This was my first read from Victoria Christopher Murray and I really enjoyed it! I really loved learning about the unsung hero of the Harlem Renaissance, Jessie Redmon Fauset. This story is about Fauset's role as the first literary editor of The Crisis and her alleged love affair with Dr. W.E.B. Dubois. The story of her relationship with Du Bois and the impact on her work was interesting and, although at times I felt we were placing too much focus on the relationship rather than her endeavors (I wanted to learn more about her), I understood why for the purpose of the story that these decisions were made. The relationship had a major impact in the grand scheme of things.

Jessie Redmon Fauset was such a force even in this fictional portrayal of her. She was also very human! I was not familiar with her prior to this book and her legacy, but I'm hopeful that stories like this one encourages people to learn more about her. I'm actually really excited to read her novels and do my own research.

I also really appreciated the authors note included at the end. I'm always interested in why the story is told and what research went in for it. I was actually very curious since this was historical fiction novel with very real people at the center of the story, which was new for me! I'm used to the main characters being very fictional with mentions of real people on the side, lol. I would describe this as a mixture of both non-fiction and fiction. I appreciate the clarification of creativity liberties that were taken for this story.

Thank you to Berkley Publishing for the free book and the digital ARC! #Berkley #BerkleyPartner

This. Was. A. Masterpiece.

Learning about the midwife of the Harlem Renaissance was a ride. A history lesson. A joy to read. My favorite thing about historical fiction is it keeps me on the Internet going down rabbit holes to learn more. This Is Confusion is waiting to be picked up by me at the library 😀

I will say, Jessie being Du Bios’s mistress annoyed me sooooo bad. I feel like the affair took away from so much of who she was. BUT at the same time it humanized her.

But that Du Bios had the AUDACITY.

This is easily a 5 star read and will be my go to historical fiction recommendation for 2025 and beyond.

Shame on us for letting Jessie Redmon Fauset's name and accomplishments fade into obscurity. And bless Victoria Christopher Murray for breathing life into her and giving us a chance to know a little bit more about her. Jessie was a published author in her own right, as well as being the person behind The Crisis, the NAACP's publication that helped shine a light on some of the foremost Black writers of her time, including ones still well known today, like Langston Hughes. While I had heard of some of the writers in this story, I had never heard her name, and she was a very smart and accomplished person. Yes, person. Not woman. Not Black person. Not Black woman. She is all those things too, but despite her pride in her accomplishments as a Black woman in this story, these are amazing accomplishments for any person. The name just about any person reading this book would be familiar with is W.E.B. DuBois. I was aware of his fight to elevate Black people, but knew little of his personal life and quite frankly that element of it is rather disappointing. This is historical fiction so Murray is writing him as historical details are available, so every word he says here is likely not one he uttered. But even then, the picture Murray paints of his behavior and treatment of people based on historical details is unflattering. He is having an affair with Jessie and creates the position at The Crisis (his baby!) to have her close. He is also having affairs with multiple other women because "he has different needs". He never elevates Jessie to the role heading the magazine even though she is doing all of the work because it is "his baby". He castigates her when she makes a decision he doesn't agree with or does something according to his instructions but it doesn't turn out well. He's critical of every other Black person whose idea of elevating their race doesn't align perfectly with his own, and refuses to support them. He regards every other person doing something similar to him as competition instead of a compatriot that can help raise Black people up. It is hard to read that a person as strong as Jessie in every other way is in thrall to this man, and despite the way he continues to treat her, has trouble sticking to her decision not to have a romantic relationship with him. People like Jessie are who we should raise up as heroes, not DuBois. Harlem during the Roaring Twenties is a fascinating setting for a book, and I love feeling like I get a peek into the lives of people like Langston Hughes before they were well-established writers. What a wonderful, unique piece of historical fiction! A complimentary copy of this book was provided by the publisher. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was such a beautiful book! This will be one of the best books of 2025! I could not put this book down. I had never heard of Jessie Redmon Fauset and she accomplished so much and everyone should know her name. Read this book!

First, I want to thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book. Having read The Personal Librarian I was very much looking forward to this read. Unfortunately the book did not deliver what I was hoping for. Yes, I learned about Jessie and her impact and I appreciated that. But, the book was more romance than the history I was hoping for. I have read about W.E.B. and while he accomplished a great deal, his description of his needs and his wife's acceptance bothered me and I am far from prudish. The book is well written, characters well developed and I look forward to more books by this author.

