Harlem Rhapsody is a superbly written fictional story based on the life of Jessie Fauset. Jessie Redmon Fauset was an editor, poet, essayist, novelist, and educator whose literary contributions played a key role in shaping African-American literature during the 1920s. She dedicated her work to authentically representing African-American life and history.

This story focuses on her time as the Literary Editor for the NAACP’s magazine, The Crisis. The author exquisitely describes Jessie’s complicated relationship with the Editor of The Crisis, Civil Rights Activist, W. E. B. DuBois. The story also highlights how Jessie helped launch the careers of many of the Harlem Renaissance writers such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Jean Toomer, earning her the title of The Literary Midwife.

The author weaves an intriguing tale of the life, love, and liberty Jessie lived and sought. One of my favorite aspects of this book is how the author explores the flaws and virtues of Jessie, W. E. B. DuBois, and other characters in the book. This honesty causes the reader to be surprised, a little disappointed, but also satisfied in knowing that our heroes are human, just like us.

I highly recommend this book to not just history buffs but all readers who can appreciate a story so well written that you can close your eyes after reading a page and feel what the characters are feeling. Do not be surprised if you also find yourself researching Jessie Fauset and the other historical icons mentioned in the story and discovering a new favorite poem, writer, or activist.

Thanks to Berkley Publishing Group for providing me with an advance copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

This novel was absolutely amazing. So much history that had me taking notes for further research.

Who knew that Jessie Redmon Fauset was the literary Godmother to the Harlem Renaissance! As I was reading this book, I couldn't help think how we are missing such intellectual and creative discourse and yearning for knowledge. Schools aren't teaching this history-hell they're not even teaching cursive writing. It’s a shame that as a country and as part of the global community we are still facing some of the same discrimination & biases.

This book makes me proud to be a Black woman, a book influencer, an urban scholar who still craves for more.

This is a 5 star read that should be on everyone's list. Thank you Victoria Christopher Murray for sharing this story!

I honestly don't know where to begin, but I know you need to run not walk to get this book. For the fans of House of Eve, this is definitely up your alley. Victoria does a wonderful job telling the unsung hero of the 'Midwife of the Harlem Renaissance'. As someone who believes to have a vast knowledge of Black American history, I did not know about the life of editor and author Jessie Redmon Fauset. As Victoria's author note said, she presented her editor with three choice and she picked Jessie's story, and your editor was completely right. This is currently the right moment and time to tell this important story while we are the percipience of our own renaissance with the battles we are still fighting today regarding who can and can not tell Black stories. It is amazing to see how we are still fighting the same battles and we can & will endure.

This book also details the affair between W.E.B. and Jessie, and I think the author takes great note in highlight and respecting these historic figures while also highlighting that they are human. The question I walk away with and I am sure you will too if you read this book, do we not know about Jessie due to her relationship with W.E.B. or because she was a woman and/or both. Whatever the reason, we now know of Jessie Redmon Fauset thanks to pen of Victoria Christopher Murray and it would be travesty to Jessie and the authors she ushered in like Countee Cullen, James Baldwin, Langston Hughes, Nella Larson, and many more if we do not uplift her story and her work.

Truly a five star read that I could not put down.

Thank you NetGalley, Victoria Christopher Murray and Berkley for my ARC!

This book is not just a historical account; it’s a celebration of a woman’s indomitable spirit and her pivotal role in the Harlem Renaissance. It resonates deeply and lingers long after the final page. A must-read for anyone who appreciates the power of literature and the legacy of those who fought to have their voices heard

An Eye Opener
I have read The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois. I thought it was excellent. When the opportunity to participate in an early reading of Harlem Rhapsody was presented, I jumped at the chance. This book describes the work of Jessie Fauset as poet, literary editor of The Crisis magazine, and paramour of Du Bois. Until reading this book, I had not heard of Fauset and her contributions to The Crisis. I certainly did not think that Du Bois was having an affair with her. In the limited reading I have done about them, I can find no evidence of this liaison. Despite this 'eye opener', I did enjoy the writing and flow of the story and especially Fauset's understanding of Du Bois's 'Souls'.

