Harlem Rhapsody

"Harlem Rhapsody, set in the early 1920s, is an outstanding novel that tells the fictionalized story of the real-life Jessie Redmon Fauset, the first literary editor of the NAACP’s monthly magazine, The Crisis. Victoria Christopher Murray writes a thoroughly researched and enjoyable novel about Fauset, arguably one of the most overlooked women of the Harlem Renaissance. Murray explores Fauset’s contributions as editor and mentor to literary icons such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston and Countee Cullen. The novel also explores Fauset’s complex relationship with W.E.B. Du Bois. New York Times bestselling author Murray (The Personal Librarian and The First Ladies, co-authored with Marie Benedict) crafts a well-paced, engaging story that is a must-read and a highlight of 2025 historical fiction."