REVIEW: Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez

Synopsis

In the hills of Appalachia, there once was a kingdom...

Nikki hasn't seen her grandmother in years. So when the elder calls out of the blue with an urgent request for Nikki to visit her in the hills of western North Carolina, Nikki hesitates for only a moment. After years of silence in her family due to a mysterious estrangement between her mother and grandmother, she's determined to learn the truth while she still can.

But instead of giving answers about the recent past, Mother Rita tells Nikki an incredible story of a kingdom on this very mountain, and of her great-great-great-grandmother Luella, who would become its queen. 

It sounds like the makings of a fairy tale-- royalty among a community of freedpeople. But the more Nikki learns about the Kingdom of the Happy Land and the lives of those who dwelled in the ruins she discovers in the woods, the more she realizes how much of her identity and her family's secrets are wrapped up in these hills. Because this land is their legacy, and it will be up to her to protect it before it, like so much else, is stolen away.

Inspired by true events, Happy Land is a transporting multigenerational novel about the stories that shape us and the dazzling courage it takes to dream.

Format 368 pages, Hardcover
Published April 8, 2025 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593337721 (ISBN10: 0593337727)

About the Author

Dolen Perkins-Valdez is the New York Times bestselling author of Wench (2010), Balm (2015), Take My Hand (2022), and most recently Happy Land (2025). Take My Hand was named a Most Anticipated Book of 2022 by Newsweek, San Francisco Chronicle, Essence, NBC News, and elsewhere. The novel was a finalist for a Goodreads Choice Award and named a Top 20 Book of the Year by the Editors at Amazon.  It was awarded the 2023 NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work-Fiction and the 2023 BCALA Award for Fiction. The audiobook version of Take My Hand was named a Best of 2022 by Audible. Happy Land appeared on many "Most Anticipated" lists for 2025, including People, Elle, Reader's Digest, Woman's World, and elsewhere.

The American Bar Association recently awarded Take My Hand its prestigious Silver Gavel Award which recognizes an "outstanding work that fosters the American public's understanding of law and the legal system."

In 2011, Wench was a finalist for two NAACP Image Awards and the Hurston-Wright Legacy Award for fiction, and in 2017, HarperCollins released Wench as one of eight "Olive Titles," limited edition modern classics that included books by Edward P. Jones, Louise Erdrich, and Zora Neale Hurston.

Dolen has established herself as a pre-eminent chronicler of American historical life.  In 2013, she wrote the introduction to a special edition of Solomon Northup's Twelve Years a Slave, published by Simon & Schuster, which became a New York Times bestseller. She followed that with an introduction to Elizabeth Keckly's Behind the Scenes, published in 2016, and the forthcoming 75th anniversary of George Orwell's 1984 which will be published by Penguin Random House in 2023.

Dolen is a three-time nominee for a United States Artists Fellowship and is currently Associate Professor in the Literature Department at American University and lives in Washington, DC with her family.

Learn more about the author

My Thoughts

Our Land

We should have a land of sun, 

Of gorgeous sun, 

And a land of fragrant water

Where the twilight is a soft bandanna handkerchief

Of rose and gold, 

And not this land

Where life is cold.

We should have a land of trees,

Of tall thick trees,

Bowed down with chattering parrots

Brilliant as the day,

And not this land where birds are gray.

Ah, we should have a land of joy,

Of love and joy and wine and song,

And not this land where joy is wrong.

-- Langston Hughes

The story of Happy Land is inspired by actual "intentional communities" formed by freed slaves who, after securing their freedom, faced violent persecution by the Ku Klux Klan. Told across a split timeline, the novel follows Luella and the Montgomery brothers in the 1800s alongside their modern-day descendants, who are now fighting to hold onto the land their ancestors built.

The story opens with present-day Nikki visiting her grandmother, Mother Rita, at her home in the North Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains. Approaching forty, Nikki barely knows the woman. Her own mother left the mountains long ago to build a life elsewhere and rarely brought Nikki back to visit. Now, summoned by her grandmother without explanation, Nikki answers the call hoping to uncover what drove a wedge between her mother and grandmother all those years ago. Instead of answers, Mother Rita offers her something else entirely — the story of their people, of a queen, and of the land over which she ruled.