In her solo debut Victoria Christopher Murray has written an engaging and well written story about Jessie Redmon Fasset, an underappreciated yet pivotal figure in the Harlem Renaissance and American literature.

Before reading this book, I was unaware of Fasset's vast achievements: she was a novelist, poet, an editor for the Crisis magazine, launched famed and prolific writers such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Jean Toomer, and Nella Larsen, and took the lead on a publication for children called "The Brownies Book". Fasset led a fascinating life and it is clear that Murray admires her.

My biggest issue with the book is that all of Fasset's incredible accomplishments are overshadowed by an alleged affair with W.E.B. Dubois (in her notes, she extrapolated the affair from information in David Levering Lewis’ W.E.B. Du Bois: A Biography, 1868–1963, which called the pair “star-crossed lovers"), which is really the focus of the book. As a result, the book gets repetitive about the push and pull of the affair. It almost seems to suggest that if Fasset wouldn't have achieved any of her goals had she not had an affair with Du Bois. I find that really infuriating. I would have loved to have gotten excerpts about Fasset's book and/or her writing process. Fasset had enough issues such as racism and sexism to manage in her life that an affair fails to be a high stake. Despite my issues with the book, I am glad that Fasset is finally getting a chance to step into the spotlight. I just think she deserved a brighter light.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Penguin Random House for an advanced readers copy of the book.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.


WHEW. I am strting to fall in love with historical fiction reads. After the first chapter I had to pause and look up Jessie Fauset. Just reading about what a pioneer this woman was to the community at that time was amazing. I love a book that starts with a bit of a messy plot line. Starting this book off with the affair between her and W.E.B. Dubois was very interesting, however, I was more interested in reading about how influential this woman was. Even though this is historical fiction, this is another case of uncovering a hidden figure! Great read!

This was my first read by Victoria Christopher Murray, and it certainly won’t be my last! I really enjoyed the exploration of Jessie Redmon Fauset’s life and her pivotal role in the literary world during the Harlem Renaissance. The story delves into how Fauset made a name for herself while also paving the way for others. We also learn about her complex relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois and how it influenced her journey in the literary realm. While some may feel that the affair with Du Bois overshadows her accomplishments, I think it reflects the reality of the time period and highlights the power struggles between men and women. If you’re into historical fiction with a touch of scandal, you’ll definitely enjoy this!

For several years Jessie Redmon Fauset was the literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP's flagship publication, and acted as W.E.B, DuBois's right hand. She nurtured poets and writers of the Harlem Renaissance and brought many of them their first publishing credits, but she is all but forgotten today. In Harlem Rhapsody, Victoria Christopher Murray brings her story back to light and makes readers wonder how we could have not known about this highly influential woman. I received a copy of this novel as part of Publisher's Weekly's Grab a Galley giveaway and I'm so happy to be able to recommend this book. The storytelling kept me turning pages, and when I was finished with the story I wanted to read each of the writers mentioned in the book including Jessie Redmon Fauset herself.

Take a step back in time to learn about the Jessie Redmon Fauset. In 1919 Jessie becomes the literary editor of The Crisis, the official publication of the NAACP. W.E.B Du Bois, the founder of The Crisis, is not only the magazine's founder but also Jessie's lover. While this affair was her stepping stone, Jessie held her own being the first Black woman to hold such a position. Despite the clamorous affair, Ms. Fauset thrived while working hard in her position while discovering incredible writers such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Nella Larsen who really blossomed under her guidance.

As someone who does not read a lot of historical fiction and had not heard of Jessie Redmon Fauset, this novel was very enlightening and I learned a few things and even recognized some of the names of people that she interacted with during that time- Langston Hughes, James Weldon Johnson, and Zora Neal Hurston.

Add this enlightening, empowering historical novel to your TBR pile.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC.

