What do readers think of Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray? Write your own review.

I received a pre publication copy of Victoria Christopher"s latest novel Harlem Rhapsody. It tells the story of Jessie Redmon Fauset, the literary editor of The NAACP's magazine, The Crisis, from 1919-1925. While Harlem Rhapsody is historical fiction, Miss Fauset's accomplishments are not. In an era where women, especially black women, had limited rights and limited access to education, she was a Cornell graduate, a member of Phi Beta Kappa, and an accomplished writer and poet. She nurtured major poets and writers including Countee Cullen, Nella Larson, Jean Toomer and Langston Hughes, who called her the midwife of the Harlem Renaissance. She also rubbed shoulders with Paul Robeson, Ethel Waters, Marcus Garvey, and Charles MacKay. It was enlightening to learn about her world.

This novel is also a love story of sorts. She was appointed the literary editor of The Crisis by W.E.B. Dubois, the civil rights icon, her mentor and her lover, He is a monumental historical figure and very impactful on Miss Fauset's trajectory. However, I would have preferred more history and less relationship. The love story detracts from this woman, seemingly lost to history, and overshadows her individual achievements.

It was interesting to learn that Ms. Murray had only recently learned about Miss Fauset. I am glad that she decided to discover the renaissance life of Jesse Redmone Fauset and share it with us. I recommend this novel to those interested in history, women's history, the Harlem Renaissance, United States history, and black history. For me, it was a welcome education.

I've read quite a few books by Black authors of that era but hadn't heard of Jessie Fauset and now she's having a moment. Murray, whom I'd not heard of either, has brought Jessie to life and effectively brought out her importance to the Renaissance. There were parts I thought were soap opera but really it's a Romance novel. I did learn some interesting things about Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, and W.E.B. Du bois. Perhaps I was expecting a different approach but this should get people interested in Jessie and the enormous impact she had on the movement.

I really enjoyed this book. I did not know this part of history, the publishing world, the struggle to be black along with being a woman. This is based on the life Jesse Redmon Fauset. She becomes the literary editor of the black magazine The Crisis. Jesse is determined to make the magazine the best there is by finding young black talent and soon every black writer in America wants to be published in her magazine. She is having an affair with her editor, the founder of the magazine. She doesn't want marriage or children. My only criticism was the author used so many words I had to look up as I was not familiar with them. It disrupted the flow of the story.

The novel Harlem Rhapsody centers around Jessica Fauset, an aspiring writer navigating the vibrant cultural landscape of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance. Her journey is intertwined with Crisis magazine, W.E.B. Du Bois's influential publication where she seeks to advance the careers of Black poets and writers who lack an avenue of publication in the white publishing dynasties. The novel offers an insightful portrayal of Harlem's literary and artistic explosion, featuring a vivid cast of characters. However, the transitions between chapters feel clunky, often bogged down by excessive references to famous figures and events. While names like Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen are important to the era, their constant mention detracts from the story's focus on Fauset. The novel loses momentum by frequently veering into historical references and Jessica's romantic interlude with DuBoist. Although the setting is rich and compelling, the overreliance on name-dropping can make the narrative feel disjointed, weakening the reader's emotional connection to the protagonist's struggles to guide a literary revolution.

My hopes were high for this story about the Harlem Renaissance. It is a very exciting time in the history of our country, one which I am always eager to learn about. I had never heard of Jessie Redmon Fauset before reading this. I suspect not many people have. Her story definitely needed to be told, for her importance in promoting literature was immense. This book was well researched. However, I am not sure it warranted such a long saga. At times, I found it to be repetitive. It is not the first book I have read written by Victoria Christopher Murray. Nor will it be the last. It just was not her finest in my humble opinion.