“A gripping narrative, don’t miss this historical fiction about the woman who kicked off the Harlem Renaissance.”—People Magazine
“A page turner and history lesson at once, Harlem Rhapsody reminds us that our stories are our generational wealth.”—Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage (Oprah’s Book Club Pick)
She found the literary voices that would inspire the world…. The extraordinary story of the woman who ignited the Harlem Renaissance, written by Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Personal Librarian.
In 1919, a high school teacher from Washington, D.C arrives in Harlem excited to realize her lifelong dream. Jessie Redmon Fauset has been named the literary editor of The Crisis. The first Black woman to hold this position at a preeminent Negro magazine, Jessie is poised to achieve literary greatness. But she holds a secret that jeopardizes it all.
W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, 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. Amidst rumors of their tumultuous affair, Jessie is determined to prove herself. She attacks the challenge of discovering young writers with fervor, 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…every African American writer in the country wants their work published there.
When her first novel is released to great acclaim, it’s clear that Jessie is at the heart of a renaissance in Black music, theater, and the arts. She has shaped a generation of literary legends, but as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.
BIO
Victoria Christopher Murray is a New York Times bestselling author of more than thirty novels, including The Personal Librarian, a Good Morning America book club pick, and The First Ladies, Target’s 2023 Book of the Year, both of which she coauthored with Marie Benedict. She is a NAACP Image Award Winner for Outstanding Literary Work for her novel Stand Your Ground, which was also a Library Journal Best Book of the Year. She holds an MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business.
REVIEWS
“In tracing Fauset’s journey, Murray artfully re-creates the excitement and exhilaration of Harlem at the blossoming of its literary and cultural heyday.” -- The Washington Post
“If you like to learn something while lost in a gripping narrative, don’t miss this historical fiction about the woman who kicked off the Harlem Renaissance. “ --People
“A page turner and history lesson at once, Harlem Rhapsody reminds us that our stories are our generational wealth— this book and the real lives that inspired it.” -- Tayari Jones, New York Times bestselling author of An American Marriage (Oprah’s Book Club)
“The best of historical fiction is a creative balance between an author’s curiosity and connection, between a character’s personal discovery and discomfort. Victoria Christopher Murray has achieved both in this bold, imaginative, and deeply researched novel about the life of Jessie Redmon Fauset, literary mid-wife to the Harlem Renaissance. Her singular story, filled with wonder and woe will surprise you, rouse you, and have you applauding this beautifully rendered legacy.” -- Kwame Alexander, #1 New York Times Bestselling Author of The Door of No Return Series, and This is the Honey: An Anthology of Contemporary Black Poets
A WCBS Club Calvi Readers’ Choice Pick
“What a triumph! In her superb novel, Murray brings to life a woman lost in the shadows of history but whose name we should all know…. Thanks to the masterful storytelling by Murray, Jessie Redmon Fauset will no longer be forgotten.” -- Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Queens of Crime
“Victoria Christopher Murray is a master storyteller who threads historical details together seamlessly while painting a beautiful, well-researched story of love, literature and legacy… A fantastic and fascinating historical find.” -- Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of The House of Eve (Reese’s Book Club)
[H] Berkley Books / February 04, 2025
1.4" H x 9.2" L x 6.1" W (1.2 lbs) 400 pages