Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce

Welcome Back, Booklovers! Spring has sprung and allergy season has slowed me down a bit but I'm still reading. And this time I'm back with a review of one of my most anticipated releases of 2020 and it didn't disappoint. To be honest I wasn't quite sure what this book was about going into it. This was another instance of me not actually really reading the synopsis and just wanting to read a book because of the vibes the cover was giving me. I love that 1920s Black dancer look. Plus I've been feeling historical Black fiction lately. But make no mistake this book isn't all glitz and glamour.

The story takes place in two timelines switching between 1925 and 2015 depending on the chapter. Sawyer is a young filmmaker who after suffering from the loss of his sister is trying to finish a film project. After finding an old film reel he believes to be a lost work by the legendary Oscar Micheaux, he decides to visit 110 year old Honoree Dalcour who he believes starred in the film. The story then dips back in Honoree's life in 1925 when she was a chorus girl with big dreams dancing at a run down speakeasy in Chicago. 

As Honoree often notes after something good happens the bad is soon to follow. And this woman experiences a lot of bad. Just when it seems she's able to escape the harsh club owner who thinks he has ownership over her and get a better dancing gig and a chance at glamor and luxury, she's sucked into the world of mobsters and violence. She witnesses a murder, gets caught up with an old lover, and is helping a new friend survive. There's a lot of twists and that moment when things started to make sense and the past and present intertwine was well plotted. 

It took a few chapters to get going but this ended up being a riveting tale. The bouncing between the past and the presence somewhat reminded me of The Girl with the Hazel Eyes by Callie Browning which I read last year. This isn't a Black Great Gatsby full of wealthy people partying though there are plenty of parties. This story gives a glimpse into what Chicago life was like for Black people during that time. To say Honoree and crew were a wild set is putting it nicely. Her skin tone and looks could only take her so far and her life was not easy at all.  She's a broken young woman pushing through trauma with others around her fighting their own battles.

Meanwhile in present day Sawyer is learning more about his family and overcoming the grief that haunts him. He has broken connections with his living family members that he's trying to grapple with. And he ends up making friends with Lula, one of the aids working at the nursing facility. I would've loved to see a little bit more of his story as I felt he still had much to give.

I like that Bryce includes references to her research in her author's note in case you want to do your own dive into history. There's also discussion questions in case you want to make this a book club or group read. This was a fascinating tale that has me wanting to discover more of Chicago's history.

I received an early copy of this book from Kensington Books in exchange for review.