1 | [[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/black_duck.jpg]] |
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3 | A prohibition novel by Janet Taylor Lisle. ''Black Duck'' is the story of Ruben Hart, a young Rhode Island boy in 1929. Ruben is dragged into the world of rum-running when he and his best friend Jeddy find a murdered body on the beach. Ruben takes a mysterious torn bill from the body, and sons finds himself pursued by competing gang lords, while the mysterious captain of the legendary rum-running vessel the ''Black Duck'' takes an interest in his fate. |
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5 | !! Contains Examples of: |
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7 | * AbsurdlyYouthfulFather: Bernardo is noted as being even younger than Billy Brady (who, for context, only graduated High School the previous year) but has a wife and two kids. |
8 | * BearerOfBadNews: [[spoiler: Ruben telling Marina that Billy was killed by the coast guard]]. |
9 | * CanineCompanion: Two of them, in fact. Billy Brady has Sadie, and Tom Morrison has Viola. |
10 | * ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: [[spoiler: John Appelby]] sells Ruben out to one gang of rumrunners, and then that gang out to a second gang. [[MakeItLookLikeAnAccident Ruben mentions that he died young in a supposed hunting accident]] and speculates he was RewardedAsATraitorDeserves. |
11 | * CommunicationsOfficer: Bernardo Rosario, the radioman of the ''Black Duck''. |
12 | * DirtyCop: Chief [=MacKenzie's=] deputy Charlie Pope is heavily corrupt, and willing to turn his back to murder. The chief himself is more decent, but is willing to look the other way towards smuggling. |
13 | * TheEngineer: Alfie Biggs, the burly mechanic on the ''Black Duck''. |
14 | * FatherNeptune: Tom Morrison, a legendary local fisherman who had to retire after losing an eye. |
15 | * ItsPersonal: Campbell resents the ''Black Duck'' and its crew for getting him to run aground on a sand bar, publicly humiliating him. They hate him even worse for having killed their previous leader, [[spoiler: Billy's father]]. |
16 | * KarmaHoudini: Neither Campbell, nor the two gang leaders are shown being punished. |
17 | * LovableRogue: [[spoiler: Billy Brady]] the charming captain of the ''Black Duck'', who saves Ruben's life, and whose feud with the local authorities is given some sympathy. |
18 | * {{MacGuffin}}: The torn $50 bill turns out to be needed for an exchange for a large shipment of illegal liquor. |
19 | * PunchClockVillain: Quite a few locals are tangibly involved in the rum-running business out of economic necessity, including all sorts of non-malicious characters with ordinary jobs who Ruben has known his whole life. |
20 | * RabidCop: Coast Guard Captain Campbell is notoriously trigger happy, firing without warning, and refusing medical treatment to wounded rumrunners from boats he captures. |
21 | * TheRoaringTwenties: The story is set at the end of the decade, in 1929. |
22 | * RobbingTheDead: Tom Morrison admits to have stolen the victims watch and wallet after Ruben and Jeddy found the body, although he left him his wedding ring. |
23 | * ShootTheDog: The rumrunners searching for the torn bill end up murdering Tom Morrison's dog. |
24 | * StarCrossedLovers: Marina, the police chiefs daughter and Jeddy's sister, is in love with [[spoiler: Billy, the captain of the ''Black Duck'']]. |
25 | * SurvivorsGuilt: Implied with [[spoiler: Rick Deluca, who is never the same after the rest of the crew of the ''Black Duck'' is killed]]. |
26 | * TagalongKid: [[spoiler: Ruben is aboard the ''Black Duck'' during its last run, managing to hide from the coast guard]]. |
27 | * TakingTheHeat: Chief [[=McKenzie=] takes the public blame for [[spoiler: selling out the ''Black Duck'' to the Coast Guard, in order to keep his son Jeddy, the real culprit, for becoming a pariah]]. |
28 | * TrueCompanions: There is a great deal of loyalty and camaraderie between the crew of the ''Black Duck''. |
29 | * WeUsedToBeFriends: Ruben and Jeddy grow further apart as Ruben gets more drawn into the world of rum-running, [[spoiler: and Jeddy sells out Billy and his crew]] although they do try to communicate some in their old age. |
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FollowingContext Literature / BlackDuck
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