Harlem Rhapsody by Victoria Christopher Murray

Rating: 5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 400 pages
Published: February 2025

A historical fiction delight by prolific author Victoria Christopher Murray, Harlem Rhapsody tells the long-hidden story of real-life Jessie Redmon Fauset who was the first and only literary editor of The Crisis, the NAACP’s premier publication. Having been designated this distinctive title by the founder and her secret lover, W.E.B. Dubois, Fauset took this opportunity to not only hone her writing skills but spark a generation of legendary literary geniuses active during the Harlem Renaissance movement. 

The novel is, of course, set in Harlem, New York, and spans the six-year period covering Fauset’s reign as literary editor. Through Murray’s descriptive and captivating prose, we learn about this very real person who contributed much to modern-day literature by way of her mentorship, creative assets, and service to the Black community. As the author herself says, all Black authors today stand on the shoulders of Fauset who birthed a movement in the proper representation of the Black culture without frivolous stereotypes told by Black creatives themselves. 

While much of the novel focuses on Fauset’s work, there is an underlying plot that details the very true history of her affair with W.E.B. Dubois. Through Murray’s fictional storytelling, based on solid research and historical evidence, the reader learns of the conflict Fauset wrestled with in trying to make a career for herself in the 1920s and balancing that with a forbidden relationship that imposed limitations on how far she could excel. This multi-faceted story also introduces the reader to the origin stories of many literary legends, like Countee Cullen, Nella Larsen, and Zora Neale Hurston, who have name recognition today, but were young and relatively unknown during this time. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this complex and engaging novel. I appreciate a good story that not only entertains but informs, and Harlem Rhapsody did just that. Additionally, the author - a gifted writer of today’s time - shared so many beautiful passages when painting in-depth word pictures. Here are just a few I noted for memorializing. 

Literature can be useful in this fight for equality. That’s what I tell my daughter. She can change this world with words. - p. 5

Any art by Negroes must serve one purpose alone — to uplift the race and present Negroes in a way white folks have never seen. Art must serve to change more than minds, art must change hearts. Through literature, stories can be shared that recognize the contributions colored folks have made in just fifty years, post-emancipation. The written word can be more powerful than any speech I can deliver. - p.5

Negro women in America will continue to reach the highest levels, continue to be the best and the brightest, and then force others to tell us that with these qualifications, we are disqualified. We will force others to tell us that our credentials are fine; our complexions are what’s offensive. - p. 180

I’m so grateful to her for encouraging me to read. The characters inside books became my friends. I loved every story, even the tragic ones. Because even in tragedy, the words can make a pitiable life beyond beautiful. - p. 190

That one-drop definition comes from white supremacists. I’ve never understood why anyone would abide by the rules and rantings of madmen. How can men who hate me, without knowing me, define me? - p. 207

Recommendation: This book covers a lot of ground in an easily digestible format. It was an excellent choice by my book club to celebrate both Black and women’s history. I highly recommend this novel for literary fiction fans who also enjoy learning about historically hidden figures, who are, thankfully, hidden no more. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Radical Candor: How to Get What You Want by Saying What You Mean by Kim Scott

Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Pages: 279 pages
Published: March 2017

Radical Candor was recommended by a colleague for a professional development program in which I was enrolled. I found the book, along with it supplementary podcast of the same name, to be very informational and transformational in the way that women leaders (aka just plain old leaders) can communicate effectively within the corporate workspace. The author is an established leader in her own right having served in high-level positions at Dropbox, Twitter, Google, and Apple. In her work, she posits that radical candor is where relationship and honesty combine thus you can care personally but also challenge directly to effect change and accomplish goals at work. 

Some of my key takeaways from this book were:

• Placing a focus on achieving growth collaboratively, 
• Recognizing that an organization is comprised of people, so it's OK to take things personally, 
• Tolerating bad work is unfair to people who are doing excellent work, 
• Working to praise publicly but criticize privately, 
• Realizing that a team needs both rock stars for stability and super stars for growth, and
• Listening is a key component in developing a good team. 

"A boss's ability to achieve results has a lot more to do with listening and seeking to understand than it does with telling people what to do." -Kim Scott

Recommendation: Overall, I found this book to be well-written and touch on a myriad of points essential to being an effective leader. I enjoyed that it was written by a woman as I could relate to that perspective. The book was a little long and could have benefitted from some tighter editing, but it was a fulfilling read that included many tips that I could and have put to practice professionally. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner

Rating: 3.5 of 5 stars 

Pages: 336 pages
Published: December 2023

After reading All We Were Promised, I was in search of a lighter read, so, from my TBR list, I picked up The Second Chance Year by Melissa Wiesner. It was definitely lighter, and the premise was fun and imaginative, but I had hoped for a little more mature book. The novel features Sadie who, at the opening of the book, has lost her job, apartment, and boyfriend because, according to her, she speaks her mind. On New Year's Eve, she accompanies her best friend to a party where she meets a fortune teller who gives her a do-over of the very bad year that resulted in her losses. The remainder of the book is a series of situations that Sadie tries to correct from the previously-lived year. In the midst of discovering who she was, she learns who she needs to be to be true to herself. 

