaginative take on vampires to come along. The gothic sexual vampire is extended to lesbian sexuality, and a history that begins in the Deep South of Civil War times. Fascinating characters and vivid places, survival rather than angst. These are real vampires, with complex histories, emotions, and life-ways, not the zombi \"vampires\" of The Strain. )
January 30, 2026
Grabs you from the start. Gomez guides you from the American past to a not too distant future through the extended life of Gilda. So very layered. A different and fully female vampire tale. )
June 3, 2025
It was everything I hoped it would be and more! Highly recommend to horror writers and readers alike. A timeless book. )
