This book completely surprised me. I went in blind (as I usually do), but I obviously had some assumptions based on the cover & title. It started out in one direction and then flipped the script, but I so enjoyed it. I couldn't put it down.

This started out promising but quickly became outlandish and I found myself skimming a lot of the book. This was a miss for me.

I love historical fiction books that jump between the past and the present. I think it really showcases how much the past influences the present even if it was generations ago.

I had never heard of a Kingdom in the US and I found this fascinating and inspiring to see how a group of people banded together and created a loving society that worked together for the good of the people.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it.

To me, the sign of a good historical fiction novel is when I can't wait to Google and learn more about the characters and this one fits the bill. I'll admit I'm not a huge fan of poetry so I had never heard of Jessie Redmon Fauset (or some of the poets she "births" throughout the story, but I'm so glad I now know her story and the impact she had on the Harlem Renaissance. What a truly spectacular and important woman of history.

Fans of historical fiction will enjoy this and it would make for a great book club discussion as well! There's so much to unpack.