A Black History Lesson + Women’s Empowerment + Some Tea

This story had me shook from the first sentence. Ms. Jessie Redmon Fauset’s journey through Harlem Rhapsody was dynamic and inspiring. As a Black female writer, this story encompassed the feelings and influences of writing. The way Victoria Christopher Murray was able to weave a story that teaches while also entertains is something to be regarded.

The metaphor between Ms. Fauset’s writing and her relationship with Dr. W.E.B Du Bois was ever present. There was such a tug-of-war for Jessie between writing her own story and her job, which was highlighted by her relationship with Dr. Du Bois, her boss and lover. The power dynamic alone, from the age gap to her subordinate role, created serious tension for Jessie in all aspects of her life.

While I had some trouble with pacing in the book, the plot was riveting. This story is one that needed to be told. The Harlem Renaissance is one of the brightest and boldest times in Black history. Ms. Fauset was also bright and bold, and that was highlighted wonderfully throughout this story.

I enjoyed all of the references to Harlem Renaissance writers sprinkled throughout this novel. Learning Jessie’s story and the role she played in starting the Harlem Renaissance movement was entertaining and informative.

Fans of historical fiction and the Harlem Renaissance will love this story of a career driven Black woman, who mentored so many of our beloved, legendary Black writers.

Harlem Rhapsody features one of my favorite subgenres - literary historical fiction! I've already read and loved Victoria Christopher Murray's co-authored historical fiction novels and I was so excited to read this one! What an incredible book about a figure that I did not previously know about. This book weaves history and personal narratives together to create a world that comes alive off the page. I was so compelled by Jessie Redmon Fauset's story and I'm so thankful the author brought her to the forefront of history. Readers of books like Miss Morgan's Book Brigade and The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek will love this book!

Wow, Harlem Rhapsody was so good! Okay, I see 2025 historical fiction coming out the gate crazyyyyyy 😭👏🏽. Victoria Christopher Murray really captured the pure magic of the Harlem Renaissance in a way that felt immersive and alive. Reading this felt like being a fly on the wall in the homes and offices of the figures we don’t always hear about. Like I was getting the inside scoop on Black history in real-time.

And let’s talk about the tea because whew 😮‍💨 This book really came with the drama and historical facts! There was never a dull moment fr. And I loved how seamlessly Victoria blended real history with deeply human and relatable moments. She really made these historical figures feel like real people. Jessie was such a great protagonist, and seeing her interact with Black legends I’ve only ever known from an academic lens was so fascinating.

Also, let’s be for real… I ate up the whole affair between Jessie and W.E.B. 😭 Like, that was such a bold plot point, but Victoria executed it flawlessly. The buildup, the tension, the inevitable mess? It was giving peak drama. And honestly, by the end, even as the reader, I was over the BS between Jessie and Will 😂 Like girl, pack it up.

Now that I’ve read this, I can’t wait to dive into more Black classics like the ones referenced in the book. I actually just picked up a collection of Langston Hughes' short stories, and I’m so excited to get into it!

If you love historical fiction that’s rich in both history and drama, this one is definitely worth picking up!

-Alex

This beautiful story of Jessie Redmon Fauset truly transports the reader to 1920s Harlem as the Harlem Renaissance was in full swing. While her story is largely unknown Ms Fauset was the “literary midwife” for many up and coming writers and poets, including Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen. As the literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP’s magazine, she discovered, nurtured, and worked with many writers and fostered an environment that inspired generations to come. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the advance copy of this important story.

Thie wonderful novel brings Jesse Redmon Fauset to vibrant life during her tenure as literary editor of "The Crisis", an influential magazine created by W.E.B. Du Bois. "The Crisis" showcases the rising talents of Harlem's Black writers, while even while discussing issues pertinent to its African Americans readers, such as injustice and violence.

Jesse met W.E.B. some time earlier, and became involved with the man romantically. Finding himself energized by her brilliance and talent, he appointed her as literary editor of his cherished magazine.

During her time there, Jesse discovered young poets and writers, such as Countee Cullen, Langston Hughes and Nella Larsen, who would all go on to achieve their own literary careers, fame and respect for their work. She continued to work closely with Du Bois, managing the daily operations of the magazine, collaborating on literary direction for articles and stories contained within, while he spent much of his time travelling the world for speaking engagements.

