The gritty side of the jazz era and a stubborn, brazen woman!  

 

What worked for me:

*The author gives a clear picture of what it was like to live as a single black woman in the 20s: surviving on pork and beans, constantly darning stockings and dresses, bathing out of a kitchen sink, living in a tenement without heat, making phone calls at the grocery store.  Stubbornness and a willingness to fight to get ahead was necessary.  

*The roaring 20s atmosphere: Denny paints a vivid, enveloping scene of Chicago and the Stroll: the music, the dancing, the glamourous dresses, the illegal boos, the gangsters. I wanted to be in there in the clubs, dressed to the nines, and listening to a burgeoning Louis Armstrong right alongside Honoree.  

 

What didn’t work for me:

*The twist/secret:  It doesn’t make sense, and it’s not necessary to the plot.  I love a good twist, one that isn’t expected and adds a layer of depth to the story that you didn’t know you were longing for. But this twist just didn’t work, and instead of adding to the storyline, it actually muddles it.  

*Too many loose ends that never get wrapped up.  

*The dual timeline:  It felt forced and didn’t flow smoothly.  Sawyer’s story is too complex, too upended, and doesn’t really connect to Honoree’s story or give any extra depth to the plot.  

 

The premise of this story is exceptional.  Unfortunately the execution just didn’t measure up to its potential.  I love the jazz era.  I love a gritty story and a strong female protagonist.  But overall, this novel fell short of what I’d hoped.