whitneydaniell

TLDR: Buy the book and read it.

Summary

The year is 1943, and twenty-two-year-old Hazel Scott has already solidified her name as America’s biggest jazz star. Rubbing elbows with the likes of James Baldwin and Billie Holiday, Scott was a jazz prodigy from Trinidad who emigrated to America with her mother and grandmother in 1924. At just eight years old, Hazel was accepted into Juilliard. Through her classical education and under her mother’s tutelage, she quickly excelled in every facet.

While performing at Harlem’s first integrated club—Café Society—where Black and white musicians could perform and sit together to enjoy the music, Hazel meets pastor and Harlem representative for the New York City Council, Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and sparks fly. As the spotlight turns on and Hazel gives her all on stage, she can feel Adam’s eyes on her, and she can’t shake the feeling blossoming inside her. After his persistence and determination to win her over—as he made it clear that he wanted her—Adam only had one pesky thing to take care of before he could fully be with Hazel: divorcing his current wife.

After what seems like a whirlwind romance filled with drama and speculation, Adam is officially divorced. Within a few short months, he and Hazel are married.

For the next seventeen years, Hazel moves mountains and makes history in every way—continuing her reign as a jazz darling at Café Society, taking on Hollywood roles, performing at Carnegie Hall, and even hosting her own short-lived TV show, The Hazel Scott Show—all while championing civil rights and pushing for accurate portrayals of Black people in film and television.

During their fifteen-year marriage, Hazel experiences the many ups and downs that come with both celebrity and her proximity to her husband—later U.S. Congressman. As Adam’s political profile rises amid racial tensions, unrest, and the ongoing civil rights battle within the government, the pressure puts a strain on their marriage and shines an intense spotlight on Hazel. With the added stress of his work and her fame, their relationship begins to crack, and Adam begins to stray.

Seeking solace and reprieve, Hazel spends time in Paris just before their eventual divorce. She later credits Paris as “a much-needed rest, not from work, but from racial tensions.”

Upon returning to America, Hazel steps back into the jazz world—and into a nation deep in the Civil Rights Movement. She also returns to the tragic death of her good friend Billie Holiday and forges ahead, clearing a path not only for herself but for those who will follow in her footsteps.

Hazel Scott reclaims what is rightfully hers: the stage, her legacy, and her power. She is quite literally a legend, and it’s about time the world knows her name.

Character Summary

Hazel Scott – Jazz and classical pianist, singer, and activist. Born June 11, 1920, and died of cancer in New York on October 2, 1981. Survived by her son, Adam Clayton Powell III. Preceded in death by her mother, Alma Long Scott.

Adam Clayton Powell Jr. – “Mr. Harlem” himself. Baptist pastor and politician who represented Harlem in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1945 to 1971. The first African American elected to Congress from New York, he was re-elected nearly every term for three decades. Born November 29, 1908, and died of a bladder infection on April 4, 1972.

Billie Holiday – Hazel’s dear friend who brings levity with her quick wit and sharp tongue. Born Eleanora Fagan on April 7, 1915, she was an American jazz and swing singer. She died of heart failure at the young age of 44 on July 17, 1959.

Other notable figures mentioned:

• Langston Hughes – Poet, novelist, playwright, and columnist
• Nina Simone – Singer, songwriter, pianist, and civil rights activist
• Barney Josephson – Founder of Café Society and restaurateur
• Josephine Cogdell Schuyler & George Schuyler – Author/poet and journalist/social commentator
• James Baldwin – Writer and civil rights activist
• Quincy Jones – Musician, composer, producer, and record label executive

My Thoughts

Historical fiction is creeping to the top of my list of favorite genres—thrillers are getting ran for their lunch money in my Libby app.

I devoured this book in a few hours (okay, eight hours). I couldn’t put it down—I had to know everything about Ms. Hazel Scott. Honestly, I could’ve finished it faster, but I often paused to Google scenes or people to dig deeper. How is it that more people don’t know about this woman?! Even the author admits in her historical notes that she knew of Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan, but it was a deep dive into Hazel Scott that inspired her to bring this story to light. I’m so glad she did.

Fun fact about me (that I’m sure I’ve shared before): my original major in college was History. It’s always intrigued me, and when I have downtime—or don’t have a book in my face—I’m reading random historical articles (lately, about the Civil War) or watching documentaries and devouring everything I can about the topic afterward. So this book is exactly the kind of history I love to consume.

The richness of the writing and the care taken to tell Hazel’s story is evident. This was my first ReShonda Tate novel, but it won’t be my last. Even when scenes—especially those between Hazel and Adam—were difficult to read, they were written with intention and care.

Speaking of Adam… from the start, I could sense that he was an ain’t shit ass man. While I can respect his passion for Harlem and the strides he made in Congress, he was a terrible husband to all tree of ‘em (word to Birdman). Alma said it best: “Sowing is easy. Reaping is hard.” But men like Adam were a dime a dozen back then—just ask your great-granddaddy’s secret second family (I kid, I kid). At one point I wrote:

Men like Adam are attracted to the light certain women carry. They’re drawn to that powerful presence. Yet when they get ahold of that kind of woman, they do everything in their power to dim her light and separate her from her power.

But I guess… he had to be him for her to be her.

On another note—whether it was true or not—I loved that Billie was the ride-or-die friend who was ready to get active. She said (paraphrasing), “No, he ain’t in D.C. But I know where he is.” I loved every second of that scene. She told Hazel the truth: don’t show out in public, keep it in your back pocket, and use it when you’ve got an exit strategy. Baby! A woman after my own heart.

Final Verdict

This shole is a long-winded review. If you can’t tell by now that I loved this book, then you’ve wasted however long it took you to read this.

Read it. Buy it. Buy one for a friend.

Acknowledgement

Thank you to William Morrow Books and NetGalley for this advance reader copy of With Love from Harlem in exchange for an honest review.

NetGalley, you’re 2–0 this month!