Jesse also continued her affair with W.E.B., knowing full well that he was married, and was aware slowly that this complicated situation was beginning to affect how others saw her, as well as her professional relationship with Du Bois. Though I wondered at her choice to maintain the romantic side of their relationship for as long as she did, I can understand how their closeness was a source of both joy and creativity for her.

Though this is historical fiction, and there have been small alterations to actual historical moments, author Victoria Christopher Murray's portrayal of this driven and very talented woman is terrific. Jessie's contribution to Black literature through her fostering of young talent shows vision and an acute understanding of how to bring quality out of other writers. That she was also an extremely talented and prolific writer herself comes through as well: every issue of "The Crisis" contained several of her writings, whether articles or stories, and she wrote novels also. That her importance to literature was forgotten for years thanks to bigotry is sad, but I was thrilled to read this story about her.

And having read a novel by Nella Larsen, it was equally thrilling to encounter that talented writer in this novel, and someone who was also a friend to Jessie.

I thoroughly loved this book, and the portrait Murray drew of the fascinating and brilliant Jessie Redmon Faucet, a person whose name and importance to history should be praised.

Thank you to Netgalley and to Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you to Berkley for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions of my own.

This is exactly the kind of historical fiction I want to read more of. I learned so much about an era (early 1920's Harlem Renaissance) that I did not know nearly enough about.

Jessie Redmon Fauset moved to Harlem to work as the literary editor for The Crisis, the publication of the NAACP. Her position there was impressive, as she was often the first Black woman in many spaces. In her role there, she not only published The Crisis, but also a children's magazine. And she found and fostered many of the amazing young Black authors whose work I have admired including, Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Nella Larsen.

As much as it is her story, it is also the story of W.E.B. DuBois, who Jessie had a long-term affair with. I struggled with some of those aspects of the book because I vehemently oppose infidelity. But I felt the story was told incredibly well, and I appreciated how the author's note talked about the choices there.

My favorite aspects of the story were so many of the discussions about important historical conversations, many of which continue to be conversations we are having now. I was especially interested in reading about who gets to tell Black stories and activism around suffrage and who was being advocated for in the fight for women's suffrage. It's appropriate that this was published during Black History Month, and it inspires me to search for more books that tell me more aspects of Black history that I have not learned enough about.

I especially recommend the audiobook here. Robin Miles is an amazing narrator, and she even sang some of the lyrics when songs were mentioned. That added another element to my understanding and appreciation of the book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray!

I appreciate learning about Jessie Redmona Fauset. I'd never heard of her before reading this novel. It isn’t surprising since there are so many accomplishments by Black women buried in history. I'd learned of Claude McKay, Langston Hughes and Countee Cullen as a child, as well as The Crisis magazine.

It was very interesting and illuminating to read about Du Bois's personal life. Some know his writings and his belief in the "talented tenth" but his long-time affair with Fauset was very scandalous, especially for that time. This story humanized him from a larger than life historical figure.

I am a writer and art lover so I love reading about the Harlem Renaissance. Murray does a fantastic job of immersing us in the hustle and bustle of Harlem and the feeling of creative genius of that time. I enjoyed the poetry that is included in the pages and "seeing" some of the writers up close and personal. Murray's writing is wonderful as expected; I read The Personal Librarian and enjoyed her writing there. She paints such vivid pictures of the surroundings for the reader.

My main critique is of the treatment of the burning of Black Wall Street in Tulsa Oklahoma and the burning of Rosewood; they were included in a surface way. Given that Fauset worked at The Crisis which was a political magazine, I think there would have been more attention given due to the gravity and depravity of those acts. Although she was the literary editor, I would think there'd have been an all hands on deck mentality for the staff and volunteers as well as in support of the NAACP's role. There was a little for Tulsa but it didn't circle back to John as I thought it would. These were historical events that should have been further illuminated because most people don't know about them due to being literally and figuratively buried.

Sometimes, the storytelling felt repititous but I think it is due to the personal journal format.

“𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝒃𝒂𝒃𝒊𝒆𝒔.”