"We was owned by a white man by the name of Bobo. To say that he did not kill us was to give him a compliment of sorts."

The dual timelines alternate between Nikki in the present and Luella in the past. We meet Luella at twenty, newly freed alongside her father and settled in a nearby town. She is sharp, loyal, and regal. Her father, a minister, has established a church among fellow freed slaves when the Montgomery brothers — William and Robert — join the congregation. As the Klan tightens its grip on South Carolina, the congregation agrees to follow William north into North Carolina, eventually finding a large plot of land to work and eventually buy in the Blue Ridge Mountains. There, they build more than a settlement. They build a kingdom.

"I'm saying we make this place a kingdom, just like back in Africa. I'm saying we need to claim our royal robes."

William, a visionary and storyteller, draws on the history and legacy of African rulers to inspire his people. He urges them to create something that reaches back to the old country — a reminder of who they were and who they still are. Together, they establish a community treasury, a governing committee, and a shared identity. The people choose William as their king, and William chooses Luella as his queen. The Kingdom of Happy Land grows, prospers, and endures — through decades of love and joy, hardship and loss.

"...But one thing we always knew was that we lived a life in that other land across the ocean before we was brought here in the dark of ships and worked to death. So we made something here on this mountain, something to remind us of who we used to be before they tried to kill us."

In the present, their descendants are fighting to hold on to the very land that fed, sheltered, and shaped their ancestors. As that battle unfolds, Nikki deepens her bond with Mother Rita and works to heal the long fracture between her grandmother and mother — all while coming to understand that she is the great-great-great-granddaughter of a queen.

Five words: Inspiring, heartfelt, rooted, resonant, ancestral

Buy Now:

Purchase through the author's website

My final word: I loved this book! The author has a remarkable gift for humanizing her characters — laying them bare, rendering them complicated, and refusing to reduce anyone to simply "good" or "bad." The way she threads the past into the present is both graceful and powerful, reminding us that we are products of those who came before us and that our histories are not so distant as we might think. Luella was born to be a queen, and Mother Rita is her great-grandchild through and through.

"But what it mean to be a woman, Ma?"

"It mean when it come time to make a decision, you step right up to it. It mean when life send you hardship, you go to bed and get up the next morning to face it."

"And if I don't?"

"Then you leave it to God."

Trigger Warnings:

Abuse, miscarriage, domestic violence, slavery

My Rating:

 

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. 

REVIEW: Before Dorothy by Hazel Gaynor

 

Synopsis

The greatest journey is the one you least expect…Kansas 1932

When news reaches Kansas that her beloved sister has tragically died, Emily Gale must become a mother overnight. Her sister’s orphaned child, Dorothy, desperately needs a home.

But Emily doubts her ability to fill her sister’s shoes; her life on the barren Kansas prairies is no place for a child.

On the unforgiving plains, Emily's courage is endlessly tested. The prolonged drought and relentless dust storms threaten to destroy everything – including her home and her marriage.

Can Emily overcome her grief and let Dorothy heal her heart?

From the promise of Chicago in the 1920s to the harsh beauty of the Kansas prairie during the dust bowl of the 1930s, this is a story of family, duty and one woman’s journey of self-discovery.

Format 352 pages, Paperback
Published June 17, 2025 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593440339

About the Author

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times and internationally bestselling author of historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. A recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical Novel award and the 2024 Audie award for Best Fiction Narrator, she was also shortlisted for the 2019 HWA Gold Crown, and the Irish Book Awards in 2017, 2020 and 2023.

Hazel’s co-written historical novels with Heather Webb have all been published to critical acclaim, winning or being shortlisted for several international awards.

She is a regular speaker at literary festivals, co-founder of The Inspiration Project, and programmed and hosted a series of Historia Live events in association with Dublin UNESCO City of Literature in 2024. Her work is translated into 20 languages and published in twenty-seven territories to date. Her latest novel, Before Dorothy, the imagine life story of Dorothy’s Aunt Em from The Wizard of Oz, will be published in June 2025.

