I inhaled this wonderful read! Katherine Swift was a classical pianist, well trained and relatively successful. She married a wealthy and influential man, had children, and then met George Gershwin. George began calling her Kay, and his influence changed her music as well as her name.

Kay began writing show tunes and acting as a helpmate to George. They eventually became involved in a complicated love affair, and along the way, in their busy cosmopolitan lifestyle, the reader becomes acquainted with the rich and famous of the day.

Swift and Gershwin socialized with many of the well known figures of the day. Among their acquaintances were Maurice Ravel, Nadia Boulanger, FDR, Al Jolson, Rodgers and Hart, Fred and Adele Astaire, Ginger Rogers, Duke Ellington, among many, many others. The story of Porgy and Bess and its controversies were fascinating. The life of those working on Broadway as well as in venues for both classical music and jazz was engrossing. Looks at current events during that era were compelling, including the Depression, Prohibition, the rise of Hitler and the Nazis, and race relations.

I highly recommend this wonderful book to lovers of historical fiction and music. It’s well researched and a wonderful story.

I’m grateful that this ebook was supplied to me by NetGalley in return for an honest review.

With RHAPSODY, Mitchell James Kaplan has created a lush, vivid world of music. In the story of a love affair between Kay Swift and George Gershwin, Kaplan evokes the pulse, the energy, the music of a brilliant match between two musical geniuses. Throughout this incredible book, I inhabited the vivid, passionate life of a strong, fascinating artist in the early twentieth century. Highly recommended. I received an early reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my unbiased review.

Jazz age composer George Gershwin and his long term affair with Kay Swift are at the center of this book. An interesting look at the times and at Gershwin. It’s a story about love, but also the love of music.

Beautiful Music and Star Crossed Lovers
This book is so much more than I expected. Some of it requires a person well versed in music to understand. Most of it just needs someone who is familiar with G.Gershwin and the music of the era. So much of the story is about the lives of people who don't fit into the times they're born into. This is about the people more than anything. There is WWI and its fallout in Europe. There is prohibition and speakeasy drinking. There is the moral decadence of the twenties. The nights filled with fine dining and drinking, Broadway plays, and Vaudeville. There is the Great Depression and all that it brought to main street. The Hollywood scene with their open moral decadence and the spectacular movie industry. There is the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany, but not WWII. And looping through it all is a woman with great musical talent who is trying to be the wife and mother she is expected to be while her inner self just wants to create music. This is a deep novel on many planes. It is focused on Kay Swift and those in her spotlight. The author does a fine job of taking the known details of her life and creating likely side events that are unknown to us. I received this ARC book for free from Net Galley and this is my honest review.

If you love music(specifically classical and jazz), have any interest in 1920’s American culture and enjoy a book that gets down to the nitty-gritty of the human condition, do yourself a favor and pick this one up!

Katherine “Kay” Swift is an American pianist striving for success in New York. She is married to a wealthy banker, James Warburg, who eventually tells her he would like an open marriage. Opposed to this, Katherine stays faithful to her straying husband for years until she meets George Gershwin.

George is one of those charismatic people that exude energy and, like a moth to a flame, draws people in. A musical genius, he is wildly successful in his thirties composing some of America’s most famous songs for Broadway and film. Kay can’t help but fall for him.

This book is the story of their ten year affair made complicated by Kay’s marriage(divorce was not legal in New York for women during this time even though her husband was repeatedly unfaithful) and George Gershwin’s inability to commit in a relationship. Music was always Gershwin’s focus.

I appreciated that this book did not glorify infidelity or their affair. In terms of this, the book was simply a portrait of their life and the reality of their situation. The love Katherine had for George is intense and his charm was so irresistible I can see why her feelings were so strong.

George dies at 38 years old of a brain tumor he didn’t know he had and never married. The last song he wrote is “Love is Here to Stay”, dedicated to Kay just before his unexpected death.

This book is full of beautiful music. I listened to Claude DeBussy, Duke Ellington and, of course, George Gershwin as I read. If you pick this one up I encourage you to do the same.
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4.5/5 ⭐️ - SO good 👏🏼 A well-written historical fiction novel with layer upon layer of charm and star-crossed love. I highly recommend!

Thank you @netgalley and @gallerybooks for this copy in exchange for my honest review!

Mitchell James Kaplan has written a meticulously researched book, and clearly explains in the author’s note where he has deviated from historical fact, something I always appreciate from authors of historical fiction. New York City of the Jazz Age provides a roll call of celebrities, as the protagonist, Kay Swift, was married to a wealthy and prominent financier, and then became involved with George Gershwin, so she did come into contact with people whose names, unlike her own, are well known: Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Duke Ellington, Adele and Fred Astaire, Dorothy Parker, George S. Kaufman, Averell Harriman, Fats Waller, Langston Hughes, George Balanchine, Richard Rogers, Lorenzo Hart, Maurice Ravel, and Zora Neale Hurston, to name quite a few, but not all. However, most of these are mere cameos, and it was a pleasure to learn about Kay herself, the first woman to have composed a produced Broadway score.

