The Davenports are a wealthy African American family living in Chicago in 1910. Each of the three young adult children in the family have their own dreams and aspirations which aren’t necessarily in sync with those of their parents. The two sisters, Olivia and Helen are being groomed for roles as socialite wives while John, the son is expected to take over the family business and marry Ruby, the daughter of close friends. Ruby, whose father is running for mayor attempts to woo John but finds herself falling for another eligible bachelor. Amy Rose, who works as a ladies’ maid for the Davenport sisters dreams of opening her own hair salon but being a single black woman makes her dreams overwhelming while she and John are trying to sort out their relationship. Romance all around in the atmosphere of changing Chicago politics and protests involving Jim Crow laws and women’s rights.
This book is very important to historical racism and is written in a format that teens will enjoy. Romance along with an educational component with sequels to come will be very appealing. The romance aspects of the book are typical with couples falling in love then discovering differences that come between them. But the romances don’t necessarily end happily for everyone in this first book in the series. I enjoyed the way the author covered the politics of the time and the way the book ended on an open note. Recommended for teen readers who will want to dive into a very different historical fiction series.
Thanks to BookishFirst and Penguin Random House for the Advanced Reader Copy.
This book is very important to historical racism and is written in a format that teens will enjoy. Romance along with an educational component with sequels to come will be very appealing. The romance aspects of the book are typical with couples falling in love then discovering differences that come between them. But the romances don’t necessarily end happily for everyone in this first book in the series. I enjoyed the way the author covered the politics of the time and the way the book ended on an open note. Recommended for teen readers who will want to dive into a very different historical fiction series.
Thanks to BookishFirst and Penguin Random House for the Advanced Reader Copy.