Hazel lives in Ireland with her family.

For more information, visit www.hazelgaynor.com

where you can also sign up for her newsletter.

My Thoughts

Hazel Gaynor's Before Dorothy is a pleasant, well-intentioned read for anyone who has ever wondered about life before L. Frank Baum's beloved classic. The premise is genuinely appealing: this novel takes us back to the sun-scorched Kansas prairie to tell the story of Emily-- the woman who would become Auntie Em-- and the circumstances that shaped her long before a young girl named Dorothy ever tumbled into Oz. 

The novel's greatest strength is Emily herself. Tracing her journey from a lighthearted shop girl with big dreams living in the city to the hardened but loving and dignified aunt we glimpse in Baum's pages is the book's central reward. Unfortunately, Emily's sister Annie, who figures meaningfully in the earlier narrative, comes across as cold and emotionally remote in ways that feel underdeveloped rather than intriguingly complex. She functions more as an obstacle than a fully realized character, and the relationship between the sisters quickly fizzles out. Dorothy's husband Henry is a bright spot — warm, grounded, and genuinely likable in a way that makes the Gale household feel real and lived-in. He is the kind of steady, decent character who anchors a story without demanding too much attention.

That said, Before Dorothy left me wanting more. Somewhat ironically for a novel with Dorothy's name in the title, Dorothy herself remains a bit of a hazy figure. She passes through scenes rather than inhabiting them, often feeling as more of a gossamer apparition than someone of real substance. The Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz is spirited and forthright and makes her presence felt. I also found myself baffled over the way that Dorothy communicated like someone much older than her mere eight years and kept trying to calculate to determine whether a wide span of time had passed without me realizing it and aged Dorothy into maturity.  To be fair, this is Emily's story, and perhaps the author's intent was always to keep Dorothy at the periphery-- but readers hoping for deeper insight into the girl from Kansas may come away a little disappointed. This is Emily's story.

The setting and drawing of life on the Kansas prairie left me wanting more. Prairie life during the Dust Bowl era is rich territory full of hardship, community, and grit that could have lent the story tremendous texture. Instead, the details of life in the Dust Bowl feel somewhat sketched in — present enough to establish atmosphere, but not immersive enough to truly transport the reader. The dust, the drought, the grinding daily reality of survival on those wide-open plains — all of it could have been rendered with far more weight.

Five words: inventive, underperforming, gritty, grounded, adequate

Buy Now:

Check out your purchase options on Penguin Random House

My final word: None of this makes Before Dorothy a bad book. It is engaging, moves at a comfortable pace, and offers genuine warmth in its best moments. But one finishes it with the nagging sense that the novel could have gone deeper-- into its landscape, its characters, and the harder edges of the world it depicts. As it stands, it is an enjoyable if somewhat surface-level glance into the life of our beloved Auntie Em. For fans of the original, there can be real pleasure in exploring this backstory, and Gaynor deserves credit for finding a fresh angle on an American treasure, but this could have been so much more.

Trigger Warnings:

Miscarriage

My Rating:

(rounded up from 3.75 stars)

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse and the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel.   

REVIEW: The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives by Elizabeth Arnott

Synopsis

A remarkable trio whose lives were cracked wide open by their husbands’ crimes unite to catch a serial killer in this dazzlingly captivating novel.

Beverley, Elsie, and Margot are not your average housewives. They are all wives of convicted killers. During the sun-drenched summer of 1966, the three women form an unlikely friendship after the discoveries of their husbands’ brutal crimes. With their exes—some of California’s most infamous serial killers—dead or behind bars, they are attempting to forge a new future for themselves.

Headstrong Beverley compulsively tries to maintain control of everything around her, all while raising two children. Bookish Elsie fights day in and day out for the chance to make a name for herself in the newsroom, working among men who sneer at her career goals. Glamorous Margot refuses to take anything seriously and devotes all her energy to upholding the appearance that everything is fine—anything to quell the shame from her husband’s deceit.