C'était incroyable! This book was beyond amazing from beginning to end. Victoria Christopher Murray did a superb job of paying homage to the Midwife of the Harlem Renaissance. It’s odd that we don’t hear Miss Jessie Redmon Fauset’s name as often as we hear a lot of the other writers from the Harlem Renaissance considering she was responsible for bringing a lot of these notable literary figures to the forefront.

I found this to be an informative yet entertaining read. I appreciated that the author didn’t shy away from telling the entirety of Miss Jessie Redmon Fauset’s story because parts of her personal life did play a role in how she navigated parts of her professional life. And while a few her personal decisions tipped the scale on my moral compass, it did not take away from the face that she was admirable woman that appeared to be way ahead of her time. Jessie Redmon Fauset was the epicenter of one of the biggest literary movements to date and her efforts from all those years ago are still at work today.

If you already love historical fiction then you’re on the right team. But if you are on the fence about reading historical fiction and you need a book recommendation to get you on the winning team, start here.

✨ Review ✨ Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray; Narrated by Robin Miles

Thanks to Berkley, PRHAudio, and #netgalley for the gifted advanced copy/ies of this book!

This book features Jessie Redmon Fauset, who was appointed literary editor of The Crisis in 1919, opening up publishing spaces for many Black authors and poets, so much so that the book recognizes her as "the midwife of the Harlem Renaissance." Her mentorship of poets like Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, Jean Toomer, and Nella Larsen span the book. Alongside this, her own struggles to write her novel, There is Confusion, show up as she tries to juggle everything in her life. I loved how this taught me about such a key figure who gets such little recognition today.

A key piece of this book is her relationship with W.E.B. DuBois, both professionally and personally. While documentation about an ongoing affair between the two is hinted at in the sources, the author builds out this relationship fully here. Although some might take issue with this filling a big part of this story, I really appreciated that this showed the challenges of trying to balance work and love, career and personal relationships. Regardless of whether the two were in love, they must have had a complicated dynamic balancing their many ideas, obligations, etc., and I really appreciated how those were teased out in this book.

There are so many amazing 1920s Harlem Reniassance moments here, and I loved getting to experience this through Jessie's eyes. I have a new appreciation for her and her work, but also this book really delves into the struggles of Black representation in the publishing industry of the time. Another masterful book about Black life by Victoria Christopher Murray!

🎧 I listened to the majority of this as an audiobook and was captivated with the audio narration. While early on I was confused on who some of the (very vast cast of) side characters were, eventually people slotted into place. I loved the bits of singing/music that were incorporated as well! Miles' narration was masterful!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Genre: historical fiction
Setting: 1920s NYC Harlem Renaissance
Length: 15 hours 5 minutes
Reminds me of: The Personal Librarian
Pub Date: Feb 4, 2025

Read this if you like:
⭕️ Learning about Black history through historical fiction
⭕️ Black representation in publishing
⭕️ Early civil rights history via the NAACP and The Crisis
⭕️ Bold, brave Black women

“A girl should be two things…who and what she wants.” - Coco Chanel

This quote really makes me think of Jessie Redmon Fauset! Despite the challenges women faced in the early 1920s, Jessie was determined to live life on her own terms and pursue her dreams. One of my favorite parts of the book was seeing how she nurtured some of the incredible talents of the Harlem Renaissance. Her relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois had me constantly yelling at her and hoping she would STAND UP! But we all know how love can be—it's not always straightforward! Some might say their affair took center stage in the story, and while it did play a significant role, there’s so much more to this book! Jessie’s talent for writing earned her the title “midwife of the Harlem Renaissance,” and her impact has reverberated throughout the years. This was such a beautifully told story, and if you enjoy historical fiction, I definitely recommend adding it to your reading list!

I've always said that the mark of a great historical fiction novel is if, after reading it, you head online to learn more about the characters. HARLEM RHAPSODY did just that.

I'd heard about the Harlem Renaissance, but only in passing. I knew very little about the writers of the time beyond Langston Hughes and Zora Neal Hurston. Therefore, I'm grateful to Victoria Christopher Murray for bringing this period to life and educating me about the many talented writers who should have - but weren't - taught in school. I'm even more grateful for her introducing me to Jessie Redmond Fauset, the author and literary mentor who taught these writers and introduced them to the world.

