Member Reviews
In 1924 New York, Alice Jones thinks of herself as white, though there are whispers about her ancestry. When she meets Leonard “Kip” Rhinelander, heir to his white family’s real estate fortune, Alice believes she has found the same true love her parents have. However, after they marry, Kip’s family insists he annul their marriage or lose his inheritance. Alice fights this in court, despite facing long odds. Black Reporter Marvel Cunningham covers the case; she could either be the help Alice needs or shatter her final hope. In 1941, Alice’s niece Roberta is trying to piece together what happened to her aunt.
This historical fiction novel is based on the real Rhinelander vs. Rhinelander case. I personally found it hard to get into the story because there were no characters I liked or could relate to. I did like Joniece Abbott-Pratt and Chanté McCormick’s narrations.
Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend
Inspired by true events in the 1920's, this book, through the charcuterie Alice, handily makes one think about race, class, adversity, public scrutiny, and standing up for what you belive is right and just. I enjoyed it and it's kept me thinking way past finishing it.
The narrators, Joniece Abbott-Pratt, Chanté McCormick, did a good job, although I sometimes had trouble understanding who was saying what and in which era.
Thank you to RB Media, NetGalley, and author Denny S. Bryce for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander is out July 23, 2024.
4.5 Stars
This book was sooooo good! I hung on every word the narrators spoke. It was beautifully written. If you are looking for a good historical fiction book that will blow you away this is it!
Thank you to RB Media and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook
Unexpected, shocking and an historical fiction page turner. This is based on a real-life scandal in the 1920’s where a woman who considers herself white is identified as black in part of a divorce trial of a wealthy, elite New Yorker. Still thinking about this one! This is not a story of "passing" but instead what determines race. Denny S, Bryce is a new author for me, but I will be looking for other books.
The narration by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and Chanté McCormick help to keep the characters distinctive while moving the story along. So well done!
Thank you to Netgalley, Kensington Publishing and RBmedia recorded books.
This is my first book by Denny S. Bryce and won't be my last. I was hooked from the very beginning and took every opportunity to listen to a few more chapters.
Inspired by an actual case in the 1920s, Rhinelander vs Rhinelander, this dual-timeline novel takes place in New York in 1924 and 1941, and is told through 2 POVs - Alice Jones in 1924 and her niece Roberta in 1941. I hadn't heard about this scandal before and was both intrigued and saddened reading this book. The author paints a vivid picture of life at the time and I got a taste of the difficulties faced with the book exploring social & gender inequality, prejudice, and interracial marriage. It's a great example of taking the time to get to know someone's story - not everything is what it seems, and it is so easy to jump to conclusions or misinterpret situations. There are 2 narrators for this novel and their performances are fantastic. They conveyed emotions clearly, and I was able to easily identify which character was speaking.
Thank you to NetGalley, RBmedia, and the author for an advance audio edition in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.
“The Trials of Mrs. Rhinelander” is a poignant narrative set against the backdrop of 1920s New York, an era marked by social upheaval and the blossoming of the Harlem Renaissance. The novel, inspired by true events, weaves together the lives of three women across different decades, each connected by the thread of Alice Jones Rhinelander’s controversial marriage to Leonard “Kip” Rhinelander.
Alice Jones, born to English immigrants, embodies the quintessence of idealism and the pursuit of true love—a love she believes she has found in Kip, the heir to a real estate fortune. However, their secret union triggers a cascade of events that challenge not only their relationship but also the societal norms of the time. The story delves into the complexities of race, class, and identity, as Alice is forced to confront rumors about her ancestry and the harsh realities of prejudice.
What stands out most compellingly in this tale is the character of Alice herself. Her resilience in the face of adversity, particularly the legal battles and the relentless scrutiny of the public eye, paints a portrait of a woman both of her time and ahead of it. The infuriating challenges she endures resonate deeply with the reader, offering an intimate look at the insidious nature of racism and prejudice.
The narrative extends beyond Alice’s ordeal, introducing us to Roberta Brooks, Alice’s estranged niece in the 1940s, and Marvel Cunningham, a reporter in the 1920s. Initially, both view Alice’s predicament as mere fodder for sensational headlines. Yet, as they delve deeper, they uncover layers of complexity surrounding Alice’s actions and motivations. Their journeys mirror Alice’s struggle, ultimately leading them to introspection and a reevaluation of their own identities.
“The Trials of Mrs. Rhinelander” is more than a historical recount; it is a mirror reflecting the ongoing battle against racial discrimination and the courage required to stand against it. The novel’s exploration of these themes is both enlightening and enraging, serving as a reminder of the progress made and the distance still to go in the fight for equality.