I really enjoyed the overall idea of the story. It was an entertaining plot. However, I would classify the novel more as young adult fiction, and I do enjoy my fair share of that genre, I just would have had different expectations going in if it was labeled as a more juvenile story - not because the characters are young but because some of their actions seem immature and underdeveloped. 

While Sadie was a likable protagonist, she seemed one-dimensional. The constant repetition of her "very bad year" reminded me of Judith Viorst's "Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day." By employing this repetitive tactic, I think the author short-sells the reader assuming they won't be able to discern between the timelines. The story and plot were clearly written, and I don't think this distinction was needed. There were also a couple of plot holes that left me scratching my head - like how did the old lady know to bring Gio the cat to the coffee shop on that exact day? How could Sadie not realize that changing her life would change those around her? 

 
Recommendation: This was a relatively short book, but I really had a hard time sticking with it. This was my first read by this author. I think I might choose another written by her because I do think she has good story ideas. This one just didn't do it for me. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars 

Duration: 08:51:00
Published: January 2017

Lillian Boxfish Takes a Walk by Kathleen Rooney was a monthly book club selection by Ginger from the Modern Mrs. Darcy Book Club. When she introduced this older novel, she prefaced it by saying it's one she reads every year around Christmas/New Year's. The recommendation, synopsis, and nostalgia piqued my curiosity so off to the library I went for the audio copy. 

I must say, I did enjoy meeting Lillian Boxfish, an octogenarian, who sets out on a walk in New York City on New Year's Eve and, as she takes that walk, she reflects on a live well lived. As readers, we are put in the position of voyeurism, and as such, we learn about her childhood, the aunt who inspired her, her upward-moving career as an advertising copywriter, and her indifference to becoming a wife or mother, yet she becomes both anyway. We learn about her struggles in those areas, some of which lead to her divorce, and finally where she's ended up several decades later. Like real-life professional women, Lillian is multi-faceted, complex, and alluring. 

It's quite possible this is the case because her character is inspired by a real-life poet and advertising professional, Margaret Fishback, who was the highest paid female advertising copywriter in the world in the 1930s. Personally, I related to Lillian a lot - being a professional marketer who has chosen to prioritize my career over being a mother (gasp!). Additionally, Rooney through Lillian's voice, provides a lot of funny quips and thoughtful quotations throughout the story. 

"Choice is an illusion promoted by the powerful." (page 214)

"No matter what first draws our attention, language is where we make our decisions. (page 229)

"...a dull and dogged reminder that I was just like everyone else in suffering the injustice of chronology: I could only walk through it facing forward, going in that one direction." (page 266)

(Most of the quotations I've highlighted here are in the latter part of the book because I snagged an e-copy as I fell more in love with the story. I do intend to mimic Ginger, and read this book again next year.) 

I liked going back and reminiscing to a simpler time with Lillian Boxfish. The book would have been a solid 5-stars for me had it not included the stereotypical tropes of young men of color robbing on the streets of New York. But can I really be angry about something so real through the eyes of an 80-something white woman? I think I will just take it as it is so as to enjoy the story. 

Recommendation: I recommend giving the audiobook a listen as the narrator really brings Lillian to life. A great read for Christmas break to discuss with family and friends. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Beauty in Breaking by Michele Harper

Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Pages: 304 pages
Published: July 2020

The Beauty in Breaking by Dr. Michele Harper is a beautifully written memoir in which the emergency room doctor shares tales of her life growing up in an abusive home, being educated at Harvard, and her subsequent career in the medical field. I chose this book as one of my July Book of the Month selections. 

Each chapter in this book focuses on a patient or patients that Harper encountered in her career. While protecting confidentiality, she shares the ailment that brought them into the hospital and her treatment plan. That probably doesn't sound any different than what you could watch on a medical drama on TV; however, Harper also digs deeper beyond the diagnosing the patient's illness but learning more about their brokenness. In some cases, she is able to help them beyond a prescription or referral. And then, she shares how sometimes she never knows what happens to a patient once they leave her facility, or in more dire cases, the patient dies. Each story is unique, and Harper approaches each vignette with care and respect. If she heals the way she writes, she is probably an excellent doctor. 

