Wild Women and the Blues

(Paperback)

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Ordinary People meets Chicago the musical as played out in the city's Black Belt, Wild Women and the Blues is a mainstream historical fiction novel that weaves the stories of a grieving film student in 2015 and an ambitious chorus girl in 1925 in a tale of history, love, and secrets that only family can define. "Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo...a dazzling depiction of passion, prohibition, and murder." -Shelf Awareness "Ambitious and stunning." -Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author "Vibrant...A highly entertaining read!" -Ellen Marie Wiseman New York Times Bestselling author of THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR "The music practically pours out of the pages of Denny S. Bryce's historical novel, set among the artists and dreamers of the 1920s." -OprahMag.com Goodreads Debut Novel to Discover & Biggest Upcoming Historical Fiction Books Oprah Magazine, Parade, Ms. Magazine, SheReads, Bustle, BookBub, Frolic, & BiblioLifestyle Most Anticipated Books Marie Claire & Black Business Guide's Books By Black Writers to Read TODAY & Buzzfeed Books for Bridgerton Fans SheReads Most Anticipated BIPOC Winter Releases 2021 Palm Beach Post Books for Your 2021 Reading List In a stirring and impeccably researched novel of Jazz-age Chicago in all its vibrant life, two stories intertwine nearly a hundred years apart, as a chorus girl and a film student deal with loss, forgiveness, and love...in all its joy, sadness, and imperfections. "Why would I talk to you about my life I don't know you, and even if I did, I don't tell my story to just any boy with long hair, who probably smokes weed.You wanna hear about me. You gotta tell me something about you. To make this worth my while." 1925- Chicago is the jazz capital of the world, and the Dreamland Cafe is the ritziest black-and-tan club in town. Honoree Dalcour is a sharecropper's daughter, willing to work hard and dance every night on her way to the top. Dreamland offers a path to the good life, socializing with celebrities like Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. But Chicago is also awash in bootleg whiskey, gambling, and gangsters. And a young woman driven by ambition might risk more than she can stand to lose. 2015- Film student Sawyer Hayes arrives at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree Dalcour, still reeling from a devastating loss that has taken him right to the brink. Sawyer has rested all his hope on this frail but formidable woman, the only living link to the legendary Oscar Micheaux. If he's right-if she can fill in the blanks in his research, perhaps he can complete his thesis and begin a new chapter in his life. But the links Honoree makes are not ones he's expecting... Piece by piece, Honoree reveals her past and her secrets, while Sawyer fights tooth and nail to keep his. It's a story of courage and ambition, hot jazz and illicit passions. And as past meets present, for Honoree, it's a final chance to be truly heard and seen before it's too late. No matter the cost... "Immersive, mysterious and evocative; factual in its history and nuanced in its creativity." -Ms. Magazine "Perfect...Denny S. Bryce is a superstar!" -Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series "Evocative and entertaining!" -Laura Kamoie, New York Times bestselling author "Wild Women and the Blues deftly delivers what historical fiction has been missing." -Farrah Rochon USA Today bestselling author

Reviews

Praise for Wild Women and the Blues

"Perfect for fans of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo...a dazzling depiction of passion, prohibition, and murder set in the night club scene of 1925 Chicago.
Shelf Awareness

The music practically pours out of the pages ofDenny S. Bryce's historical novel, set among the artists and dreamers of the 1920s.
OprahMag.com

PerfectDenny S. Bryce is a superstar!
Julia Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of the Bridgerton series

Evocative and entertaining!
LauraKamoie, New York Times bestselling author

Wild Women and the Blues deftly delivers what historical fiction has been missing.
Farrah Rochon USA Today bestselling author

All the glitz and glamour of Jazz Age Chicago, along with all the mob violence, is artfully described by the Bryce in this richly told, historical fiction debut.
Booklist

The author deftly weaves fiction with reality and paints a vibrant picture of the sparkling yet seedy eraPerfect for fans of light historical fiction led by a complex heroine.
Kirkus Reviews

The music practically pours out of the pages ofDenny S. Bryce's historical novel, set among the artists and dreamers of the 1920s.
OprahMag.com

Immersive and exciting, Denny S. Bryces Wild Women and the Blues [is] a vibrant novel that gathers elements of Chicagos jazz past together.
Foreword Reviews

An ambitious and stunning debut novelWith a sparkling cocktail of evocative detail, world-wise characters and heartfelt prose, Bryce celebrates the glam, danger, and promise of Chicago during the Jazz Age, giving readers an intricate, multi-generational story.
Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author

Bryce takes readers from Roaring Twenties Chicago to the 21st century, in a riveting tale that speaks ofambition, forbidden love and courage.
Palm Beach Post

"Denny S. Bryce paints a vibrant picture of the 1920s Jazz Age in thisalluring and well-researched novel. Ritzy dance clubs, bootleg whiskey, chorus girls, gangsters, celebrities, secrets, and murder, WILD WOMEN AND THE BLUES has it all! A highly entertaining read!
Ellen Marie Wiseman New York Times Bestselling author of THE ORPHAN COLLECTOR

This is the best kind of historical novel: immersive, mysterious and evocative; factual in its history and nuanced in its creativity and connection to the present.
Ms. Magazine

Denny did her research and it shows: she accurately includes notable historical figures within the story line and provides a list of additional titles for further reading. The small details describing the experience of a Black Chicagoan in the 1920s (from dress and entertainment to slang and the sense of community) create a vivid background for this cast of engaging characters. The slowly revealed mysterious connections between families tie the books two time periods together. VERDICT Readers looking for solid historical fiction or complicated relationships, or to gain new insights into underrepresented points of view, will enjoy this book.
Library Journal

The author deftly weaves fiction with reality and paints a vibrant picture of the sparkling yet seedy eraPerfect for fans of light historical fiction led by a complex heroine.
Kirkus

Wild Women and The Blues weaves together two equally engaging stories.
SheReads

A brilliant debut, full of atmosphere and wonderfully immersive history.
Cultured Vultures

This vivid historical novel will satisfy those who were transfixed by Ma Raineys Black Bottom, the Netflix adaptation of August Wilsons play. Novelist Bryce, a former marketing executive who now covers books for NPR, takes an original slant to conjure the gritty blues scene of Jazz Age Chicago.
Everything Zoomer

Author Bio

Denny S. Bryce is the award-winning author of historical fiction novels including Wild Women and the Blues and In the Face of the Sun. A former professional dancer and public relations professional, she now is an adjunct professor in the MFA program at Drexel University, a book critic for NPR, and a freelance writer whose work has been published in USA Today, Harper's Bazaar, and FROLIC Media. She is a member of the Historical Novel Society, Women's Fiction Writers Association, and Tall Poppy Writers. Originally from Chicago, she now resides in Savannah, Georgia and can be found online at DennySBryce.com.