They know people look at them and think only one thing: How could they not have known, when their husbands were right under their noses, committing horrific crimes? How much guilt is theirs to carry? And yet when a string of killings hits the news, the three women—underestimated, overlooked, shrewd—decide to get to work.  After all, who better to catch a killer than those who have shared their lives and homes with one?

At once a riveting portrayal of shattered trust and a story of gripping suspense, The Secret Lives of Murderers' Wives is a testament to the intricacies of women’s lives and how the deep bonds of female friendship can empower, uplift, and lead us to endure.

Format 320 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication March 3, 2026 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593952993

My Thoughts

The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives opens with a compelling setup. Beverley, Margot, and Elsie share little in common: Beverley is a single mother with striking blond good looks and a driving need to control her environment; Margot is fiery and pragmatic, a woman who clawed her way up from nothing only to lose everything; and Elsie is principled, bookish, and determined to build a career in a male-dominated world. Their lives converge in the summer of 1966 for one grim reason—they were all married to serial killers.

Only they understand what it’s like to question your own judgment, to replay every memory wondering how you could have missed the truth. They know the weight of suspicious glances from neighbors, the isolation, the paranoia, and the way danger seems to lurk everywhere once your life has been shattered and proven to have a dark and dangerous side you were oblivious to.

When a new serial killer emerges, the women become convinced there’s no one better suited to find him than themselves—the women who loved, lived with, and trusted men capable of unspeakable violence.

It’s an intriguing premise, and initially it feels as though it might offer a fresh perspective on the crime genre. Unfortunately, the author rarely pushes the concept beyond its surface potential.

The characters are serviceable but not particularly memorable. While their backstories suggest emotional complexity, these threads are only lightly explored. The pacing drags through repetitive stretches, then abruptly rushes through moments that should have carried far more emotional weight and depth. The mystery itself is competently constructed, but experienced crime readers will likely anticipate the twists well before they arrive.

Arnott’s prose is readable, though largely unremarkable, and the dialogue sometimes feels stiff rather than natural. There are glimpses of deeper themes—guilt, loyalty, denial, and the question of complicity—but they never fully coalesce into something solid.

Five words: promising, absurd, disappointing, shallow, lacking

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My final word: Overall, I found The Secret Lives of Murderers’ Wives to be an adequate crime novel that does what it sets out to do, but little more. It’s an easy, undemanding read for genre fans, yet it struggles to distinguish itself in a crowded field. The development falls short, the ending feels rushed, and by the final chapters the plot veers into territory that feels more preposterous than provocative. Fine for passing the time—but not a story that lingers once the last page is turned.

Warnings:

Violence, smoking

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. 

REVIEW: The Lilac People by Milo Todd

Synopsis

For readers of All the Light We Cannot See and In Memoriam, a moving and deeply humane story about a trans man who must relinquish the freedoms of prewar Berlin to survive first the Nazis then the Allies while protecting the ones he loves.

In 1932 Berlin, Bertie, a trans man, and his friends spend carefree nights at the Eldorado Club, the epicenter of Berlin's thriving queer community. An employee of the renowned Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld at the Institute of Sexual Science, Bertie works to improve queer rights in Germany and beyond, but everything changes when Hitler rises to power. The institute is raided, the Eldorado is shuttered, and queer people are rounded up. Bertie barely escapes with his girlfriend, Sofie, to a nearby farm. There they take on the identities of an elderly couple and live for more than a decade in isolation.

In the final days of the war, with their freedom in sight, Bertie and Sofie find a young trans man collapsed on their property, still dressed in Holocaust prison clothes. They vow to protect him—not from the Nazis, but from the Allied forces who are arresting queer prisoners while liberating the rest of the country. Ironically, as the Allies' vise grip closes on Bertie and his family, their only salvation becomes fleeing to the United States.

Brimming with hope, resilience, and the enduring power of community, The Lilac People tells an extraordinary story inspired by real events and recovers an occluded moment of trans history.