Unlike so many historical biographies that insist on spanning a person's entire life, Murray wisely focuses on the years 1919-1926, the years Fauset worked as the literary editor at The Crisis, the magazine published by W.E.B. Du Bois and the NAACP. Not coincidentally, these are also the year's Fauset was rumored to be having an affair with Du Bois. By concentrating on a narrow segment of Fauset's life, Murray is able to take what could have been episodic novel and turn it into a story with tension and character growth. Readers witness Fauset's growth from smart and talented (but starry-eyed) acolyte to a woman of influence. Maybe it's because I didn't know much about Fauset's history, but I found myself eager to learn where her ambitions would take her.

What impressed me the most, however, is how Murray avoided the trap that affects so many historical biographers, and that is she didn't shy away from painting both Fauset and W.E.B. Du Bois as flawed human beings. I could see where it would be tempting to gloss over their failings - especially with someone like Du Bois who accomplished so much, and did so much for the Black community, but Murray doesn't. Her Du Bois is simultaneously brilliant and arrogant. She also does a great job of showing the misogyny of the era. Fauset's ambition was often thwarted by the patriarchy.

Bottom line, if you like strong female protagonists and want to learn more about the Harlem Renaissance, you should read this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Berkeley Publishing and Victoria Christopher Murray for an opportunity to read an ARC of
her recently released novel Harlem Rhapsody; my review reflects my honest opinion. Harlem Rhapsody is an absolutely wonderful book about Jesse Redmon Fauset, a teacher, a constant learner, and independent woman, the literary editor of The Crisis magazine from 1919-1925. Given the title of midwife of the Negro Renaissance period by Langston Hughes, Jesse created a space in The Crisis for new and emerging writers like Hughes, Countee P. Cullen, Gwendolyn Bennett and Jean Toomer, just to site a few. She not only edited their work with a critical eye, always encouraging them to strive for more, she mentored them and encouraged them to be proud of their Negro heritage.
Jesse was a feminist, perhaps before the word was coined, she was not interested in marriage, was committed to empowering and showcasing women writers, her career was the driving force in her life. She did have a relationship with one of the most famous civil rights activists of all times and the editor of The Crisis, W.E.B. DuBois. DuBois was a married man with a daughter Yolande, yet he and Jesse shared so many of the same dreams and aspirations, their affair seemed to be built on love and respect. As a reader, Harlem Rhapsody brought the Negro Renaissance period alive , I could envision the conversations between Jesse and her writers/her babies, her struggle to not only be the literary editor, rather the editor of The Crisis, and the point at which she realized it was time to move on from The Crisis and DuBois. I highly recommend this wonderful work of historical fiction, as well as reading the writer's historical note. 5 stars..

Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray |
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Such an amazing read for Black History Month!! ❤️🖤💚

This novel dives into the life of Ms. Jessie Redmon Fauset, often referred to as the “midwife” of the Harlem Renaissance!

This story follows her life and career as a literary editor at The Crisis magazine, as well as her discovery of some of the great literary legends such as Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Nella Larsen. And it didn’t shy away from her affair with Dr. W.E.B. Du Bois 🫢👀.

I loved everything about this book, I learned so much about important literary figures that I knew nothing about. I was literally stopping in the middle of reading and going down rabbit holes about so many of the writers.

I appreciate how her relationship with Dr. Du Bois was written, but I was looking at him a little sideways 👀 and her after she threw that anniversary party 😂😂😂. (okay I don’t want to give away too much).

I also loved the mention of The Black Swan- Ms. Elizabeth Greenfield, since I just finished The Unexpected Diva last month. 🤎

All in All, get this book!! Especially if you enjoy historical fiction!

I enjoyed this novel. It was so fascinating seeing the Harlem Renaissance through the eyes of a lesser known figure. I felt drawn into the environment from the first chapter and loved seeing all the big names of the time, along with some lesser known. At times, the pacing felt a little off, and I had to keep checking the time jumps between chapters, but it kept my interest throughout. It made me want to do a deep dive into learning more about the time period and the influential writers and artists depicted. Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for this arc, all opinions are my own.