This historical fiction novel humanizes not only Jessie Redmon Fauset but other Harlem Renaissance figures. If you enjoyed the Personal Librarian or authors like Marie Benedict and Denny S. Bryce (Wild Women and the Blues). The pacing and characters were lively!

While I did enjoy this book, I think affair took away from the book being set in the Harlem Renaissance which is such a rich setting. Also the aspect of the main character mentoring of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen was also lost under the affair, that part could definitely could have been elaborated on more. I think going forward the description should mention more of the affair so readers know what they are getting into. I'd still recommend this book to people because like I mention before I did enjoy it. I'm interested in reading the author's other works to see how they compare just so I can get a better feel for her writing style, which in this book was solid.

Jessie Redmon Fauset may not be a familiar name but the literary icons she championed during the Harlem Renaissance certainly are. This fictionalized account of this very real woman's life starts in 1919 when Fauset arrives in New York City to serve as the literary editor for The Crisis, the official magazine of the NAACP, which was founded by her mentor, W.E.B. Du Bois. In this role, Fauset promoted young Black writers and cultivated the talents of Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. Her affair with the married Du Bois was risky, endangering her career, and delayed the writing of her first novel, which turned out to be ground-breaking. 

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray pays a well-deserved tribute to a remarkable figure of the Harlem Renaissance, now celebrating its 100th anniversary. While reading this thoroughly researched historical novel, you'll find it hard not to pause and look up the people and events of the period. Fauset, though ambitious, stayed in the background until her own novel was published. She's an inspiring figure, much like Belle da Costa Greene, the subject of The Personal Librarian, her first historical fiction book co-authored with Marie Benedict, known for fictionalized biographies of real-life women who have been overlooked in history, often overshadowed by the more famous men in their lives. Fortunately, talented writers like Murray are restoring their rightful place in history. 

Rated 4.25 stars.

I always enjoy reading Historical Fiction that teaches me about real people and how they changed our world. In this case it is Jesse Fauset who was hired to be the Literary Editor for the Crisis, the magazine put out by the NAACP. Jesse moved to Harlem in 1919 with her stepmother and quickly became important in finding young Negro talent to write poetry and short stories for the Crisis. Jesse was also having an affair with the married W.E.B. Dubois, the editor of the Crisis.

Jesse was so influential in spotting new talent and learning about her life was interesting. I also really appreciated the times in the book when the author talked about Harlem and the energy of all the talent in literature and music. I would have liked the book even more if it had more about what it was really like to live in that era and a little less about the affair between Jesse and W.E.B.

I highly recommend reading this book, thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Victoria Christopher Murray once again shines a light on a Black woman who had a significant impact on history and literature. I knew little about Jessie Redmon Fauset, and her story is fascinating. In the 1900s, it was unheard of for a Black woman to hold a prominent position like assistant editor of The Crisis magazine. The difficult part of her story is her ongoing affair with W.E.B. Du Bois. It frustrated me that she was in such control of her career but not her personal life. There is much to love about this story set in Harlem and the literary greats she developed, from Countee Cullen to Langston Hughes. The story telling , rich history and scandalous love affair kept me glued to the pages!

Harlem Rhapsody follows Jessie Redmon Fauset, who becomes the new literary editor of the preeminent Negro magazine The Crisi working with W.E.B. Du Bois. Under Jessie’s leadership, The Crisis thrives, the writers become notable and magazine subscriptions soar. The two begin an affair but it is complicated due to the fact that Jessie wants to become editor. In the face of overwhelming sexism and racism, Jessie must balance her drive with her desires. However, as she strives to preserve her legacy, she’ll discover the high cost of her unparalleled success.

I did not know who Jessie Redmon Fauset was before reading this. This is shocking to me because my majors in college were history and women's studies. But after reading this book I was able to learn about what an amazing and inspiring woman she was. I really liked this book. It was a little long and did have a bit too much drama for me. But I loved that this book focused on such an important time in history. This is the first book I have read by this author and I am excited to read more by her.

Thank you, Victoria Christopher Murray and Berkley for this ARC of this book!

