Inharmonious

by Tammye Huf

A compelling love story—inspired by the author’s own family history—set in the segregated South during and after World War II, perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Women and Brit Bennett’s The Vanishing Half .

When three young Black men enlist in the US Army hoping to serve their country with honor, their lives are forever changed.

When Pearl Harbor is attacked in 1941, Cora’s brother Benny rushes to enlist against the wishes of Cora and her mother. Able to pass as white due to his pale skin and light eyes, Benny reports for duty only to realize he’s been mistakenly enlisted as a white man in a racially segregated military.

Lee has been friends with Benny ever since he was a troubled teenager, and he’s been sweet on Cora for nearly as long. When Lee enlists without telling Cora, she is heartbroken and feels betrayed by the man she expected to spend the rest of her life with.

Meanwhile, family friend Roscoe, encouraged by Benny, offers to marry Cora in order to ensure that she and her Momma—who both remain home—will be provided for should Benny not make it back.

Benny does return, but his new white identity leaves him struggling to find his place in between, in a country that only sees black or white. As America promises post-war prosperity through the GI Bill to white veterans, black soldiers are excluded.

While the war may be over, the fight has only just begun for Cora, Lee, Benny, and Roscoe.

Genres: Historical Fiction

360 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication February 3, 2026

About the author

Originally from the east and west coast of the USA, I have lived in the UK with my husband and three kids for the last twenty years. I love nothing more than to immerse myself into new places and experiences, and I love the way that books allow me to do that, travelling the globe or even back in time with the turn of a page.

Since earning my BA from Wellesley College, I have been a teacher of various ages and abilities as well as a copywriter and a translator. I've had the pleasure of seeing my short stories published in several literary magazines and being named the third-place winner of the London Magazine Short Story Prize 2018.

Reviews

[Stephanie Nichols · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was thankful to be able to read an ARC of this book from NetGalley and Blackstone publishing. I really liked this book! I definitely agree with the description, that it is a good fit for those that liked the complexity of relationships in Kristin Hannah's book, The Women. The web of family and friendship had me so sad and sometimes hopeful! I really enjoyed meeting Cora, her brother Benny, Lee, and Roscoe. The tangled web of their loves and friendships were a roller coaster! I felt that this story was also a really interesting and new (but historically old!) perspective on "Passing", and the implications that may have carried post WWII. I would definitely recommend!

[Peyton Stich · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review, all thoughts are my own. Thank you to Black Stone Publishing for offering a copy at a book convention.

If you’re going to read one historical fiction this year, let it be this one.

Refreshing, thoughtful, and soulful World War II story featuring siblings Benny and Cora, who grapple with how to navigate wartime America in the 1940s as Black Americans and fight for their country as well as with it. Benny believes he can show his country he deserves to live there and get equal rights through fighting for it. Cora believes he shouldn't bother because their country wouldn't care if he "lived or died." This all starts after the Pearl Harbor bombing, and the boys (including Jasper, Roscoe, and Lee, three other characters) talk about enlisting, which tears Cora to pieces. Jasper hates the concept of war altogether and ridicules the others for going, but he ends up getting drafted anyway.

This novel debates which is more important from the 1940s Black American: family or country? Does fighting for your country help your family, even if there's no equality in sight? Do you ride the line with your identity and step over it altogether? It offers a beautiful yet devastating discussion on not only racial but gender disparities, how women are treated during wartime, and what they have to sacrifice to feel safe and provided for. While containing romance, it's largely a war and survival story from those who wanted to fight to prove themselves, and could, while the women at home found their way. But only half the story is set during WWII. The other half takes place afterwards, when the men return to segregated buses and water fountains, and how they cope with the strangling realization that home may be more dangerous than abroad.

Not only that, but the character development is subtle as well as beautiful. The battle scenes are gripped with raw truth and tension. It's about dreams coming true while dying at the same time. I was absorbed throughout this entire novel. Well done.

[Sabrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inharmonious by Tammye Huf is a stand out historical fiction novel that I loved reading. In this novel, we follow the lives of a brother (Benny) and sister (Cora), along with three of their friends who all end up enlisting in the US Army after America declares war on Japan following the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Prior to enlisting in the war, Benny is able to occasionally pass as white in his hometown, and ends up being accidentally enlisted in the army as a white man. However, Benny and Cora's friends who also enlist in the army (Roscoe, Jasper, and Lee) are forced to endure the brutal treatment that goes with joining the segregated United States army, which treats people of color as second class citizens. Once the men return from the war, their lives are forever changed and they struggle to adjust to a society that refuses to provide help to African American veterans who fought for their country.

The author's prose in the novel is beautiful and immediately draws readers into the story and into the lives of all of the characters in the book. I felt as if I knew the characters personally and truly got a sense of the struggles they were facing throughout the story. I appreciate that the author wrote extensively about so many little known issues that returning African American veterans faced, including being denied access to the benefits of the GI Bill just because of the color of their skin. The historical note at the end of the book also helped to provide context for a lot of the important historical events that the author mentions throughout the novel. I think a lot of people will love and connect with this beautiful story of hope and resilience. I could have read 100 more pages of this book and was sad when the story ended. I am so looking forward to reading more from this author in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review!