Format 303 pages, Hardcover
Published April 29, 2025 by Counterpoint
ISBN 9781640097032 (ISBN10: 1640097031)


About the Author

Milo Todd is a Massachusetts Cultural Council grantee and a Lambda Literary Fellow. His work has appeared in Slice Magazine and elsewhere. He is co-editor in chief of Foglifter Journal and teaches creative writing to queer and trans adults.

Learn more about the author


My Thoughts

The Lilac People is a powerful, haunting novel based on real events, offering a fictionalized account of the persecution of the LGBTQ community during the rise of the Nazi regime in 1930s Germany. After roughly fifteen years of unprecedented freedom—following centuries of oppression—the community once again finds itself in grave danger as fascism tightens its grip.

At the heart of the story is Bertie, a trans man working at Berlin’s famed Institute of Sexual Science under Dr. Magnus Hirschfeld, a pioneering sexologist and advocate. When he isn’t assisting at the Institute, Bertie spends his nights at the Eldorado Club—dancing, drinking, and commiserating with friends in a space where the LGBTQ community can finally breathe. But as the Nazis gain power, those safe spaces dissolve, and the people who once lived openly and vibrantly become direct targets of hatred and violence.

Though the author adjusts the real-world timeline, the narrative centers on Bertie and his girlfriend Sofie as they flee following a brutal attack on the Institute during the Night of the Long Knives. The chaos and terror of that event—during which as many as a thousand were murdered and many more arrested or sent to Dachau—is vividly rendered. The pair take refuge on a rural farm, eventually adopting the identities of its former residents in a desperate bid for survival.

The novel also confronts a lesser-known and devastating truth: liberation from the concentration camps did not bring freedom for everyone. American forces, too, sought out and arrested gay and trans individuals, continuing the persecution long after the camps were liberated. It is a sobering reminder of how deeply rooted these injustices are—and how shamefully they were perpetuated by even the liberators.

Todd writes with empathy and nuance, crafting characters who feel real, vulnerable, and deeply human. Through Bertie, Sofie, and later Karl, readers gain a clearer understanding of the pain, fear, resilience, and hope experienced by many in the LGBTQ community during this era.

Five words: shameful, heartbreaking, haunting, illuminating, tender

Buy Now:
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Books-a-Million
Amazon

My final word: I found The Lilac People both enlightening and emotionally gripping. It illuminated a part of Nazi history I had not previously known, and it left me reflecting on humanity’s capacity for cruelty—and our responsibility to do better. The story lingers long after the final page, leaving me hopeful that we can still pull ourselves out of the moral tailspin we so often seem caught in, even as I worry about whether we will.

Warnings/Triggers:

Violence, depictions of sexual assault and exploitation, smoking, drinking, genocide

My Rating: 

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. 

REVIEW: The Bone Thief by Vanessa Lillie

 Synopsis

When a Native teenager vanishes from her small town—a place with dark ties to an elite historical society—archaeologist Syd Walker is called to investigate...from bestselling author Vanessa Lillie.

In the hours before dawn at a local summer camp, Bureau of Indian Affairs archaeologist Syd Walker receives an alarming call: newly discovered skeletal remains have been stolen. Not only have bones gone missing, but a Native teen girl has disappeared near the camp, and law enforcement dismisses her family's fears.

As Syd investigates both crimes, she's drawn into a world of privileged campers and their wealthy parents—most of them members of the Founders Society, an exclusive club whose members trace their lineage to the first colonists and claim ancestral rights to the land, despite fierce objections from the local tribal community. And it's not the first time something—or someone—has gone missing from the camp.

The deeper Syd digs, the more she realizes these aren't isolated incidents. A pattern of disappearances stretches back generations, all leading to the Founders Society's doorstep. But exposing the truth means confronting not just the town's most powerful families, but also a legacy of violence that refuses to stay buried.

From the national bestselling author of Blood Sisters (a Washington Post Best Mystery of the Year and Target Book Club pick) comes a new Syd Walker novel that proves the sins of the past are destined to repeat until the truth is finally unearthed.

