I’ve always been a bit of a skeptic when it comes to historical fiction novels but my bottom line when it comes to “Harlem Rhapsody,” is to highly recommend it to Book Clubs. The novel is told through the eyes and mind of Jessie Redmon Faucet and primarily covers her time working for the N.A.A.C.P. under W.E.B. Du Bois.

Faucet was a fascinating intelligent, ambitious and creative African American woman. It was not an easy time for a woman, much less a woman of color to have a successful career. Imagine the obstacles that a woman of that time period had to overcome to get ahead.

Beautifully written, the book left me wanting to know more about Jessie R. Faucet, to know more about W.E.B. Du Bois and to know more about the N.A.A.C.P. and the time period in history outlined in the book.

An excellent introduction to Jessie Redmon Fauset, a Black author and editor of The Crisis during the Harlem Renaissance. I took a course on literature of the Harlem Renaissance in college and had never heard of her - but had heard of all the other authors in this historical fiction book. Fauset discovered and published many of them. This story compelled me to read one of her books next. In terms of the flow of the story, this wasn't perfect but the knowledge I gained from this book was well worth my time.

This was a lot of reading! I loved the time period & there were so many names that came into play, at times it was a little overwhelming for me.
The story truly focused on the relationship of [author:W.E.B. Du Bois|10710] & [author:Jessie Fauset|35162730]. That was really what I had the hardest time with- just get on with it.
The Harlem Renaissance was what I would have loved to have read more about, but I did enjoy what I did read.
It was well research & I loved the author's notes at the end.

Victoria Christopher Murray shines the light on Jessie Redmon Fauset, a woman whose accomplishments and life are unknown to many. A published author in her own right, Faust was the literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP's magazine that published pieces by the foremost Black writers of the time, including Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, and Countee Cullen. W.E.B. Dubois, a well-known civil rights activist, founded The Crisis and due to his affair with Jessie Fauset, appointed her to this position to keep her in his orbit. While readers may not understand or relate to Jessie’s affair after reading this book and learning more about DuBois’s numerous affairs and behavior towards other he felt were his competition, her work with The Crisis is admirable and interesting and helped launch a generation of literary legends. Harlem during the Roaring Twenties is a fascinating setting, and I loved getting a glimpse into the lives of people like Langston Hughes before they were well-established authors. This book is a good fit for anyone who likes to learn about someone forgotten by history as well as those who love to be transported to another time period.

I really enjoy historical fiction books based on real life figures, especially those that are inspiring. Jessie Redmon Fauset was a novelist, poet, critic, and literary editor for NAACP's The Crisis, a magazine that published the works of many Harlem Renaissance writers, from 1919-1926. The Crisis was founded by author and civil rights activist W.E.B. Du Bois, who, despite being her boss, married and fourteen years her senior, Jessie had an ongoing and tumultuous romantic relationship with.

Set against the backdrop of New York in the early 1900s, this was a captivating read and a history lesson all in one. Fauset is such an impressive woman it feels right that her life story be told- an educated Black woman and the first Black female editor, she promoted literary work that reflected the social movement of the era. She was also the mind behind The Brownies’ Book, a groundbreaking magazine for African American children with the aim of preparing them for higher education.

She was also known as one of the 'midwives of the Harlem Renaissance', meaning that she nursed the careers of young authors until they reached success. These authors include Langston Hughes, Nella Larsen, Jean Toomer and Claude McKay, who all make an appearance in this novel. I had never read the works of Langston Hughes and was spellbound by the excerpts of some of his poetry that I immediately had to look him up. His most famous poem “I, Too” ,a cry of protest against American racism, laments the way that he is excluded from American society—even though he is a key part of it.

Though Jessie's affair with Du Bois is a central feature in the book, it is clear that her drive and career aspirations far surpass her dedication to a man who she knows she will never have. Though their relationship is often frustrating, it is undeniable that he had a supporting role in the part she played in sculpting African- American literature, with her own focus on racial discrimination and feminism.

While I understand many pieces of this book were fictionalized, I am so glad that it introduced me to Miss Faucet and her amazing accomplishments. Powerful, educational and inspiring, this is a must read book. Thank you Netgalley and Berkley for an earc in exchange for my honest review. This was a 4.5 star read upgraded to a 5 star.