In conclusion, the novel is a testament to the enduring human spirit and the quest for self-discovery amidst societal condemnation. It is a story that compels readers to confront uncomfortable truths and inspires them to consider the impact of history on present-day attitudes towards race and identity. Alice Jones Rhinelander’s trials are not just a chapter from the past but a dialogue with the present, urging us to reflect on who we are and who we aspire to be in a world that remains quick to pass judgment.
I enjoyed this book. I am just getting into audiobooks, but I would recommend this book over and over again. I was initially intrigued by the cover, but the story of both Alice & Kip were relateable. I will say I did get a little confused with the going back and forth between characters and whether it was past or present. But that didn't deter me from finishing the book.
First I want to thank Recorded Books for providing the ALC of “The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander” via NetGalley. This review contains my own opinons.
I was unaware of the Rhinelander scandal and trial before listening to this audiobook. The themes of interracial marriage in the 1920s and passing/racial identity was intriguing.
This historical fiction novel has a dual timeline of Aunt Alice Jones-Rhinelander and Roberta. I found the narrator for Roberta to be more tolerable.
This audiobook is best listened to at 1.25x speed, normal speed was too slow for me.
The character development was very flat, and I found Alice to be irritating and unlikeable. I would have liked to hear more from Kip and another family member's perspective.
This was an interesting spin on a not-so-well-known scandal from a century ago.
3.5 is my adjusted rating.
This novel follows the true story of an interracial marriage that causes scandal and a controversial divorce case that makes headlines in the 1920s.
I enjoyed Denny S. Bryce's Wild Women and the Blues, so I looked forward to listening to this audiobook. Unfortunately, it just didn't live up to my expectations. The story itself was fascinating, but the characters rambled so much that it was hard for me to stay interested. Too bad. It certainly wasn't the fault of the wonderful narrator that I didn't enjoy this book. I feel like the execution of the storytelling missed the mark.
This book had all of the elements that would typically make it a winner for me: true story, seminal legal case that is both an intimate story of a person and a window into significant contemporary societal issues, centering a woman’s experience and bringing us into what her world must have looked and felt like. That said, the dialogue and inner monologues of the main characters felt stilted (both the words as written and the narration) which made a lot of it feel cringey and not realistic.
I found myself being fascinated but also dubious about how Alice could have grown up in the time and place of the story - and a member of a multiracial family - so oblivious to race. Could this be accurate? True, her parents are from England where racial constructs were different but she was clearly aware of class differences, her sister is ostracized for marrying a Black man… just didn’t land right. I was hoping for an author’s note to explain this and make it make sense.
All in all I enjoyed the book for its historical basis, but it dragged. It could have been edited down to reduce some redundancies in the story. It might also have felt slow because the character development dragged. Both generations of main characters seemed stuck in the past, closed and stubborn. To some extent maybe this is the point of the story - how getting stuck in these categories and conflicts stunts personal development and familial relationships.
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great historical fiction novel based on true life events set in 1920s New York City and follows the scandalous divorce case an elite interracial couple who scandalize the society pages. Dealing with race, class and community, this was a story I didn't know much about and found fascinating. Great on audio and perfect for fans of books like The personal librarian. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio copy in exchange for my honest review!
The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander, by Denny S. Bryce, isn't exactly an easy audiobook to listen to, but it is certainly worthwhile. The narrators were fantastic, and the novel itself is incredibly compelling. Bryce is a supremely talented author, and telling this layered story centered on what it means to be white/black from multiple perspectives could have easily been a mess of bigotry and racism. But Bryce made every character shine, whether likeable or not. I appreciated learning about this time in American history from the fictionalized versions of real people/events. Highly recommend!
Such a heartbreaking story, meticulously researched and beautifully written based on the true story of Alice Jones who's parents moved to the USA from England. This audiobook is narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and Chanté McCormick. I like that each point of view character got their own narrator. Thank you to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for a chance to read and review this book in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to RBmedia | Recorded Books and to NetGalley for an ARC of this audiobook.
I love historical fiction, and I am always looking for something new, so when I saw this on NetGalley I figured that I would request it.
I read the little blurb about it, and it sounded like it was right up my alley. This book was based on a true story (the Rhinelander vs Rhinelander case). I knew nothing about the case, but thought it sounded like an interesting time in history
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't as good as a lot of other historical novels that I have read in the past but I definitely enjoyed it. I would like to read something else by this author.
The narrator did a fabulous job.
This work of historical fiction brought to my attention events of the 1920s with which I was unfamiliar. I’ve read many books about people in this period who passed for white, but this story brings the concept to a new level. Usually, one person is trying to pass on their own, but this tale involves multiple generations and, for lack of a better way to put it, parents who are gaslighting their children into passing without them even realizing it. It is a fascinating story, and I like how the author wove together the two trials (involving the annulment of a marriage and the financial settlement) and the attempts of two journalists to uncover the true story of the marriage of Alice Jones and Leonard Rhinelander, a member of elite society in 1920s New York. Alice comes across as rather naive, even for this period, but I’m glad to know her story. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the opportunity to review this audiobook.