I don’t typically reach for historical fiction, but Harlem Rhapsody pulled me in and didn’t let go. Watching Jessie and W.E.B. Du Bois’ relationship unfold was messy in the best (and most frustrating) way. Jessie was such an interesting character to follow—she made me mad more times than I can count, but I couldn’t stop reading.

What stuck with me most was how she felt forced to choose between love and work, as if having both was never an option. That dynamic frustrated me, but it also made me think about how much of her decisions were shaped by her grief. Losing her father clearly influenced the way she moved through the world, and I’d love to dive deeper into that connection.

Overall, this book gave me drama, ambition, and a raw look at a woman trying to carve out her place in history. If you love complex characters and historical fiction with teeth, this one’s worth picking up.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ (4.5/5)

Fascinating. Enlightening.

Jessie Redmon Fauset should be one of the most prominent names in literature. But like many other hidden figures in Black history, her impact has gone largely unknown... until now.

Trailblazer. Firecracker. Jessie was a force of nature and a woman ahead of her times. Fauset shined as the first Black female literary editor for The Crisis. That role allowed her to champion Black voices and nurture young Black authors, dubbing her the literary midwife of the Harlem Renaissance. Her influence catapulted the works Langston Hughes, Alaine Locke, Nella Larson, and County Cullen.

Truly, Jessie was the star of this book, and I found myself in awe of her life and accomplishments while equally mystified that I had never learned of her previously. And in such, this book is a necessary read.

As with all real people, life is complex. And Murray does not shy away from the difficulties Fauset found navigating life and love, wants and needs. The exploration of her supposed affair with WEB DuBois amplified this.

However, I found the affair to overshadow Jessie’s legacy. I wanted the primary focus to be on her triumphs rather than a (possible) affair. Women like Jessie deserve the spotlight outside of the men in their lives, even—maybe especially—when the men are powerful and prominent.

Even so, I loved learning about Fauset and the incredible impact she had on literature. She was a captivating individual, and I am glad to see her accomplishments getting the attention they deserve.

🎧 Robin Miles’ performances never disappoint, and here Miles’ depiction captivated as she breathed life into Jessie as though she was telling her own story. The audiobook amplified Murray’s storytelling and endeared me to Jessie all the more.

Many thanks to my friends at @berkleypub and @prhaudio for the free #gifted copies of this book. #berkleypartner #berkleybookstagram

Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for my ARC copy! This review contains my personal thoughts and opinions.

I was very excited to read Harlem Rhapsody based on the synopsis. While I knew there would be the plot of W. E. B. Du Bois, Jessie, and their affair, I didn't think it would be such a focal point. Reading this story solidified for me that I'm not a fan of reading about infidelity, especially when the woman is so far gone over the man. It detracted from the story's incredible historical references and positive stories.

I may have felt different about this book if the affair wasn't such a focal point, but unfortunately, this story fell flat for me.

🌈 Rainbow Ratings:
Representation: 8
Atmosphere: 8
Intrigue: 9
Narrative: 7
Build-up: 8
Originality: 7
Wow Factor: 7

Victoria Christopher Murray’s Harlem Rhapsody is a captivating novelization of Jessie Redmon Fauset’s life—the woman behind the literary rise of the Harlem Renaissance. As the editor of The Crisis, Fauset nurtured the voices of Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen, and Nella Larsen, yet her own ambitions and complex relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois threatened to overshadow her legacy. Balancing love, power, and the weight of expectation, Fauset’s story is one of resilience, brilliance, and sacrifice.

I would be lying if I said this story didn’t give me pause. When I first picked it up, I worried it would focus solely on W.E.B. Du Bois rather than the midwife of the literary New Negro movement herself. However, I was pleasantly surprised by how Murray wove these narratives together. Not only do we gain insight into the reality of their “coupling,” but we also see the intricate ways Fauset was intertwined with so many key figures of the movement.

This book made me think deeply about the complexities of my favorite writers and literary heroes, introduced me to new leaders to research, and kept me fully engaged throughout. I’m appreciative of this story in an entirely unique way.

Thank you to Hear Our Voices and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.