With Love from Harlem - by Reshonda Tate (Paperback)

About the Book

Book Synopsis

From The Queen of Sugar Hill author ReShonda Tate--a new novel inspired by beloved Harlem jazz performer Hazel Scott and the equal parts exhilarating and tumultuous relationship that changed the course of her life.

Harlem, 1943. At just twenty-three, Hazel Scott is a woman on fire. A jazz prodigy, a glamorous film star, and a fierce advocate for civil rights, she's breaking barriers and refusing to play by the rules. Then Adam Clayton Powell Jr. walks into her life. Harlem's most electrifying preacher-turned-politician, Adam is as bold and unyielding as Hazel--charismatic, powerful...and married.

This kicks off a decades-long relationship that propels them into the center of a political and cultural revolution. As Hazel's star rises, Adam takes the national stage in Congress and the couple becomes the toast of the country. But when their affair turns into a marriage, behind the glamorous façade is a battlefield of ego, ambition, and sacrifice. Forced to choose between her music and her family, Hazel must decide what she's willing to lose--and what she refuses to give up.

Set against the pulsing backdrop of twentieth-century Harlem and featuring icons like Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin, With Love from Harlem is a sweeping, emotionally charged romantic drama, rich with historical detail. ReShonda Tate delivers a powerful portrait of love, art, and the price of being unforgettable.

Review Quotes

"Tate blends fact and fiction with elegance...A captivating, emotionally resonant portrait of a singular woman who refused to be diminished." -- Library Journal

"With Love from Harlem captures the essence and importance of the brilliant musician, activist, and film star, Hazel Scott -- a woman who deserves to be as well-known as her contemporaries, Billie Holiday and Sarah Vaughan. Exploring the way in which Scott's tumultuous relationship with Adam Clayton Powell Jr. and pervasive societal attitudes threatened to marginalize her, Reshonda Tate paints a vivid and compelling picture of the life of this singular woman." -- Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The Queens of Crime

"Vibrant, richly detailed, and emotionally resonant, With Love from Harlem traces the extraordinary life of jazz icon Hazel Scott with unflinching honesty and grace. Tate has a rare gift for storytelling that strikes straight at the heart. Raw, powerful, and deeply human, this novel illuminates a remarkable woman whose legacy deserves to be known by all."
-- Sadeqa Johnson, New York Times bestselling author of Keeper of Lost Children

"Bold, beautiful, and unforgettable -- With Love from Harlem gives Hazel Scott her rightful place in history. ReShonda Tate captures both Hazel's brilliance and the soul of Harlem with breathtaking beauty." -- Victoria Christopher Murray, New York Times bestselling author of Harlem Rhapsody

"With Love from Harlem is a dazzling blend of fact and fiction, bringing Hazel Scott's brilliance, resilience, and fiery love to life. ReShonda Tate captures not only the glamour of Harlem's golden age, but also the cost of being a Black woman in the postwar Jim Crow era, determined to have it all--love, art, and legacy. Vivid, stirring, unforgettable." -- Vanessa Riley, bestselling author of Island Queen and Fire Sword and Sea

"An intimate and beautifully written story by ReShonda Tate, With Love from Harlem brings virtuoso jazz pianist Hazel Scott to life -- not just as a legendary entertainer, but as a daughter, friend, wife, mother, and tireless advocate for equality. This page-turner is emotional and surprising, shedding light on a remarkable career too often overshadowed by gossip columns and racial prejudice. Tate delivers historical fiction at its finest -- deeply personal, heartfelt, and unforgettable. You won't be able to put this novel down, and its passion will stay with you long after the last page." -- Denny S. Bryce, bestselling author of The Other Princess and Wild Women and the Blues

"In The Queen of Sugar Hill, ReShonda Tate illuminates the little-known story of Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to ever win an Academy Award for her role in Gone With The Wind. Tate brilliantly depicts the tale of this extraordinary trailblazer and the extraordinary circumstances she overcame in a book that is important and inspiring." -- Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of Code Name Sapphire

"On the heels of her greatest victory--winning the Oscar--famous actress Hattie McDaniel faces her greatest challenges, as explored in the pages of ReShonda Tate's eye-opening new novel, The Queen of Sugar Hill. In bringing to life the inimitable Hattie against the backdrop of her segregated times, The Queen of Sugar Hill introduces readers to the important, inspiring, heart-wrenching story of the legendary actress whose legacy deserve to be fully understood and celebrated." -- Marie Benedict, New York Times bestselling author of The First Ladies and The Personal Librarian

"This is best-selling author Tate's first historical fiction title, and what a novel it is! Her portrayal of McDaniel is magnificent, and Tate has a unique ability to bring out this strong, resilient, and passionate woman from the page into life. Those who enjoy character-centric historical fiction and Hollywood biopics will savor it." -- Library Journal (starred review)

"The novel shines in its portrayal of the movie world and at McDaniel's Sugar Hill home. A must-read for fans of Tate's Jasmine series coauthor Victoria Christopher Murray (The First Ladies, 2023), this novel will also appeal to fans of biographical fiction about strong female characters, including Josephine Baker's Last Dance by Sherry Jones (2018)." -- Booklist

"[The Queen of Sugar Hill] doesn't magnify the "mammy" caricature that McDaniel was known for, it beautifully showcases her highs and lows within the industry, and highlights her friendships with both Black and White people in Hollywood. There are strong themes of resilience, perseverance, and overcoming within this book, and it also sheds light on old Hollywood." -- Essence