Hello my lovely readers!
I am really in my fiction era right now....and I have A LOT of thoughts about this book. Let's get into it.
SYNOPSIS
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.
Initially, I was going to dump all over this book and talk about how annoying I thought it was right after I finished it. However, cooler heads prevailed when I sat to actually think about the book and other readers experiences with it.
The Harlem Renaissance is my favorite era. I have several shelves dedicated to fiction, biographies and nonfiction related to this era. Out of all the books I've read from this era, I was always a bit miffed that there isn't a biography on Jessie Redmon Fauset, because she played such a vital role in the HR and she shows up in nearly everyone else's biographies (W.E.B. Du Bois--obviously, Langston Hughes, Alain Locke...the list goes on).
Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of historical fiction. I'd rather read a history book or a non-fiction book in lieu of historical fiction. I do make exceptions, though! If a book is based on a completely original character that interacts with historical figures, I can accept that. Some examples: Margot, The Hours Count etc.
So when I read the synopsis of this book, I was confused. Why isn't this a biography if it's using real people, places and situations?
I reluctantly read gave it a chance since I was able to skip the line for the Libby hold on the book and my friend Chuck gave a rave review about it.
I wish the book started 60 percent in. There was no need for Will and Jessie's affair to slog on for as long as it did. I almost stopped reading the book because I was completely undone by their romance. There was so much more to Fauset's life that should've been the focus rather than her being a mistress to a married man.
When the book finally drops the affair, we get to see more of the players of the Harlem Renaissance with Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Alain Locke, Charlotte Osgood Mason etc. and I loved that part of it.
As a huge fan of this era, this book did serve as a lovely reminder as to why I loved this period. I also appreciate that this serves as a gateway into the HR for people who've never heard of Fauset and others. But that's where my props end.
I'd read Stand Your Ground by Victoria Christopher Murray a few years ago and enjoyed it, so it's not like I hate this author, I just didn't like this book. Although, after reading the author's note (which seems to be a new trend I've noticed in books), it seems like Murray just hopped on a trend of writing a book on Fauset because she'd never heard of her. Her research on her is commendable, though.
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