PREFATORY GESTURE

As a background for an American historical romance Louisiana between 1810 and 1816 appears a very apt selection, and New Orleans about the time of the English invasion a judiciously chosen stage. Even more happy seems the choice, for a hero and protagonist, of Jean Lafitte, smuggler and slave-trader, also strongly suspected of piracy and near-piracy at not infrequent intervals through a considerable period of time, but not certainly any sort of rascal, and indubitably very much of a gentleman; popular, admired, even beloved. Black Ivory is a felicitous title.

An historical romance is likely to interest its readers in proportion to the enthusiasm of its author for his plot, his characters, and their environment. (What measure of success my El Supremo has had has been due largely to the completeness with which I was carried away by what I had read in the writings of the Robertsons and others concerning Paraguay and Francia.) In any historical romance the blaze of the author’s delight in his material is what kindles the glow of enjoyment in his readers.

Considering what I know of the author of Black Ivory, of his absorption in his work, of his flair for what is worth writing about, of his plot and characters, I forecast that readers of Black Ivory will find themselves interested, entertained, and rewarded.

Edward Lucas White.

January 16, 1926.