Kaplan explores themes that still resonate: the problems of cultural appropriation, the relationship of the immigrant to the US, and the inequal opportunity afforded people based on race and class. Kay’s husband, Jimmy Warburg, immigrated to the US in his youth, with the advantage of money and the disadvantage of being Jewish, albeit only by culture, and he gives insight into how many Jews underestimated Hitler. Jimmy also introduces Kay to the concept of an open marriage, only to find that he likes it more for himself than for his wife.

The book succeeds on an intellectual level, but I never quite connected with the characters. All of them seem to be held at a certain distance, even Kay, from whose point of view the story is told in a close third person. Gershwin remains an enigma. It feels as though we are going through a checklist of events rather than it feeling organic, perhaps in order to make space for all the cameos. Dorothy Parker and Adele Astaire’s cameos have a little more weight, but it feels like breadth was chosen over depth in this telling. But mostly I felt like I was waiting around for George Gershwin to show up and sweep Kay away into the glittering company he surrounded himself with.

If you’d like an overview of the New York cultural milieu of the 1920s and 1930s, Rhapsody is a good introduction, competently written and thought-provoking.

If you are a fan of musical history and New York City during the Jazz Age, Rhapsody is a book worth checking out. It centers around two talented musicians – George Gershwin, whose fame remains today and the lesser known Katherine “Kay” Swift. In 1924, while married to wealthy banker Jimmy Warburg, Kay is mesmerized by the young composer George Gershwin, as he performs Rhapsody in Blue. She is forever changed. Once George and Kay meet, they begin an affair and inspire one another in their music. Warburg has his own dalliances which only brings Kay closer to Gershwin. And becomes so wrapped up in him that her children are delegated to caretakers. She is often spoiled and selfish. Gershwin is also a flawed character. Once Kay becomes part of Gershwin’s world, she becomes part of a dazzling group of musicians, actors and intellectuals bringing her to Harlem and the Cotton Club and to the parties of some of the era’s most influential artists.

This is a fascinating story of a very creative period in contemporary history where jazz and classical music are mixed, the musical theater is at its zenith and world events in Europe are threatening it all. Kay Swift was the first woman to have composed the entire score of a musical play. Although he tragically died at age 38, George Gershwin’s music lives on. He remains one of the most significant and popular American composers of all time. They lived in their own world of creativity and Rhapsody gives us a well-researched entry into this world.

Recommended for those who have an interest in this period and its music.

Rhapsody is a historical novel based on the relationship between Kay Swift and George Gershwin. I enjoyed learning more about Kay Swift who was also a talented musician.

The novel was well written and I could follow the narrative.

Highly recommended for fans of historical novels.

Thank you to Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to review an advanced copy of Rhapsody.

Rhapsody is a story about music, love, infidelity and all that jazz. The highly stylized writing feels as melodious as a Gershwin (and Swift) tune. It takes place in New York City between 1925 and 1937, and it features the long love affair between Mrs. Kay Swift Warburg and George Gershwin. Like the mistresses of other famous, successful men in history, Kay is both enriched and broken by her love of Gershwin.

I was intrigued by the idea of a historical fiction about Gershwin, but I didn’t fall in love with the characters or the tried-a-bit-too hard writing style. The lush descriptions of music and society coupled with the name dropping challenged my interest in the book. Sometimes, a little mystery helps keep the adoration going, and for me, I wish I didn’t know what a womanizer Gershwin was, and I wish I could have given Kay Swift a lecture about her life choices. There are so many conflicting aspects to Gershwin and Swift’s relationship. Swift is inspired intellectually and artistically by Gershwin, and her association with him doesn’t hurt her aspirations of being a composer and pianist. However, Gershwin, like her husband, is not faithful, and ultimately their relationship cannot truly provide Swift with the support, acknowledgement and love she desired.

I applaud author Mitchell James Kaplan for shining a spot light on Kay Swift’s talent and contributions to Gershwin’s career. The author’s research into his topic and the era is evident, which made for an interesting, if not uplifting, book. I can honestly say that I’ll never listen to a Gershwin tune the same again.

I was given the opportunity to read and review this book through Net Galley and I am so glad! The story sucked you in and you'll find yourself thinking about the characters long after you finish the book. Can't wait to read more by this author!!

"This is just... one beat in the magnificent concerto of your life."

Rhapsody by Mitchell James Kaplan is an inspired-by-a-true-story novel about the love affair between George Gershwin and Kay Swift, two musical marvels of the 1920s-30s.

"She tried not to think about George Gershwin. About his embrace, that twinkle in his eyes, and the way he used the piano as an extension of his soul. She tried."

