Books set in the glamorous (and sometimes dangerous) world of the 1920s are some of favorites, and this one was no exception.
Wild Women and the Blues follows two timelines: Honoree in 1925, a chorus girl trying to dance her way into a better life, and Sawyer in the present, a film student interviewing Honoree about her link to a legendary Black filmmaker.
I loved Honoree, who was smart, independent, and loyal. Watching her try to navigate the tricky world of bootleggers and gangsters, while still trying to maintain her integrity (and stay alive) was fascinating. I loved the friendship she formed with Bessie, and how she wasn't willing to trust a man to just swoop in and save her.
The novel is a perfect mix of character and plot driven. There's a bit of a mystery and a sense of danger woven throughout that kept me turning the pages, but not at the expense of learning about the characters' secrets and motivations, and watching how they grow as people. I felt like I was part of jazz age Chicago with the language and descriptions of the clubs and outfits. It was fun to see famous people like Louis Armstrong make appearances, too. I felt like the last chapter was a bit abrupt, though, and got confused sometimes with which gangsters were upset with which characters and why. 4.25 stars
Wild Women and the Blues follows two timelines: Honoree in 1925, a chorus girl trying to dance her way into a better life, and Sawyer in the present, a film student interviewing Honoree about her link to a legendary Black filmmaker.
I loved Honoree, who was smart, independent, and loyal. Watching her try to navigate the tricky world of bootleggers and gangsters, while still trying to maintain her integrity (and stay alive) was fascinating. I loved the friendship she formed with Bessie, and how she wasn't willing to trust a man to just swoop in and save her.
The novel is a perfect mix of character and plot driven. There's a bit of a mystery and a sense of danger woven throughout that kept me turning the pages, but not at the expense of learning about the characters' secrets and motivations, and watching how they grow as people. I felt like I was part of jazz age Chicago with the language and descriptions of the clubs and outfits. It was fun to see famous people like Louis Armstrong make appearances, too. I felt like the last chapter was a bit abrupt, though, and got confused sometimes with which gangsters were upset with which characters and why. 4.25 stars