Rating: 3
Format: Ebook (ARC)
Genre: Historical Fiction

Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced copy! My opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this historical fiction set during the Harlem Renaissance that follows Jessie Fauset, the literary editor of a prominent black publication. I think the atmosphere of the 1910s in New York was excellent and I love learning about this time period, especially when black creatives and intellectuals are at the center. 

Following Jessie as our main protagonist was great and she was easy to root for. She was hardworking, intelligent, and confident. I do think that too much time was spent on her romance with W.E.B. du Bois. While there was a lot going on, her dynamic with du Bois was one of the main elements for the first 75% of the book and it was sometimes frustrating to read so much about. I would’ve liked to have seen more development in other relationships in her life. 

My favorite parts were the ones that displayed and dissected the misogynoir that black women were experiencing at the time. Jessie, despite her absolutely killing it at the paper she edits for, has to constantly deal with misogyny from her peers and other professionals, including du Bois himself. The discussions that Jessie had with other black writers and artists about their passions and the innovations they were making in the literary world for people of color were so compelling. 

I think this would be an excellent book to learn about the literary landscape of the early 1900s for black Americans, but it probably wouldn’t provide much information for other aspects of the Harlem Renaissance or history during that period aside from brief references.