Jessie Redmon Fauset is the main character in Harlem Rhapsody. This historical fiction transports us back to the 1920s and we follow the FMC as she navigates her personal and professional life. Jessie was the literary editor of ‘The Crisis’ where she discovered many Harlem Renaissance writers. W.E.B. Du Bois created ‘The Crisis’ and has an affair with the Jessie. I loved how Jessie really helped shape and mold some of the literary greats of the Harlem Renaissance. I really wanted to read more about her accomplishments after her big move in the end!! I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

Harlem Rhapsody was a very very well written historical fiction. I appreciate when I can read a book and see how much research, time and love was put into the writing. While reading this book it lead me to do my own research on miss Jessie Redmon Faucet because I have never actually heard of her until now. This book follows Jessie’s career at the crisis magazine (Literary Editor) alongside Dr. W.E.B Du Boise during the Harlem renaissance. The crisis and the Brownie books were for negros and featured up and coming writers and poets with stories to uplift the negro community and its children. Jessie’s amazing work lead us to have some of the greatest writers that we’ve known including Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. She met these people and children and helped them develop their writing. Being an educated Black woman while still facing racism Jessie overcame a lot of obstacles and was a first of many things. W.E.B (Will) and Jessie Alison had an ongoing affair which the book walks us through, although the story gets a little messy it was tastefully written and I truly enjoyed it. Miss. Faucet was the first Black woman to write a fiction novel and although she had problems getting it done and published when she finally did she was greatly recognized and loved by her peers and mentees. I appreciate the gems that were dropped in this book, I look forward to not only reading more from Victoria Christopher Murray but Jessie Redmon Faucet as well. Thank you NetGalley, Author and Publisher for this Arc.

This book reads lile a movie. i love when a historical fiction has me doing research looking up other books. Jessie Redmon Fauset is noted as the Midwife of the New Negro Movement. This book chronicles her time as the Literary Editor of the Crisis Magazine. Its full of people you have heard of and writers you've read and leaders you have studied. You get a glimpse of her life as a writer and editor and how it intertwined with her personal life. The books gives a look at Harlem 100 years ago, if you love books with movement, places and well developed characters I highly recommended this book.

2.5 stars
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Having loved Victoria Christopher Murray’s previous historical fiction books she wrote with Marie Benedict, I was excited for Harlem Rhapsody and about the prospect of trying a book written solely by Murray. But I’m not sure what happened (and how much the last four books I DNFed, putting me into a slump factored into my experience), but I found myself severely underwhelmed.
I knew next to nothing about W.E.B. DuBois, and I’d never heard of Jessie Redmon Fauset, and I did enjoy getting insight into their lives. Jessie in particular is compelling, as she tries to fulfill her literary dreams, while also finding herself entangled in an affair with DuBois.
But I think the over-emphasis on the affair with DuBois is where the book falls down, on multiple fronts. I can understand that the connection is very relevant to Jessie’s career advancement early on, but this “romance” was just not compelling, even taking the taboo element out of it (don’t care enough about W.E.B. DuBois on a personal level), and with it, I found myself more repulsed than drawn in. And while this isn’t a romance novel, I fully expect a writer to capture the passion and stakes, so I can at least understand what drew these people together, in spite of the obstacles in the way, and I just didn’t get that.
While I found it underwhelming, a quick look at the early reviews shows I’m in the minority. And while this is slowly changing, there are still only a handful of historical fiction books about Black history, and in spite of its shortcomings, I respect what it’s trying to do in bringing the story of Jessie Redmon Fauset to light.

Victoria Christopher Murray’s latest work delivers a powerful and unforgettable tale of ambition, passion, and resilience in Harlem Rhapsody. This extraordinary novel sheds light on the life of Jessie Redmon Fauset, a woman whose vision and determination ignited one of the most influential cultural movements in American history.

Set in 1919, the story follows Jessie as she leaves her teaching career in Washington, D.C., to pursue her literary dreams in Harlem. Appointed as the literary editor of The Crisis. Jessie breaks barriers as the first Black woman to hold such a prominent role. Murray masterfully explores Jessie’s professional triumphs alongside her personal challenges, including a secretive and scandalous relationship with her mentor and boss, W. E. B. Du Bois.

Amid whispered rumors and societal pressures, Jessie remains steadfast in her mission to elevate Black voices. Through her tireless efforts, she discovers and champions future literary icons like Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, and Nella Larsen.

Murray vividly captures the vibrancy of the Harlem Renaissance, weaving in Jessie’s triumphs and struggles as she balances her literary ambitions with the emotional toll of her choices. As Jessie publishes her debut novel and secures her place among the greats, readers are reminded of the personal sacrifices that often accompany groundbreaking success.

I'm a sucker for amazing historical fiction. and this book happens to be up there.
The sheer work the author has done to make the Harlem Renaissance come alive is amazing. This book took time and effort to make happen and it's well worth it.