Format 384 pages, Hardcover
Published October 28, 2025 by Berkley
ISBN 9780593550144 (ISBN10: 0593550145)

About the Author

Vanessa Lillie is the USA Today bestselling author of Blood Sisters, a new series centered on the stories of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls, which was a Target Book Club pick and GMA Book Club Buzz Pick, as well as a best mystery of the year from the Washington Post, Amazon Editor’s and Reader’s Digest. The sequel, The Bone Thief, will be out October 28, 2025.

Her other thrillers are Little Voices, For the Best and she’s the creator and coauthor of the # 1 Audible Charts bestseller and International Thriller Writers award-nominated, Young Rich Widows, set in Providence, RI where she lives, with the Audible Original sequel Desperate Deadly Widows and print edition recently released.

Originally from Miami, Oklahoma, she is a proud citizen of the Cherokee Nation. Vanessa wrote a weekly column for the Providence Journal about her experiences during the first year of the pandemic. She hosts an Instagram Live show, ‘Twas the Night Before Book Launch, where she chats with authors the night before their book is out in the world.

Learn more about the author

My Thoughts

Syd Walker works with the Bureau of Indian Affairs, having recently stepped into the role vacated by her former boss, Bud Russell, who retired six months earlier. When suspected tribal remains are discovered at Camp Quahog, Syd takes it upon herself to investigate—sneaking onto the property and uncovering what appears to be a troubling pattern of mishandled ancestral remains. As she digs deeper, the mystery expands to include a missing local reservation girl, pulling Syd into a web of secrets and unsettling discoveries.

The story starts out strong and held my attention for the most part. It’s one of those novels that clearly builds on characters from earlier books, and since I hadn’t read those, I often felt like I was missing parts of the emotional or narrative context. The book spends a fair amount of time filling in that backstory, which unfortunately slows the pace of the main mystery.

As the novel progresses, the writing feels uneven. Some chapters flow well, while others—particularly one near the end—read as if they were written by someone else entirely. That section felt especially stilted and rushed, full of repetitive “I did this” and “I did that” phrasing. It stripped away the atmosphere and nuance, leaving the chapter feeling bone thin and sparse, without much flesh on the story’s framework.

Five words: mysterious, ambitious, lacking, implausible, promising

Buy Now: Check out your purchase options

My final word:

I appreciate what the author was aiming for—a blend of mystery, cultural tension, and social commentary—but the execution didn’t quite land for me. The premise, while intriguing, starts to stretch credibility as the story unfolds. What began as a grounded investigation eventually veered into territory that felt improbable and, at times, outright preposterous. It reminded me a bit of the movie Antebellum—ambitious in concept but collapsing under the weight of its own ideas.

Overall, The Bone Thief was just okay. The first half was far more engaging, while the second half descended into implausibility. I went in with higher hopes than this book was able to meet.

Trigger warnings:

Violence, murder, racism

My Rating:

(Rounded up from 3.75 stars)

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through the BookBrowse First Impressions program, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.

REVIEW: Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

 

Synopsis

The extraordinary story of Jessie Redmon Fauset whose exhilarating world of friends, rivals, and passions all combined to create the magic that was the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.
 
In 1919, as civil and social unrest grips the country, there is a little corner of America, a place called Harlem where something special is stirring. Here, the New Negro is rising and Black pride is evident everywhere…in music, theatre, fashion and the arts. And there on stage in the center of this renaissance is Jessie Redmon Fauset, the new literary editor of the preeminent Negro magazine The Crisis.
 
W.E.B. Du Bois, the founder and editor of The Crisis, has charged her with discovering young writers whose words will change the world. Jessie attacks the challenge with fervor, quickly finding sixteen-year-old Countee Cullen, seventeen-year-old Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen, who becomes one of her best friends. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives, the writers become notable and magazine subscriptions soar. Every Negro writer in the country wants their work published in the magazine now known for its groundbreaking poetry and short stories. 
 
Jessie’s rising star is shining bright….but her relationship with W.E.B. could jeopardize all that she’s built. The man, considered by most to be the leader of Black America, is not only Jessie’s boss, he’s her lover. And neither his wife, nor their fourteen-year-age difference can keep the two apart. Their torrid and tumultuous affair is complicated by a secret desire that Jessie harbors — to someday, herself, become the editor of the magazine, a position that only W.E.B. Du Bois has held.
 
