The year is 1931. The Great Depression has not only ravaged the United States, but the rest of the world as well. Davi Fosco is a twenty-two year old recent graduate from the University of Florida. He is the son of a wealthy second generation Portuguese Brazilian family, controlled by a strict, yet loving patriarch. The last thing Davi wants in life is to marry, have a family and fall under the rules of the family business. He believes being a homosexual in 1931 poses problems where moving far away from home is the only solution.
In 1928, Henry Ford creates a town called Fordlandia on the Tapojós River, deep in the Amazon River Basin with the intent of producing his own supply of rubber for his automobile industry. When it becomes clear the venture is not a profitable one, Henry Ford increases his efforts of creating what he considers to be a utopian Midwestern society for the betterment of man.
Davi Fosco willingly takes employment in Fordlandia, knowing the opportunity gives him an escape from the pressures of home. What he wasn’t prepared for was the adventure that came with the job. Follow Davi through the Jungle’s of Brazil as he travels up and down many of the Amazon’s tributaries in search of the knowledge of what it means to become a man in a homophobic world.
Reviews for White Gold of the Amazon
5.0 out of 5 stars
Davi and Caio: Oh, my. Jon Swank has done it again.
I've been following Jon Swank for several years now since I first discovered his Berlin series. His characters are so real and his research so thorough that you are drawn in and living within the story setting with no doubt at all. Ever hear of a place named Fordlandia? Well, I hadn't until I began this book. In fact I learned several really interesting things about Henry Ford along the way. The best part of this book is the Amazon and the interaction of the people of Brazil and Fordlandia. Caio (not a misspelling. This is a Brazillian Portuguese name not an Italian greeting) is a Tarzan of a man with his own morals, rules of life and love. He is also mute. Davi is a Miami native of Portuguese and Brazillian descent. These two main characters are drawn with precision and affection. The story commands your attention and doesn't disappoint. Do yourself a favor and get a copy as soon as you can. It is a terrific read.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Another Great Swank Novel
Author Jon Swank has produced another fine novel for both gay and straight readers. This story takes place primarily in an Amazon setting in the 1930s. The author shows an excellent grasp of the 1930s and life in the Amazon amidst river communities, as he provides rich character description and development. The protagonist sets off from his affluent family home to escape family pressures to conform to the heterosexual norm. The Amazon setting provides experiences he did not anticipate – new friends, the challenges of a relationship, misunderstandings, a crime to be solved and an uncertain future. The unfolding story-with twists and surprises, like the turns in a flowing river such as the Amazon-makes it difficult for the reader to put the book down, until the very end. An excellent, insightful, entertaining read!