“‘Harlem Rhapsody’ is my love letter to the extraordinary Jessie Redmon Fauset,” the author says of her forthcoming book and its protagonist
Bestselling author Victoria Christopher Murray is taking readers to the Harlem Renaissance in a new historical novel.
The co-author will publish her new novel, , next winter through Berkley, PEOPLE can exclusively reveal. The book is based on the true story of Jessie Redmon Fauset.
In 1919, Fauset arrived in the New York City neighborhood of Harlem as the new literary editor of The Crisis, the leading publication for Black writers founded by . Fauset, however, wanted to do more than simply edit work — she wanted to foster a literary revolution amongst her peers.
Over the years, Fauset would be the one to discover and publish revolutionary writers of the Harlem Renaissance, including Langston Hughes, Nella Larson, Gwendolyn Brooks and Countee Cullen. But Fauset also had a secret that “threatened her achievement,” according to the novel’s description — she was not only the mentee of Du Bois, but his lover too.
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In her new novel, Murray explores Fauset’s relationship with Du Bois, which persisted despite a 14-year age difference and Du Bois’ own marriage.
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“Harlem Rhapsody is my love letter to the extraordinary Jessie Redmon Fauset, the woman who was the heartbeat of the Harlem Renaissance,” Murray tells PEOPLE. “Jessie’s legacy is unparalleled. Not only did she discover literary giants like Langston Hughes, Countee Cullen and Jean Toomer; she had her own stories to tell in the four novels she wrote.”
Murray is the co-author of bestselling novels The Personal Librarian, which was a NPR Best Book of the Year and a Good Morning America Book Club pick, and with Marie Benedict, a Target Book of the Year. She is also a recipient of the NAACP Image Award.
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“As a writer who stands on Jessie’s shoulders, I hope Harlem Rhapsody serves as a celebration of her indomitable spirit and the lasting impact she left in this world,” Murray says.
will be published on Feb. 4, 2025, and is now available for preorder, wherever books are sold.
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