Book Review for With Love from Harlem: A Novel of Hazel Scott by ReShonda Tate

 

With Love from Harlem: A Novel of Hazel Scott by ReShonda Tate

Published:  January 27, 2026 by William Morrow Paperbacks

Genre:  Historical Fiction

Taken from Goodreads:  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.

 

My Thoughts:  I finished this book and thought WOW what did I just read?  I was with Hazel Scott as she performed.  I could hear her music. I could see the crowd.   I was beside her as she lived her life.   I was entirely invested in the book and Hazel’s story. 

I am sad to say that I did not know who Hazel Scott was before reading this book, but that is also why I picked up this book.  I love reading history, especially American history, books about people I am not familiar with.  I learned so much not only about Hazel but about the civil right movements happening in the 1940’s in New York. 

With Love from Harlem is a phenomenal historical fiction.   The story will stick with me for a long time.  I will be recommending it over and over again.

Thank you William Morrow for a copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

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Meet the Author(taken from her website):  As the national bestselling author of more than 53 books, ReShonda Tate has the credentials, and the passion, to bring stories to life.

ReShonda writes both adult and teen fiction, as well as nonfiction. Her sophomore novel, Let the Church Say Amen, was made into a film directed by actress Regina King, and produced by TD Jakes and Queen Latifah.

ReShonda made her on-screen movie debut in the film, which was one of BET’s highest-rated programs. Her book, The Secret She Kept, was also made into a movie and aired on TV One. ReShonda made a cameo in that movie as well. 

A highly sought-after motivational speaker and award-winning poet, ReShonda is the recipient of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature for her book Say Amen, Again and was also nominated for her books Mama’s Boy and The Secret She Kept. She has received a plethora of distinguished awards and honors for her journalism, fiction, and poetry writing skills, including an induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and a Texas Top Author honor. Considered one of the top African-American authors in the country, her books remain a staple on Bestseller’s lists and have been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, Jet, People, Essence, and Ebony Magazines.