This impeccably well-researched tale drops readers right into the heart of Jazz Age New York. Kaplan’s staccato, rapid-fire descriptions lend a hustle-and-bustle feel to the opera houses, society galas, and delicatessens; and the small details he weaves in to the narrative make you feel like you’re there. (The pressed-tin ceilings, the Victrolas, the crystal chandeliers...) The world-building is impeccable and creates a setting you can’t help but fall in love with.

"That was New York, for better or worse: rich and poor, Italian and Jew and Irishman, rubbing elbows at the intersection of tradition and modernity."

All of this is set against a backdrop of music, and its almost-magical properties: the way it can differentiate cultures; its tendency to spur nostalgia or recall lost memories; its ability to reawaken long-dormant parts of the soul.

"She failed to notice the moment when the music persuaded her to stop thinking and just listen. What she heard then was a man pouring his heart out to the world."

Meanwhile, Kaplan composes his own thematic symphony, incorporating issues like race, class, gender, economics, social strata, and the inherent power dynamics at play in each of these spheres. He deftly incorporates the historically-accurate attitudes of racism, anti-Semitism, and the socialism-vs-capitalism debate that were so prevalent in 1920s America, yet his commentary on these attitudes (while subtle) is unmistakable.

"She asked herself how money, social standing, or marriage could degrade something as vital and supposedly resilient as friendship."

Equally fascinating is Rhapsody’s nearly-biographical treatment of real-life people and historically-accurate scenarios. I made connections to actual events and world history through this book! George Gershwin, Kay Swift, and their contemporaries were real people, with real stories, and although they both proved deeply flawed and unlikeable, the authenticity of seeing them as they were was intriguing.

"No matter how far she stretched—how much of life she gulped, how brilliantly she performed—it could never be enough."

I really, really enjoyed Rhapsody. I played George Gershwin’s music in the background as I read and sipped bubbly drinks to immerse myself in the atmosphere. (Now where you at, Netflix, with a miniseries deal?!)

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A huge thank you to Mitchell James Kaplan, Gallery Books, and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

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Follow @letteredlibrary on Instagram!

My thanks to Rachel from Net Galley for inviting me to read this wonderful book about Katherine Swift, not happy in her marriage, who begins a relationship with George Gershwin, who shares her passion for music.

Great characters, with appearances from celebs at the time like Harpo Marx. A different, entertaining read.

I had no idea. Kay Swift was married to banker James Warburg when she met George Gershwin. She's a talented musician in her own right and she's frustrated in a marriage where her husband routinely cheats on her (and their children). She didn't expect to fall in love with Gershwin but she did; their 10 year affair that ends with his death was also a period of incredible music making. Fans of both (or either) might know the story but I did not- and I found myself looking for more information, the lyrics of the songs, and so on. Gershwin, btw, also had a wandering eye. There are appearances from other real people as well and the atmospherics are terrific. Kaplan does a good job of balancing the personalities, in particular keeping Jimmy from becoming a villain. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. It's a good read especially for music fans and those who like historical fiction.

Loved the writing style in this fictional historical story involving Kay Swift, her husband James Warburg, and lover, composer/pianist George Gershwin. While inviting us in to the story to accompany them into the clubs of Manhattan Kay and George allowed us to experience the Jazz Age first hand while their unorthodox affair was anything but perfect. Kay, unhappy in her marriage with Warburg who found it difficult to stay faithful to her, experienced the same in her affair with Gershwin.
Kaplan's prose brings us right into the room to experience the highs of Kay's genius and the lows of her marriage. Highly recommended books for all historical fiction fans as well as those interested in the history of Broadway and composers.
Thank you to Netgalley for the prerelease of this fantastic novel.

The legendary George Gershwin mentors married pianist/composer Kay Swift in 1920s’ NY, and soon they fall in love and create gorgeous music together. Their 10-year affair ends only when he succumbs at age 38 to a brain tumor. We’re immersed in the Jazz Age that produced music still beloved today, Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue a perfect example. While slow pace and often dislikable characters mar the tale at times, the glorious music keeps readers entranced. A fine hist fic novel for lovers of Gershwin, the ‘20s, and complicated romance.

4 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 02 Mar 2021
#Rhapsody #NetGalley

Thanks to the author, Gallery Books, NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"There's been another man that I've needed and I've loved
But that doesn't mean I love you less
And he knows he can't possess me and he knows he never will
There's just this empty place inside of me that only he can fill"

-Torn Between Two Lovers" written by Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul & Mary) and Phil Jarrel

Katharine "Kay" Swift was a classically trained pianist who had studied at Juilliard. "People associated classical music with aristocratic taste...the newly rich and the newly almost rich, who aspired to an appearance of nobility, surrounded themselves with it." As part of the "Edith Rubel Trio", Kay performed at soirees where champagne and propaganda flowed in the 1920's after the period of the Great War and during Prohibition.

