Review by Library Journal Review
Tate's latest biographical novel (following The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel) brings to life the historical figure Hazel Scott--brilliant pianist, Hollywood actor, and fearless civil rights advocate--and is set against the glamour and grit of 1940s Harlem. At just 23, Hazel commands the stage and the public eye, attracting the attention of the charismatic (and married) preacher-politician Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Their magnetic yet turbulent romance unfolds in New York City amid smoky jazz clubs, political rallies, and shifting cultural tides. Hazel's internal conflict--balancing creative ambition, public scrutiny, and a complex love affair--drives the novel's emotional core. Tate blends fact and fiction with elegance, incorporating depictions of historical luminaries (Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, James Baldwin) and rendering period detail with confidence. Her prose is vivid yet controlled, evoking both the intoxicating highs of fame and the private costs of defying societal norms. VERDICT A captivating, emotionally resonant portrait of a singular woman who refused to be diminished, this novel will appeal to fans of historical fiction, jazz history, and strong women protagonists.--Tahira Ahmad
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