In a Nutshell: A historical fiction based on the actual Rhinelander vs. Rhinelander case of 1925. I loved the historical details, but some writing choices didn’t work for me. Don’t expect a legal drama because of the title and content, else you will be disappointed.
Plot Preview:
1924. New York. Alice Jones, born to working class English immigrants, believes that she has found true love with the wealthy real-estate scion Leonard ‘Kip’ Rhinelander, four years her junior. Alice considers herself “white”, so when, after their elopement, Kip’s parents threaten to cut him off from his inheritance for marrying a coloured woman, Alice is stunned. As events continue to spiral, Alice finds herself in a court battle against her new husband.
1943. Roberta is an ambitious journalist. When she is given the task of speaking to her estranged aunt Alice and getting the inside scoop about the latest development in the Rhinelander family saga, Roberta is initially hesitant. But for her job, she goes ahead with the interaction, and finds herself learning more about Alice and what happened in the 1920s.
The story comes to us in the first-person perspectives of Alice and Roberta from two timelines.
I was not aware of the Rhinelander vs. Rhinelander case, so when I saw the blurb mention that this book is based on a pathbreaking legal case, I had to go for it. However, I have mixed feelings about the execution.
It was enlightening to read about people’s thinking and social attitudes in 1920s New York, especially their attitude towards coloured people. In fact, some of it is so outrageous that it might have felt far-fetched if this were ordinary historical fiction rather than being a story based on facts. The author’s research into the trial and the 1920s setting is visible.
I had assumed this to be a story of a Black/mixed race woman ‘passing’ as white because of her lighter skin tone. So I was surprised to see that Alice, and her entire family (her white mom, her mixed-race dad, and her two sisters), thought of themselves as ‘white’ (after all, the girls had ‘barely a drop of coloured blood’ in them), and they didn’t even consider the idea that they were ‘passing.’ This brought an unexpected dimension to the book. After all, it cannot be called a novel of "passing" as the family isn’t technically “passing”.
Now to the flip side.
Roberta’s timeline begins excellently with a clear intro about her ambition and spunky attitude. However, her role in the story is mainly to ask questions to Alice, who then provides answers and fills in the gaps left by the 1920s timeline. There is barely anything about Roberta’s life, and except for one passing mention of the Pearl Harbor attacks, nothing about the events of 1943 except what concerns Alice. It is a timeline curiously bereft of descriptions and era-setting.
The character development is quite flat. The writing is clearly tilted in favour of Alice, even before we hear Kip’s thoughts or Roberta’s inquiry. Alice isn’t a likeable character, so it is tough to sympathise with her situation. But even this complexity is presented in a fairly shallow approach that tells us the whats but doesn’t dig into the psyche of the whys. Roberta’s opinion of Alice swings randomly from supporter to opponent. Kip never becomes a well-defined character, though his role was vital. The secondary characters are even more vaguely sketched. Some of these issues could have been sorted had the writing been in third person.
As Roberta and Alice both are in their early twenties in their respective timelines, their thoughts and actions have a strong YA feel to them. This might not bother readers who enjoy YA, but I found their repetitive thoughts, lengthy inner monologues, and self-centred approach towards life somewhat annoying.
The details of the physical intimacy were a bit beyond what I prefer in historical fiction. As I read this as a historical legal drama and not a historical romance, this content annoyed me.
The biggest disappointment to me is the complete lack of courtroom scenes. For a book based on a real-life trial and with a title mentioning the word ‘Trial’, I had expected a nail-biting legal drama. However, the trial stays conspicuously off the page. We hear the development of the case and all related proceedings through later conversations between the key characters, and a few times, from small excerpts of newspaper articles that appear before a few chapters.
The title itself is misleading. The trial referred to by the titular "Trial" begins only around the 70% mark. There are actually two trials, one in each timeline, but we don’t see the glimpse of the inside of the court in either, so this doesn’t make any difference to our experience. The blurb is also inaccurate, as it assigns reporter Marvel Cunningham a prominent role, though she is just one of the secondary characters.
As we learn all key plot developments through the dialogues, and both perspectives are written in first person, we effectively get a whole load of first-person rambling. Even introductions of new characters are done through odd dialogues that leave us wondering why they are giving out their bio in between an interaction. Also, because of this writing decision, the passage of time within each narrative isn’t always clear.
🎧 The Audiobook Experience:
The audiobook, clocking at 9 hrs 16 min, is narrated by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and Chanté McCormick. With two first-person character perspectives, it helps to have one narrator each for Roberta and Alice. The narrator for Roberta was fine. But the one who voices Alice didn’t voice intense emotions such as crying well as she read even those sentences in the same tone as the rest. The rest of her performance was good.