We get to meet Jessie Redmon Faucet. She is a strong FMC that is very relatable to the reader. Jessie is intelligent and determined to put Black women and writing on the map. We also get to see her complex relationship/affair with WEB Dubois. I love the muli-layers to this book.

There is so much about the times and the struggles of Harlem and of African Americans, more specifically women in this story. The way this story is written really lends a voice to the generations of the past who trailblazed for those of us in the future.

I was wrapped up in reading this book and would highly recommend to all readers.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC of this book. It's a gem.

I really enjoyed this book, when I first started I was worried because historical fiction is not my usual genre but this was a really good reader. I loved being transported to the 1919s and seeing African American Literature and the work of the fmc Jess to promote 'Negro' women's writing and education. This book was juicy, there is a love affair at the center because the fmc is with W.E.B Du Bois even though he is married and has kids. The fmc is educated and brilliant and she moves to a brownstone in Harlem to take up a Job that W. E. B. created for her in his magazine The Crisis.

I loved learning more about the time period and how it related to the main character's plight and those around her. As annoyed as I was about the cheating I understood it and its role in the fmc character development. I love that even though this is a historical fiction about an African American it's not trauma-focused and it's a great story and journey of this Black woman. Thanks to Berkley Pub for this arc for an honest review.

4.5/5

Thanks so much to @BerkleyPub, @BerkleyRomance, & @AceBooksPub for the free book! #BerkleyPartner #AceBooksPartner

Let me start by saying Victoria Christopher Murray is a beautiful writer—one of the best historical fiction writers I've read in the last five years. Not only has she crafted a well-written, compassionate, informative, exciting, engaging novel, she carefully presented Jessie Redmon Fauset and W. E. B. Du Bois. She humanized such a complicated yet ambiguous historical figure and brought to life a woman I'd never heard of but grew to have great respect and admiration for by the end. This is a work of fiction that calls on our ability as humans to see the layers of people we've made into idols and our willingness to show compassion and understanding to people whose actions we don't understand.

I'm one of the many people who'd never heard of Jessie before this story. While I recognize that this is historical fiction with a heavy emphasis on fiction, I believe that Murray has filled in the gaps to the best of her ability—and with her best intentions according to the author's and historical context notes—so considering all the research and cross-researching that was done, I feel like this might be as close to the truth as it could get for many aspects of this story. With that said, Murray is not heavy-handed in her commentary, nor does she call on the reader to come to some kind of conclusion about Jessie and the decisions she makes throughout her life. She simply tasks us with taking in everything and leaves us to make a decision to be derisive or to express grateful for the work our ancestors did even though they weren't perfect people.

I loved that Jessie was a later-in-life achiever as pertains to blooming in her career, realizing her worth and what she deserves, as well as love. I think this is a very common yet often-shamed aspect of womanhood that is glossed over in modern media especially when it doesn't need to be. Although Jessie exists in the context of what she achieved, I hope that as conversations surrounding her continue to grow, there will be more grace given to women who have similar plights, and that Jessie finally, finally gets the glory she deserves.

Overall, this was masterfully written, inspiring, educational, heartbreaking, empowering, and so much fun to read!

5 ⭐️s

Let’s just say this was historical fiction done right!

Victoria Christopher Murray gave us history with a hidden figure, Jessie Redmond Fauset at the center who is a force to be reckoned with.

Murray depicted such a pivotal time in African American history in a unique way. After moving to New York to become the first and only literary editor for The Crisis, Fauset hits the ground running making a name for herself! During this time Fauset keeps her “alleged” affair with Dr. Dubois under wraps with her head down in her work, but what is a woman supposed to do when she doesn’t understand her role in his life?

The spark that ignited in Fauset towards the end of the novel was everything to me especially during a time when black women had no voice. She was truly behind the literary birth of so many writers during the Harlem renaissance and I’m so glad I know more about her story.

