When I first read the description of Harlem Rhapsody, I expected tea ☕️ and history—and that’s exactly what I got. Plus, I don’t know about you, but I love the Harlem Renaissance. As both a setting and an era, its creative energy is absolutely mesmerizing to read about and impossible to ignore.

This was my first read by Victoria Christopher Murray, and I truly appreciate how she highlights the force that was Jessie Redmon Fauset. As someone already familiar with Fauset’s work and impact, it was fascinating to see this adaptation of her life as one of the “most prolific and most forgotten” writers of the Harlem Renaissance. For many readers, I know this will be an enticing introduction to her legacy.

Fauset was so many things—and often the best at those things. She dedicated her life to exploring language, literature, social justice, and education, all while championing the Black voices of the Harlem Renaissance that we celebrate today. In Harlem Rhapsody, I really enjoyed seeing her relationships with other writers and how she navigated carving out a space for herself while investing in others. I hope this book inspires readers to seek out her works and truly understand the breadth of her influence.

I can see some readers feeling frustrated by the way her relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois casts such a wide shadow over her literary impact. But I also felt this was intentional and an honest reflection of the times. The sad reality is that many women writers were overshadowed by their male counterparts, and this book doesn’t shy away from that truth. We see how her relationship with Du Bois puts her in difficult positions—not just in her personal life, but also in shaping the future she envisioned for herself.

That said, I’m sure plenty of readers will enjoy the mess of it all, following where Ms. Fauset’s decisions lead her in the end.

3.5 Rounded up. Thank you to Hear Our Voices Book Tours for this read!