Harlem Rhapsody shines a light on an unsung heroine, Jesse Redmon Fauset. Miss Fauset is responsible for illuminating many literary greats of the Harlem Renaissance, including Langston Hughes. While I was surprised to read about the affair, it provided additional clarity for some of the decisions Miss Fauset made concerning her career. I would have preferred reading about less of the affair and more of the literary work, but there is a significant balance of information. Murray has done her homework in preparation for this book. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the woman who has inspired so many literary greats and being one herself.

Having read the ARC provided by NetGalley, before I continue with my review, please know that I would recommend this book to others and I will give the rating of 4 stars for Harlem Rhapsody,

I was extremely excited to read this book. I was intrigued with the plot, the title and the cover. I've read the other titles (The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies) that the author wrote and was highly impressed with the amount of research involved and history that I learned about each of the characters. I imagined that would be the same of Harlem Rhapsody. So I knew that I was in for a treat.

I enjoyed the book, but it was not what I imagined it would be. I attended an HBCU and my major was African American Literature, So I was familiar with the Harlem Renaissance era., the fashions, the writers and the social gatherings. I wanted more of that. I wanted to feel as if I were there. The author research was outstanding, as I read, I began to highlight names that I was familiar with and names that I needed to explore further .

I was not uncomfortable to learn of the relationship that Jessie Redmon Fauset and W.E.B Dubois shared. I was intrigued. Who knew, Not I. "But I had to accept that our hero's in history had complicated lives." Victoria Christopher Murray.
However, I would have liked it to be more of an afterthought and I wished the book focused even more on the life and accomplishments of Jessie Redmon Fauset and her profound impact with the success of the writers she encouraged as well as the impact she had on the Crisis magazine and her successes as a writer.

I felt that at the end of he book I only slightly knew more about Jessie Redmon Fauset then I did before I opened the book. I wanted to know more about "the brilliant, but vulnerable who was the epicenter of the Harlem Renaissance" Victoria Christopher Murray

Having said that, Go and purchase and read the book Harlem Rhapsody. Great job to the author Victoria Christopher Murray.

#netgalley #harlemrhaposody

This is such an uplifting, well researched historical fiction about an amazing, multi=talented woman, Jessie Redmon Fauset. I loved the book and was completely enthralled from beginning to end! It is 1919, a time of both civil unrest and segregation, in Harlem, and across the United States. There is, however, an oasis of hope in Harlem for Black writers, The Crisis magazine. It's founder and editor, W.E.B. Dubois, hires Jessie to seek out and work with aspiring young Black writers for the magazine. Jessie works tirelessly to both discover, encourage, edit and publish these writers, some of whom became quite well known. She also aspires to become a published writer herself. Victoria Chistopher Murray has brought Jessie, and the Harlem Renaissance vividly to life, as well as Jessie's passionate, tumultuous affair with W.E.B. She has written a fascinating book that captures that time in history, and life of the champion of young writers, Jessie Redmon Fauset. The author's notes at the end are a must-read part of the book. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy. The opinions of this review are my own.

Really enjoyed learning more about Jessie Redmon Fauset and her MASSIVE role in the Harlem Renaissance. Guest appearances by the literary greats were wonderful, and I really appreciated seeing another more nuanced side of W.E.B DuBois.

Would recommend this to historical fiction readers who are interested in learning a lot and love a descriptive plot, perhaps not as much to someone who needs a fast moving story.

I really appreciated learning about the strong Black poets and writers during the early 1900’s and how they got started. I knew nothing about Jessie Redmond Fauset, a woman at the center of the Harlem literary renaissance. Along with a long career with W. E. DuBois, Jessie also had a love affair with him, although she was not the only one. The setting of Harlem was really brought to life by the author, and the beginnings of such prominent writers like Langston Hughes was fascinating. I just had a hard time with Jessie’s inability to break free from the love affair, and although part of her story, it was disappointing. Well written and an absorbing read, I recommend this book to everyone to learn about an important person who I knew nothing about prior to this book. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

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.