When Washington Was in Vogue - by Edward Christopher Williams (Paperback)

Number of Pages: 320
Genre: Fiction + Literature Genres
Sub-Genre: Literary
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Harper Perennial
Age Range: Adult
Author: Edward Christopher Williams
Language: English

About the Book

A newly discovered novel written and set during the Harlem Renaissance--published here, in book form, for the first time.

Book Synopsis

Nearly lost after its anonymous publication in 1926 and only recently rediscovered, When Washington Was in Vogue is an acclaimed love story written and set during the Harlem Renaissance. When bobbed-hair flappers were in vogue and Harlem was hopping, Washington, D.C., did its share of roaring, too.

Davy Carr, a veteran of the Great War and a new arrival in the nation's capital, is welcomed into the drawing rooms of the city's Black elite. Through letters, Davy regales an old friend in Harlem with his impressions of race, politics, and the state of Black America as well as his own experiences as an old-fashioned bachelor adrift in a world of alluring modern women.

With an introduction by Adam McKible and commentary by Emily Bernard, this novel, a timeless love story wonderfully enriched with the drama and style of one of the most hopeful moments in African American history, is as delightful as it is significant (Essence).

From the Back Cover

Nearly lost after its anonymous publication in 1926 and only recently rediscovered, When Washington Was in Vogue is an acclaimed love story written and set during the Harlem Renaissance. When bobbed-hair flappers were in vogue and Harlem was hopping, Washington, D.C., did its share of roaring, too.

Davy Carr, a veteran of the Great War and a new arrival in the nation's capital, is welcomed into the drawing rooms of the city's Black elite. Through letters, Davy regales an old friend in Harlem with his impressions of race, politics, and the state of Black America as well as his own experiences as an old-fashioned bachelor adrift in a world of alluring modern women -- including sassy, dark-skinned Caroline.

With an introduction by Adam McKible and commentary by Emily Bernard, this novel, a timeless love story wonderfully enriched with the drama and style of one of the most hopeful moments in African American history, is as delightful as it is significant (Essence).

Review Quotes

"As delightful as it is significant."--Essence

"When Washignton Was in Vogue brims with life."--Boston Globe

"When Washington Was in Vogue brings this time and place vividly to life.... Great Gatsby with a happier ending."--Wall Street Journal

"A love story . . . rendered with the keen eye of a sociologist."--Booklist

"Charming . . . a sincerely delightful book."--Library Journal

"Dramatic frisson for historians and Black studies scholars."--Kirkus Reviews

"McKible's discovery is sure to provoke scholarship and discussion, and attract well-deserved attention."--Publishers Weekly

"An absolutely fascinating novel. . . . A page-turner, witty and charming."------Elizabeth Nunez, author of Bruised Hibiscus and Discretion

"An engaging and vibrant peek into a world known to exist, yet rarely presented with such vivid and unapologetic detail."--Brian Keith Jackson, author of The Queen of Harlem

"An engaging, eminently readable work."--San Francisco Chronicle

"Fascinating and complex . . . Williams's lively and insightful account of Davy Carr enhances the African American canon."----Kathleen Pfeiffer, Associate Professor of English, Oakland University

"Richly rewarding."----Honey

"When Washington Was in Vogue offers a welcome and consistently entertaining glimpse of a pivotal era in our recent past."----The Crisis