In the face of overwhelming sexism and racism, Jessie must balance her drive with her desires. However, as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.

Format 400 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 4, 2025 by Berkley

ISBN 9780593638484 (ISBN10: 0593638484)

About the Author

Victoria Christopher Murray is the author of nine Essence bestselling novels, including The Ex Files; Too Little, Too Late; and Lady Jasmine. Winner of the African American Literary Award for Fiction and Author of the Year (Female).

She has received numerous awards including the Golden Pen Award for Best Inspirational Fiction and the Phyllis Wheatley Trailblazer Award for being a pioneer in African American Fiction. Since 2007, Victoria has won nine African American Literary Awards for best novel, best Christian fiction and Author of the Year — Female. After four nominations, Victoria finally won an NAACP Image Award in Outstanding Literary Work for her social commentary novel, Stand Your Ground.

Victoria splits her time between Los Angeles and Washington DC. 

Learn more about the author on their website

Setting / Location

This book is set in Harlem in the 1920s amid the Harlem Renaissance.

James Van Der Zee, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

My Thoughts

I thrust open the taxicab's door, and the moment my t-strap heels hit the pavement, a cacophony of city sounds welcomes me.

Jessie Redmon Fauset, photographer unknown, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

W.E.B. DuBois, photographer Battey, C. M. (Cornelius Marion), 1873-1927, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Victoria Christopher Murray's Harlem Rhapsody is a compelling and emotionally charged novel that beautifully weaves together history, passion, and social activism. Set in the heart of Harlem, the book takes readers on a journey through the lives of two remarkable figures, W.E.B. DuBois and Jessie Redmon Fauset, whose real-life contributions to African-American history are celebrated in the pages of this inspiring novel.

While the novel primarily follows the story of Fauset's contributions to the African-American movement in the arts, W.E.B. DuBois is also a central figure. Murray does a wonderful job of delving into their personal struggles and triumphs. W.E.B. DuBois, known for his groundbreaking work as an intellectual and civil rights leader, is portrayed with a deep respect for his complex, and at times contradictory, character and his profound impact on African-American thought and our impressions of the African-American community. Fauset, though lesser-known, is equally significant in her role as a passionate advocate for the community and their expression through the arts. Murray’s exploration of both Fauset's personal and professional life adds depth to the story, highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of women in history.

The author’s rich prose is filled with historical detail, yet accessible enough for readers who may not be familiar with the time period or the individuals themselves (like me!). Murray masterfully captures the spirit of Harlem during the Harlem Renaissance, infusing the novel with the cultural vibrancy of the era, and introducing other historical characters like Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, and Countee Cullen who entered the human consciousness during the Harlem Renaissance.

"Something is happening here, Jessie. It's happened on the stage, it's happened in music, and now, this movement has come to literature. We're telling our stories in every form of the arts."

One of the book's greatest strengths is its ability to highlight the emotional complexities of both DuBois and Fauset’s lives. Their internal struggles, their relationships, and their drive to shape a better future for African-Americans resonates deeply. Their personal stories are presented as a powerful reflection of the larger societal battles they were part of.

Five words: intriguing, inspiring, measured, historical, fascinating

PreOrder Now (expected release February 4, 2025):

Amazon

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Indiebound

My final word: Harlem Rhapsody is a celebration of resilience, passion, and the unyielding fight for equality. Murray’s portrayal of these real-life characters offers a heartfelt tribute to their legacies. Whether you’re a historical fiction enthusiast, a lover of richly drawn characters, or simply someone who enjoys a well-crafted, thought-provoking novel, Harlem Rhapsody is a must-read that will linger and encourage you to learn more about the subjects even after you've closed the book.

My Rating:

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The Cerebral Girl is a middle-aged blogger just digging her way out from under a mountain of books in the deep south of Florida.

Disclosure:

I received a copy of this book to review through BookBrowse, in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not financially compensated in any way, and the opinions expressed are my own and based on my observations while reading this novel. The book that I received was an uncorrected proof, and quotes could differ from the final release.