Her overarching message is that we are all broken in some way - physically, emotionally, spiritually, economically. But like a broken piece of pottery, the cracks are what allow the light to shine through. Harper did an exceptional job sharing her life's work and story. The memoir is wonderfully written, and I am simply in awe that someone with such a demanding career was able to make time to also write such a succinct piece of non-fiction. 

Recommendation: While the topics are heavy, the prose is written in such a way that allows the reader to draw from it easily. I highly recommend The Beauty in Breaking. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Things You Save in a Fire by Katherine Center

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Pages: 320 pages
Published: August 2019 

Things You Save in a Fire is an adult fiction novel by Katherine Center. The protagonist, Cassie Hanwell, is a firefighter in Austin, Texas who gets relocated to a Boston firehouse after an unfortunate event. A promising female firefighter in progressive Austin, Cassie struggles to acclimate in her new role at the Boston firehouse, which is much more traditional. She starts at the same time as male rookie firefighter, who is the son of a firefighter, and surprisingly the two find out they have more in common than the job.

This book is not your typical romance novel. There is depth. Heavy issues like grief, mental illness, opioid addiction, and the ability to forgive are tackled. I think the author did an excellent job of touching on these tough issues while keeping the story entertaining. There were many well written passages that illustrated Center's talent as a writer.

I didn't really enjoy the romance aspect of the book. It seemed a little rushed and unrealistic to me, but I enjoyed the story just the same. My favorite themes were those of redemption and forgiveness.

Recommendation:  This was a heartfelt and moving story that I think anyone could appreciate. However, I think it might hold a special place in the hearts of us feminists.

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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Beartown by Fredrik Backman

Rating:  4.5 of 5 stars
Length: 432 pages
Published: April 2017

Beartown by Fredrik Backman is about a fictional town in Sweden where the boy's hockey team is the nucleus of the community. The players, the staff, the parents, and the residents all are invested in the sport and the team because hockey has touched them all in some way - whether in the past or present times. And beyond hockey, there isn't much going on in this town ... until there is. A tragic decision made by the star player shatters the life of a young girl and transforms the town forever. 

Beartown is a story about division and the major events that divide families, friends, and an entire town. Backman sets up examples of this theme through the illustration of several dichotomies of character pairings. There are about two dozen characters in this book that all play a role in the book's forward-moving plot. You'd think with that many characters, the reader might get confused. Quite the contrary, the author does an excellent job of setting up the characters and the plot in the first half of the book that you, as the reader, get the feeling that he's sharing information about people who could live in your community. Backman does a superb job of developing these characters so that everyone is equally represented and their role in the story is executed perfectly. 

The only thing I did not care of in this book was the quick jumping from one character to the next as a literary device to reveal events and the timeline of the story. On many occasions the story was told in small paragraph vignettes, and I would have preferred more cohesive scenes developed within longer written passages. That is my only reason for the less than 5-star rating. 

I've read most all of Backman's novels and novellas. As usual, he won me over with his prose. He has a writing style that digs deep in my soul and hangs on tight for many days after the story ends. However, I won't have much time to recover from this one. The Beartown sequel, Us Against You, was readily available at my local library at the time I finished this book, and I've already borrowed it! 

Recommendation: Backman took on a darker topic with Beartown, but he handled it well. This story will give you all the feels. Get your copy today, and get emotionally invested in this intriguing cast of characters. 

Other Fredrik Backman books I've reviewed on A Page Before Bedtime: 
A Man Called Ove
My Grandmother Asked me to Tell You She's Sorry
Britt-Marie was Here
And Every Morning the Way Home gets Longer and Longer

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful.

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The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood

Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars
Length: 325 pages
Published: 1985

I know there is much hubbub surrounding Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale and its resulting Hulu television series. The book was published in 1985 and appears to have been popular from the start and even more so now with the recent show. I am certain Ms. Atwood does not need my approval or two cents, but, nevertheless, I will give it in this review. 

The Handmaid's' Tale is a dystopian/fantasy book set in the future that could very well be the present - if all hope was lost. In the book, people are segregated by class, and women are only regarded for their bodies and ability to bear children. The tone is dark, depressing, and plain ole sad. 

In one of my online book club discussions, someone smartly said: Every book is not for every body, but every book is for someone. Full disclaimer: I am not a fan of the dystopian genre. I find it to be an imagined future of hopelessness. My life and belief system is one based on faith, hope, and love, so I am often unable to connect with, view, or even imagine the world this way. Therefore, it's always a struggle when I attempt to embark on a dystopian novel. (I did enjoy Ready, Player One, though!) 