The Warburgs were a powerful banking family. The patriarch, Paul Warburg, had help create the Federal Reserve System. The Warburgs hosted many musical gatherings. "...The only thing she knew about Jimmy Warburg was that he had access to more money than anyone she had ever met...he was handsome...funny...and a tad pretentious...Chopin meant as much to her as sapphires; probably more..., [To Jimmy] she was sharp, delightful, and slightly rebellious. A stimulating companion...Music remained her focus. Music was her future. That was not negotiable." Kay and Jimmy married in 1918. "Creative people possessed or thought they possessed the power to invent their own moral codes" as evidenced by conflicting loyalties soon to arise.

A Warburg party boasted an impromptu piano performance by George Gershwin. "His hands swept across the keyboard brushing into the air a multiplicity of simple tunes that wound through or bounced off each other, disappeared, reemerged and recombined in the treble or bass register adorned with grace notes and triplet flourishes...The mood shifted. A sorrowful melody...big chords that slid through half-step gradations, implying key changes...the room held its breath...".

"Katharine possessed...perfect pitch but also an unerring musical memory...The study of music, its intricate machinery, had been the focus of [her] entire life...Gershwin played like a self-taught virtuoso. Everything was wrong, his posture, his fingering...when she allowed the music to justify itself-somehow everything sounded right...what she heard...was a man pouring his heart out to the world...the sadness and beauty of it enveloped her...that was the moment Katharine...realized that something was lacking in her marriage...".

Jimmy Warburg travelled often, spending months abroad. "He delighted in sexual escapades...A slow earthquake had began rumbling through their domestic life..." "As long as our union remains our priority...Marriage isn't about ownership, it's about sharing...Once upon a time, Kay cared where her husband was traveling...it had all grown so complicated..." "[Katharine] was composing an etude...she was playing Gershwin songs...through the music she had gained insight into the man...now in the music she was composing, she inserted a Gershwinwesque key change here and a bouncy rhythm there...". "We have so much to learn from each other".

"Rhapsody" by Mitchell James Kaplan is a work of historical fiction set in New York City during the Jazz Age. "Through their love affair, Gershwin and Kay gave fire to each other's music". The novel was replete with musicians that included Duke Ellington at the Cotton Club and Fats Waller's rent parties. Figures such as Averill Harriman and Harpo Marx were part of their social circle. Highly recommended!

Thank you Gallery Books and Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the setting for this story. The descriptions of NYC in the 1920s were wonderful and really helped to create the world and environment for the characters. The characters were people that I never really knew more about outside of their music, so I was really excited to learn more. I had no idea there was a decade long affair between Kay and George. It was surprising, and I enjoyed learning about it.

The musical references were an exciting portion of this book. I loved the way the author portrayed Kay and George's love for music. As we jump through time, the thing I found most consistent about these two people was that while they both seemed to love each other, truly they were IN love with music, and that was the actual love story in this book.

The characters themselves were underwhelming, and the only drawback to this book. I struggled to connect to any of them throughout the story, and I walked away with a bit less respect for them than I started with. I did like how the story shows Kay's experiences as a woman in a man's world.

Overall, I thought this was a joyous ride that took me on a musical journey! I'm still playing their songs! I loved learning about the musical talents of George and Kay, and about how their careers evolved throughout their relationship together.

This was just the book for a professional pianist/music teacher like me. How I enjoyed all of the musical terms and references and have already recommended it to fellow musicians. While it seemed to move a little slow, and I didn't particularly care for the characters (in fact, I don't hold George Gershwin in as high a regard since reading it), the story of his ten-year-love affair with a married Kay Swift was quite intriguing.

I'm not sure if a non-musician would enjoy it as much as I did with as much music theory as is included, but it certainly "turned me on".

This is the remarkable story of the married woman who met George Gershwin. She was a pianist and a composer, and he encouraged her talent. They fell for each other and worked together to produce beautiful music.
I received a digital ARC from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book will definitely appeal to the lovers of music history.
The 20 year time period covers 1917 through 1937. You learn about George Gershwin as a person and his music, the same about Katherine Swift. The contrast between the free-wheeling star and the classical trained composer resulted in some amazing work.
It is a time of changes in the music world. In the later period we see the creation of the black folk-opera Porgy and Bess. George requested to use all black performers instead of blackface. (Performers with their faces blackened which was the norm at that time).
This period between the two World Wars, the Great Depression and Prohibition are all portrayed in an easy to read story. George and Katherine were not perfect as people, sometimes you get a bit annoyed with them but you realize that for them their music was their life overshadowing everything else. There isn’t any denying that both of them where extremely talented.
I learned a lot about this period that I wasn’t aware of and found it very interesting.