Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

Elites and intellectual creations particularly do help build elites. On the long term, it is the identity building process, on the short term the chance to reflect your own interests and cause, through the eyes of characters and encounters.

Jessie Redmon Fauset was the force behind the Harlem Renaissance in the literary realm, aimed at supporting African-American writers. As literary editor at The Crisis, in the 1920s, she actively supported new literary voices and talents. 

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray is dedicated to her, as a woman, a Black-American woman. She is in the center of the story that follow her life from her arrival to Harlem until the dramatic yet oportune decision of leaving The Crisis. 

In real life as well as in the story, Jessie was involved with W.E.B.du Bois, author, activist, sociologist, the founder of the publication and an active player in the fight for civil rights. At the time of the story, Jessie is 37, unmarried, highly educated. Du Bois is married, 51, entangled in various affairs, manipulative in love, firm in his dedication to the African-American cause.

The relationship dynamic is important but not definitory for the development of the story. In fact, it allows the character to be independent, take decisions, reflect and pounder her professional aims, position herself in relationship to other characters, particularly her stepmother. Instead of being a syrupy romance, it ends up as an account of independence - of the African-American writers and of herself, as a truly independent woman. Half-way through the story I was actually expecting to see her heading in the direction she (finally) took in the end.

The writing itself is fascinating as it not only recreates the historical ambiance thanks to a well documented context but also you may feel you are in Harlem. I´ve been there few years back and I had the feeling I am back in time, but in a place of promise. I also had the impression of meeting in Jessie not a fictional character, but a real person, hence my interest for her as a passionate woman of colour - with a love for French, among many others.

My only observation is only that maybe she is using too often ´white supremacy´ as part of various exchanges and dialogues and for me, it sounded more 2025 than beginning of the 20th century - although the expression as such was coined in the 19th century.

Harlem Rhapsody is a fine work of historical fiction and for me, it opened my eyes on the Harlem Renaissance, a phenomenon I would definitely research more in detail soon.

Rating: 4.5 stars