There was no author's note in my ALC, so I am unsure if the final print copy includes one. I sure would have appreciated an update from the author about her writing choices. Such stories always need a word from the author.
All in all, I liked the potential of the story more than the execution itself. I don’t regret reading this, but I did want a legal drama, so my overall feelings are muted.
Still recommended, but not with gusto. The book might appeal to historical fiction readers who would enjoy details of a real-life scandal of the 1920s. This isn’t for those who seek a courtroom drama.
Do note that the language is authentic to the times, so there are many offensive racist slurs in this book.
2.5 stars, rounding up for the historical insights and the audiobook.
My thanks to Recorded Books for providing the ALC of “The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.
Thank you Betgalley for this audio ARC. The book follows 2 different time lines, telling the story of 2 young women, one being the niece of the other one. Based on a true story, it deals with race issues both in the more distant and the nearer past. This book is perfect for you if you like little known historical nuggets that get you thinking.
The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander provided a fascinating look at an often untold aspect of the 1920s. Although there are many novels that tell stories of New York City society families during this decade, I’ve never come across one that deals with the themes of race and class in the way Bryce does here.
It was really interesting to follow along at the characters developed an understanding of how race impacted them and changed their relationship with their own identities; readers are able to see how an individual’s experience in society was impacted by the ability to be white-passing, as well as when they identified as Black or White. Adding on the social class component was interesting too, as it also played a role in the relationships between characters.
I was so interested to learn about the trial of Mrs. Rhinelander, the newspaper’s role, and how the discovery of her family passing for white had such an impact on her own marriage. I definitely recommend this novel to anyone that enjoys historical fiction!
5 stars, no spoilers:
This book grabbed me hard and didn't let go. It's entertaining, fast-paced, and compelling. The excellent voice actors enhanced my enjoyment of the powerful story. It was like going back in time and listening to a radio show, complete with breaking news headlines. I could barely stop listening and finished it in two days.
The interweaving of connected stories works beautifully. The timeline transitions are clear, and the change in narrators makes the shifts unmistakable, maintaining the novel’s spellbinding quality.
It's an important book. The level of historical immersion combined with a suspenseful and heartfelt story are impressive.
I felt enormously satisfied by this book. It’s a multifaceted, challenging saga with many emotional aspects. Although there are sad and disturbing parts to it, there's so much spirit, strength, and courage, it’s uplifting and inspiring.
Bryce presents a feast of historical detail including language, music, pastimes, fashion, foods, and the power of newspapers and tabloids to influence public opinion. The historical context comes through in the events, woven seamlessly into the narrative.
The many ways in which race and class divides were constructed and enforced in the US emerge in the same masterful manner, adding to the novel’s impact. I enjoyed the references to influential figures in the Harlem Renaissance and the media.
The contrasts in the lives and opportunities available to the women of both generations highlight the courage of individuals who fought for their rights. Outrages based on classism, racism, and anti-immigrant sentiments speak for themselves within this powerful story.
The strong pacing, intelligence, verve, talent, and heart in its telling left me energized and wholeheartedly excited to share it with other readers. I'll be watching for more books by Denny S. Bryce.
This was my first audiobook from RB media. The production values and performances by Joniece Abbott-Pratt and Chanté McCormick are excellent.Recommended for readers who enjoy or wish to explore Historical Fiction, Black History, Literary Fiction, or simply an extraordinary audiobook experience.
Thank you, RBMedia and NetGalley, for the audiobook for consideration. These are my opinions.
I'll post my TikTok review soon. The TikTok link below is my listening notes / recommenation post.
The Trial of Mrs. Rhinelander by Denny Bryce is a complex examination of love, race, social mores, interracial marriage, and friendship. It is based on a true story. The novel is told from three perspectives. First is Alice Jones, the daughter of a white mother and a Jamaican father. When Alice meets Leonard Kip Rhinelander, they fall madly in love. Despite many obstacles, they marry. Kip’s family does not approve of the marriage and make attempts to annul it. They claim that Alice is a Black woman passing for white and tricked Kip into marriage. Through a series of plans and plots, Alice ends up having to defend herself against Kip’s divorce proceedings. The trial that follows is sensational and explores racial and social issues. The marriage and the trial disrupt the Jones family and cause some riffs between Alice and her family. Next is Roberta, Alice’s niece, who is trying to become a serious newspaper reporter. She likes her aunt, but also blames her for the breakup of her parents. And finally, Marvel, an ambitious woman, who investigates the circumstances surrounding Alice’s lawsuit, her birthright, and her color. Three quite different women, all fighting for what they believe is right, the desire to be respected and the future they deserve.