Harlem Rhapsody

This was a fascinating read. I had never heard of Jessie Redmon Fauset before this book. Murray did a great job of bringing her back to life in this book. If you have any interest in the Harlem Renaissance - this is a must read novel. Fauset worked along side W. E. B. Du Bois working on the magazine The Crisis. She worked with many well known poets and novelists.

I could not put this book down!

UNPUTDOWNABLE historical fiction read that takes you back to the heart of the Harlem Renaissance, highlighting the life and legacy of Jessie Redmon Fauset—a literary powerhouse often overshadowed by the very writers she helped shape. As the first Black woman to serve as the literary editor of The Crisis, she played a pivotal role in discovering and promoting legendary voices like Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Nella Larsen.

The book also shares Fauset’s complicated and secretive affair with W. E. B. Du Bois. The author’s note stresses this is historical fiction but also shares the extensive research she did on this fact.

I loved how the book brings to life such an interesting time in our history filled with artistic revolution and racial uplift - a perfect historical fiction and Black history read!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ #historicalfiction #HarlemRenaissance #harlemrhapsody