I prefer reading realistic fiction. I don't think a dystopian society can ever really happen, and I know many people believe part of Atwood's genius in this novel is displayed because she predicted so much at the time of publication that has come to pass. And, if I am honest, I can see where people get that; however, I don't believe we will ever get to a point where all will be lost. I think of ABC's television show, What Would You Do? It's a situational show that employs actors who play out these scenarios that can be pretty awful (e.g., someone being shamed for their sexuality, someone abusing animals, or stealing, etc.). The actors are placed in the real world where real people, none the wiser to the acting, witness these scenarios. With smart editing, we see situation after situation where no one speaks up, no one does the right thing. And just when you think we're a world full of Kitty Genovese onlookers, someone speaks up and does the right thing. (And this is the point where I usually start crying.) But I digress. I don't believe we will ever be in a dystopian society because I believe in humanity. 

So, on to the book. Overall, I found The Handmaid's Tale to be a skewed view of the institution of African American slavery in the United States that was co-opted for white women. And to add insult to injury, Atwood intentionally omitted characters of color in her fictional, future world. (Sorry, Ms. Atwood, we are here to stay and we aren't being shipped off anywhere else.) I nearly threw my iPad across the room when I got to the part about the Quakers' home that served as a station on the Underground Femaleroad. Seriously? Seriously. Furthermore, the premise of this Gilead Society seemed to mock Christianity, which did not resonate with, and often angered, me. The novel's conflict is somewhat intriguing, but I often got bored with the protagonist's stream of consciousness droning about her day-to-day life. It was a bit repetitive and morose. My sole motivation for completing this book was to discuss at my August book club meeting. 

Recommendation: Every book is for someone, and this book was not for me. If I want to read about women being forced to produce children for the benefit of society, I can just re-read Colson Whitehead's The Underground Railroad or read any of the thousands of novels that discuss a very real historical situation. And because of that history we know better and will do better as a society - dispelling this whole idea of a dystopian society! 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful. 

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Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change by Ellen K. Pao

Rating: 4 of 5 stars
Length: 10:40:00
Published: September 2017

Reset: My Fight for Inclusion and Lasting Change by Ellen K. Pao is another autobiographical read inspired by an interview on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah. In the book Pao shares her experiences in her career with sexism and marginalization of women (specifically women of color). She also walks the reader through the workplace discrimination lawsuit she brought against her former employer, Kleiner Perkins. 

My motivation for purchasing a (audiobook) copy was quite simple ... I was fed up. I am fed up, and I needed some inspiration. If you're going to read (and get anything out of) this blog post, you have to accept this as fact - Sexism and marginalization in the workplace is very real, and it's pervasive. It is not always physical and overt, but sometimes it is. Often it's subtle things like: getting left off important email chains, not being invited to meetings, being talked over when trying to present ideas, and having your ideas stolen by someone and presented as their own. These are things I knew before reading Pao's book. These are things I've experienced. I was quite surprised, yet also comforted, to know that it's happening everywhere. 

In my professional career that spans nearly 20 years, all of these things have happened to me. Early on in my career, a white male intern referred to me as a bitch because he believed I had come to work sick (and contagious, I suspect). He was fearful that my perceived illness would cause him harm and ruin his upcoming skiing trip. Later on in my career, I was shouted at by a male octogenarian who didn't like that way I was handling a project. He physically stood over me while I sat at my desk and berated me. (I chose to leave the office and do my own reset at a local Starbucks). One day, a co-worker asked what I thought the solution to police brutality was. Most recently in what I thought was friendly conversation, a co-worker decided to share information about his family and used the word nigger in a one-to-one conversation with me while in the office. I've shared some of my experiences with my dad who, at one point in his life, was a military drill sergeant. And he said to me so simply, "This is sexist, Melyssa." It made me sad that he was sad for me, but it also gave me strength that he, as a man, could acknowledge it and empower me to stand my ground. We need more men in this fight with us. Reading this book gave me more strength. 

The book is not read by Pao, but I did enjoy the narrator. Her speaking style was very smooth. I found the stories both insightful and infuriating. Pao begins with her childhood and helps the reader navigate through her career, the lawsuit, and the resulting inclusion work that she is now doing. The book is painfully truthful with rays of hope. 

My only critique is that the author focused the majority of the book on her specific industry specific - tech. However, the ideas and themes are applicable to any industry. I understand Pao was writing what she knows, but I wish the book was a little more generalized so all readers can understand, this is not just a tech/Silicon Valley problem. This is a worldwide problem. We know better, and we should do better. 

Recommendation: If you have a job - paid or volunteer, you need to read this book. My purpose for listening to this book was to find inspiration. Pao definitely offered that. If she can survive sexism in the workplace and a very public lawsuit, I can press on. I can move forward. I will persist. And I will know that I am not alone in this fight. 

Until next time ... Read on!

Regardless of whether I purchase a book, borrow a book, or receive a book in exchange for review, my ultimate goal is to be honest, fair, and constructive. I hope you've found this review helpful. 

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