Jessie Redmon Fauset was referred to, by Langston Hughes, as, "the Midwife of the Harlem Renaissance Literary Movement". She helped so many Negro writers hone and refine their skills. And all the while, she was a writer and poet herself. In, "Harlem Rhapsody", we meet Ms. Fauset in the 1920's when she becomes the literary editor of, "The Crisis", A magazine begun by W.E.B. DuBois. Under her influence the magazine thrives. At the time, it must be noted, that she was also romantically involved with Dr. DuBois.

During the course of this novel we are introduced to all the famous people who live in the Harlem of this time period. Ms.Murray brings all of these people to life in the pages of her novel. One can smell, and hear, and feel all that her many characters do. She has the kind of talent that allows her reader to become so absorbed in her words, they are transported back in time. A fabulous story! A terrific read!

Hands down, this is one of the best books I have reviewed in the many years I have been a member of Book Browse! Not only is the story, plot line, and characters mesmerizing, but the historical education of the Harlem Renaissance was spellbounding. There is so much we don't know until reading such a well-documented novel as this.

This historical fiction was so so good! I was gripped from the beginning and loved learning both more about Harlem and New York City, but also about the Black people behind the scenes who contributed to making the world what it is today.

Jessie Redmon Fauset was a key player in the Harlem Renaissance who has been overlooked for too many years. This is the fictionalized story of her groundbreaking editorial work at W.E.B. DuBois' journal The Crisis and her discovery and mentorship of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Jean Toomer, and many other authors who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s. It is also the story of her complicated relationship with W.E.B. Dubois and her struggle with balancing her personal and professional lives. That is the central conflict of the book and the author does a wonderful job of bringing that conflict to life with her sympathetic characters. While the writing can be a little stilted at times, the focus on life in Harlem in the 1920s and the brilliance that was Jessie Redmon Faucet makes for very eye-opening reading. I definitely recommend the book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️1/5

I always love when I learn something new from an historical fiction novel. I went down a Wikipedia rabbit hole after reading and learn even more about The Crisis magazine and more importantly Jessie Fauset.

A major critique I have is that I wish I would have learned more about Jessie Fauset as a person while reading the book but it focused more on her relationship / affair with DuBois. That can make for a juicy and entertaining read but it was taking up too many pages.

Overall I liked it. I want more stories told in this era of black American history.


**Thanks to Berkley / Random House & NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review**

Victoria Christopher Murrays latest book was a page turner which brought the relationship between Jessie Redmon Fauset. and W. E. B. Du Bois
to life. It is an amazing read and will be a great book club book.

I received an ARC of this novel from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this historical fiction novel about Jessie Redmon Fauset, her work, and her relationship with W.E.B. DuBois.

I have read both books that Victoria Christopher Murray wrote with Marie Benedict, but this is the first solo effort of hers that I’ve read. Unfortunately, I wasn’t totally impressed.
I love historical fiction that introduces me to people I wasn’t aware of. Jessie Fauset definitely is someone I’m glad I “got to know”. A brilliant woman, she became the literary editor of The Crisis, the preeminently black magazine of the early 20th Century. In that position, she came into contact with many of the black writers of the day, including a young Langston Hughes. In fact, Hughes called her “the literary midwife” of the New Negro Movement. I enjoyed the chapters that focused on the magazine and her work there. This was a poignant reminder that in earlier days, poetry held a much more esteemed position than it does today.
She was also the mistress of W.E.B. Du Bois. While I recognize it was a big part of her life, I would have liked a lot less emphasis on their affair. This reads like a romance novel. It felt like half the book either involved their time together or her thinking about their romance. And then another whole section involved how upset her family was about the affair. Du Bois comes across as one more important man with “a zipper problem” as my mother would say. In her Author’s Note, Murray indicated she struggled with how much focus to place on the affair. I believe she could have gotten her point across, which was that without the affair, she would never have had her job and discovered so many of these young authors, without spending so much time on their time together.
My thanks to Netgalley and Berkley for an advance copy of this book.

Murray tells the story of an overlooked but incredibly important personal in the Harlem Renaissance, Jesse Redmond Fauset. Murray explores Fauset’s life, presenting plausible motivation for her choices. A great historical fiction in an area that many of us are ignorant about.