The Black Russian is the story of Frederick Bruce Thomas, the son of former slaves in Mississippi who left the South after his father's murder. Possessed of a steely work ethic and determined to make something of his life, Thomas worked in hotels in restaurants, became a successful entrepreneur and eventually spent more than a decade in Europe, where he found acceptance, wealth and love. Though he presented a humble, hospitable demeanor, he was in fact a canny businessman, a financial risk taker and a persuasive talker who smoothly omitted the unpleasant facts of his life.
Vladimir Alexandrov sets Thomas against the volatile political backdrop of late 19th- and early 20th-century U.S. and Europe, emphasizing his unusual position as an owner of several popular restaurants and entertainment gardens in Moscow. When Thomas arrived in 1899, the city was a cosmopolitan place where East met West, but by the time the Bolshevik revolution forced him to flee to Odessa, both Moscow's and Thomas's fates had changed drastically.
Thomas left behind few diaries or letters; many contemporary accounts, taken from the writings of American tourists, are tinged with racism. The political upheaval of the times and Thomas's penchant for glossing over inconvenient details also create a few factual gaps. Despite these obstacles, Alexandrov pieces together a compelling narrative of this powerful and complex man. --Katie Noah Gibson, blogger at Cakes, Tea and Dreams