5 ⭐️
Thank you Berkley and Net Galley for this digital ARC

Pub Date: Feb 04 2025

If you know me, you know I love a good historical fiction read. When I first started this book, I had no idea of how important literary great Jessie Redmond Fauset was. She was responsible for discovering quite a few Black writers that paved the way for what Black Literature is today. I enjoyed reading her story and how her work at The Crisis ( the official magazine of the NAACP) gave us literary greats such as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes, Jean Toomer, Nella Larsen and so many more. Her editing and the guidance she provided to these young writers was remarkable and I am upset that I didn’t learn about her
sooner. However, this is not just any historical fiction novel, it also involves a scandalous affair between Jessie Redmond Fauset and W.E.B. Dubois. While I enjoyed this story, I felt like the affair overshadowed how important her work was during the Harlem Renaissance. I found myself wanting to know more about Jessie and her amazing accomplishments. At times, DuBois became a handful and I so badly wanted Jessie to walk away and do her own thing but she refused to leave “her babies” as she called them. When she finally did though, I was extremely proud of her. After the success of her first novel and leaving The Crisis, Jessie went on to publish four novels. She also wrote a number of poems, short stories, a novella, and
editorials while still at the magazine. With this book, I am hoping that more people learn about Jessie and all of her
achievements. I pray that Jessie got her flowers while she was still on this earth. Make sure to check Harlem Rhapsody outwhen it hits shelves on February 4th. Happy reading!

Enjoyed learning about another Hidden Figure, especially one that ignited the Harlem Renaissance and nurtured the careers of so many renowned writes that I revere. Jessie Redmond Fauset was a talented, phenomenal woman who lived a complex life with a man whom she shouldn’t have been involved with. Victoria’s writing places you in era. The story is filled with history, and fascinating partnerships/collaborations. You’ll want to pull out those old copies of the books by the writers Jessie worked with.

I found the novel to be a fascinating exploration of Jessie Redmon Fauset, a pivotal yet often overlooked figure of the Harlem Renaissance. As the literary editor of The Crisis, Ms. Fauset played a crucial role in shaping African American literature and fostering the talents of iconic writers. The story dives deeply into both her personal and professional life, including her complex and emotionally charged relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois, her mentor and confidant. While this focus adds a touching layer of humanity to her character, I felt that it sometimes drew attention away from her groundbreaking literary achievements.

That said, the author’s meticulous research and vivid storytelling truly bring Fauset’s extraordinary contributions to light, ensuring her legacy is both celebrated and understood. Despite a few slower moments, the book’s rich narrative and cultural significance made it a worthwhile and rewarding read.

Hey, hey, my favorites 😁💚. #annieethebookiee is back with another book review!

📚 Book Title: Harlem Rhapsody
📅 Published Date: 2/4/25
⭐ Rating: 4/5

Harlem Rhapsody takes readers on an unforgettable journey through the heart of the Harlem Renaissance. The author does a phenomenal job bringing this vibrant era to life with rich storytelling and compelling characters. The dialogue is poetic, the setting is immersive, and the themes of love, resilience, and cultural pride hit all the right notes. I found myself enchanted by the historical backdrop and the layered narrative that celebrates Black excellence in art, music, and community.

If you enjoy stories that transport you to another time and place while shedding light on the strength and beauty of a culture, this book is a must-read. The rhythm of Harlem beats on every page, leaving a lasting impression.

Would I recommend it? Absolutely!

Let me know if you’ve read it or plan to!

#annieethebookiee

I was so looking forward to reading Harlem Rhapsody, only to be disappointed. The story on its own merit was a good one and well written. My disappointment came in the fact the story centered around the long-term relationship between W. E. B. Dubois and Jessie Redmond Fauser, in my opinion glossed over the good works they did.
I am a long-time reader of Victoria Christopher Murray and will continue to read her works.
Thank you to Net Galley and Berkley for an ARC of Harlem Rhapsody above is my honest opinion on the story.

Racism
Sexism
Colorism
Harlem Renaissance
Affair
Father Impact on Relationships
This may not have been what I expected but I was pulled in immediately! I flew through this book, faster than I wanted or expected, and it may be due to the formatting. It’s like diary entries, in a way, and it just pulls you in. You can imagine what they see and how they feel. Heck it motivated me to get back into writing!
So much to be said but I can’t spoil anything. This won’t be a spoiler but this is about W.E.B & Jessie Fauset’s affair. Please note there’s so much you can take from this book! From the racism to community, there’s something you will learn and take away from this. I love how she honored them while still keeping them human and not glorified on a pedestal. They both accomplished great things but were still human at the end of the day. Fauset is not a renowned name like W.E.B and this book will definitely have you wanting to research more about her. She was the driving force of the names we know today from the Harlem Renaissance. She mentored, edited, and became good friends with them. Of course being in the same circle, most of them knew each other already. Through that, you see how Harlem is as a strong community. They looked out for each other and helped each other.
Lastly, her father left a huge impact on her to the point where it partly encouraged her relationship with W.E.B. This was something I found interesting because it’s not talked about often and fathers hold a lot of weight in who their daughters entertain. Whether it’s a void from being gone, their mannerisms, personality, any aspect of them can influence who their daughter falls for. This was a factor I held dear to me while reading this.