Copyright Date:
2021
Edition Date:
2021
Release Date:
03/30/21
Pages:
377 pages
ISBN:
1-496-73008-9
ISBN 13:
978-1-496-73008-4
Dewey:
Fic
Dimensions:
21 cm.
Language:
English
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews
The lives of an ambitious chorus girl in 1925 and a grieving film student in 2015 intersect in this debut novel.It's 2015, and Sawyer Hayes is desperate to finish his doctoral thesis on the legendary filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. Sawyer lost over a year to prescription drug abuse after the traumatic death of his sister, Azizi, and he's convinced that jump-starting his professional life will put the pieces back together-and maybe help him stop seeing Azizi's ghost. But he needs Honoree Dalcour, a 110-year-old woman who spent time with Micheaux back in the 1920s, to fill in the blanks of his research. With Miss Honoree ailing and ornery, though, it's going to take a lot more work than Sawyer anticipated to unveil her story. Back in 1925, Honoree is a vibrant young woman determined to dance onstage at Chicago's famed Dreamland Cafe. But Archie Graves, her abusive boss, keeps her on a short leash, and she's not sure she'll ever escape the confines of his club, Miss Hattie's. With the arrival of 16-year-old new chorus girl Bessie Palmer and the sudden reappearance of Honoree's childhood love, Ezekiel Bailey-now involved in the dangerous dealings of the city's notorious gangsters-the course of her life will change forever. As Sawyer gets to know Honoree, their stories intertwine, revealing decades-old secrets. The author deftly weaves fiction with reality-figures like filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, musician Louis Armstrong, and actor Charlie Chaplin all appear-and paints a vibrant picture of the sparkling yet seedy era, but the two timelines are uneven. Though the characters in 1925 are multilayered, those in 2015 feel underdeveloped. And while the modern-day timeline adds some mystery to the plot, it's mostly unnecessary to the overall story arc.Perfect for fans of light historical fiction led by a complex heroine.
"Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo...a dazzling depiction of passion, prohibition, and murder.“ —Shelf Awareness
“Ambitious and stunning.” —Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author
"Vibrant…A highly entertaining read!” —Ellen Marie Wiseman New York Times Bestselling author of THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR
“The music practically pours out of the pages of Denny S. Bryce's historical novel, set among the artists and dreamers of the 1920s.” —OprahMag.com
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In a stirring and impeccably researched novel of Jazz-age Chicago in all its vibrant life, two stories intertwine nearly a hundred years apart, as a chorus girl and a film student deal with loss, forgiveness, and love…in all its joy, sadness, and imperfections.
“Why would I talk to you about my life? I don't know you, and even if I did, I don't tell my story to just any boy with long hair, who probably smokes weed.You wanna hear about me. You gotta tell me something about you. To make this worth my while.”
1925: Chicago is the jazz capital of the world, and the Dreamland Café is the ritziest black-and-tan club in town. Honoree Dalcour is a sharecropper’s daughter, willing to work hard and dance every night on her way to the top. Dreamland offers a path to the good life, socializing with celebrities like Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. But Chicago is also awash in bootleg whiskey, gambling, and gangsters. And a young woman driven by ambition might risk more than she can stand to lose.
2015: Film student Sawyer Hayes arrives at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree Dalcour, still reeling from a devastating loss that has taken him right to the brink. Sawyer has rested all his hope on this frail but formidable woman, the only living link to the legendary Oscar Micheaux. If he’s right—if she can fill in the blanks in his research, perhaps he can complete his thesis and begin a new chapter in his life. But the links Honoree makes are not ones he’s expecting...
Piece by piece, Honoree reveals her past and her secrets, while Sawyer fights tooth and nail to keep his. It’s a story of courage and ambition, hot jazz and illicit passions. And as past meets present, for Honoree, it’s a final chance to be truly heard and seen before it’s too late. No matter the cost...
“Immersive, mysterious and evocative; factual in its history and nuanced in its creativity.” —Ms. Magazine
“Perfect…Denny S. Bryce is a superstar!” —Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series
“Evocative and entertaining!” —Laura Kamoie, New York Times bestselling author
“Wild Women and the Blues deftly delivers what historical fiction has been missing.” —Farrah Rochon USA Today bestselling author
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