Wild Women and the Blues by Denny S. Bryce

 In 1920s, the Stroll, section of State St in Chicago, is the place for Black Chicagoans to socialize, filled with jazz clubs, brimming with life and blazing with lights. Jazz-age Chicago comes alive in this story.

Chicago, 2015. Sawyer “is a graduate student chasing a doctorate in media studies.” His documentary thesis focuses on the legendary Black filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. His research takes him to Chicago and to an over one-hundred year old woman named Honoree Dalcour. His research brings unexpected twist.

1925. Honoree auditions as a dancer at the Dreamland Café. The most famous place on the Stroll. She is climbing the ladder to success. But that comes with some unexpected events. One evening something happens. Something she shouldn’t have witnessed.

The Stroll is a place filled with the best entertainment: the best piano player, the best trumpet player, and the best band in all Chicago including the best chorus girls. But it is also a time of Prohibition when bootlegging whiskey and illegal gambling take place inside the clubs. It is also a thriving hub for gangsters who control the streets.

Honoree is “a sharecropper’s daughter, accustomed to hard work and hard times.” She is of strong will. She makes no apologies for her independent mind. She is ambitious. She wants to be one of those proud Black people, “not just getting by but living their lives.” I was riveted by this strong heroine, a sharply painted character. Her climb up and her implications kept me engaged.

I loved the prose, the word choice, and all the beef and beeswax (not in literally meaning) that humored me.

The story is atmospheric and authentic in its depiction of the time period, place and people.

Strong heroine. Engrossing story. Superbly written.

Release date: 30 March 2021

Publisher: Kensington Books