[Katiya · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not into historical fiction but Inharmonious definitely kept my attention. When I wasn’t reading I thought about the characters. This book several characters: Roscoe, Cora, Benny, Lee and Jasper; each on a journey of finding their way in life! Reading this book not only gave me experience of what times were like and the challenges during segregation but also the bravery of those who fought for rights. It may be curious about those who are white passing if it crossed their minds to take on another identity to live a different life. There was love in this book that no matter how much time passes, when it’s real , it can bring you back together! There were choices made a little too late or a little too soon that made you feel annoyed but you had to see it through. I think a few times I asked the characters “Why?”or asked “Are you for real?”. I was a little sad it ended because I could’ve read 100 more pages. Lol! I love how Mrs. Huf navigated back and forth chapter to chapter, with different characters, and being able to go back and pick up where she left off with their story. I also love how Mrs. Huf researched and used actual facts to create this story; also that it was told using some of her family history! Thank you Net Galley and Blackstone publishing for sending me this ARC to review! I look forward to reading more from Tammye Huf! If you love historical fiction or new to historical fiction, definitely add this on your TBR! #NetGalley #Inharmonious

[MicheleReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's 1941 in Mangrove Bay, Florida. Life in the segregated south for Black Americans is severely restricted and has impacted the lives of a group of close friends: Benny, Roscoe, and Lee. When the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, they all want to serve their country and enlist. Benny's sister, Cora, is fearful for her brother and heartbroken at the thought of being separated from Lee, the man she loves but has kept their relationship secret. They discover that segregation was also present in the Army, with Black troops seldom reaching the battlefields. But with his light skin and eyes, Benny is mistakenly classified as white and assigned to a unit where he has to hide his true identity. After the war, the men return home to face new forms of inequality and discrimination. 

Author Tammye Huf drew inspiration for Inharmonious from her grandmother and great uncle. This is a profoundly moving story that will also infuriate. The racial injustices depicted are presented with intense realism and pain. Yet Huf's richly developed characters find inner strength to persevere. Similar to other challenging aspects of modern history, these stories need to be told and discussed. This well-researched, powerful book is highly recommended.

Many thanks to Blackstone Publishing for the advance.

4.5 stars.

Review to be posted on MicheleReader.com.

[Asia C · Rating 5 out of 5]

This beautiful story, inspired by the author’s late grandmother and great-uncle, completely took me by surprise. It’s a rich and deeply moving historical novel, and I didn’t expect to learn as much as I did about World War II, especially about what Black people, and Black soldiers in particular, endured during the war and after returning home.

The way these men were treated after fighting for their country made me emotional, angry, and honestly disgusted at times. To see them denied basic rights after such sacrifice was heartbreaking. I became invested in every character, and by the end of the story, I already missed them and enjoyed each POV. It truly felt like I was right there alongside them.

The love story was well done and was a great bonus to the story although I found myself more drawn to the historical and legal elements. Still, I was happy with where each character ended up. This book is especially great for readers who don’t usually enjoy history or historical novels that feel like history textbooks. I really enjoyed it and highly recommend it. If you pick up this book, please read the Historical Note at the end to learn more about events, people, places, etc. that are mentioned in this book.

Huge thank you to BlackStone, Netgalley, and Tammye Huf for the ARC.

[Tailyn Aka Daebug · Rating 5 out of 5]

Right, wrong or just indifferent! The 5 characters are all connected through their youth with a bond so tight but then the war had made them so different. Bennys true identity was stripped from him when he enlisted as a negro but to the eye he was a white man, he continued that lie primarily out of survival and never let it go. He was a good son, brother and friend but he chose himself over his family. We learn through their story the struggles black people endured just because of who they were. Roscoe was a perfect example of the Negro man trying his best but getting knocked down at every opportunity he tried to take. Becoming angry, abuse and just misunderstood he looked like the villain in this story but he was simply a product of his circumstances and the mental strain he dealt with post war as a black man in the south. Jasper was the glue to the friendships but he like so many lost their life at war, the friends often reflected on their memory of him. Cora and Lee, teenage love but forbidden love. Lee wanted to prove himself but Cora was to afraid to disappoint her family, so enlisting was his solution. Their story of love will give anyone hope and desire to follow their hearts.

[Tamara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inharmonious by Tammye Huf is such a powerful read. Following Benny, Cora, Roscoe, and Lee through WWII in segregated Florida was both heartbreaking and hopeful. The characters felt so real, and I loved seeing how they grew throughout the story.
Five stars from me. Thank you NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[George King · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's done it again!

Tammye's ability to create vibrant characters leading lives that we can relate to today, yet set in rigorously researched and lovingly brought to life historical settings is clearly her strength and gift.
A fitting follow up to her debut novel A More Perfect Union and a read worth sharing with everyone.

More please, Tammye!

[Mary Fabrizio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compelling tale about living in segregated Southern America during WWII. The characters were well drawn and I enjoyed spending time with them. The war tales weren't as interesting to me as those of the ones left behind.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Marianne Buschmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t wait to read Tammye’s latest book- 🫶🏽Her books are a real inspiration!!

[Viola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brilliant read. Absolutely loved it!

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a beautiful story! Couldn’t put it down

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing novel, Sometimes I feel like we’re moving backwards in race relations. The WW2 part is absolutely riveting!!

[Georgia · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic read and beautifully written!

[Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘Inharmonious’ is completely captivating from start to finish. Such a brilliantly vibrant story, I couldn’t put it down!