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Renaissance: The Nora White Story
When seventeen-year-old Nora White successfully graduates High School in 1922 Mississippi and is College bound, everyone is overjoyed and excited. Everyone except Nora. She dreams of Harlem, Cotton Clubs, Fancy Dresses, and Langston Hughes. For years, she's sat under Mr. Oak, the big oak tree on the plush green grass of her families five acres, and daydreamed of The Black Mecca.
The ambitious, young Nora is fascinated by the prospect of being a famous writer in The Harlem Renaissance and decides she doesn't want to go to College.
Despite her parent's staunch protest, Nora finds herself in Jacobsville, New York, a small town forty-five minutes outside of Harlem.
Shocked by their daughter's disappearance, Gideon and Molly White are plagued with visions of the deadly south, like the brutal lynching of Gideon's sister years ago. As the couple embark on a frightening and gut wrenching search for Nora, they are each stalked by their own traumatic past. Meanwhile, Nora learns that the North is not all it's cracked up to be.
Can Gideon and Molly overcome their disturbing past in time to find their daughter before it's too late?
The ambitious, young Nora is fascinated by the prospect of being a famous writer in The Harlem Renaissance and decides she doesn't want to go to College.
Despite her parent's staunch protest, Nora finds herself in Jacobsville, New York, a small town forty-five minutes outside of Harlem.
Shocked by their daughter's disappearance, Gideon and Molly White are plagued with visions of the deadly south, like the brutal lynching of Gideon's sister years ago. As the couple embark on a frightening and gut wrenching search for Nora, they are each stalked by their own traumatic past. Meanwhile, Nora learns that the North is not all it's cracked up to be.
Can Gideon and Molly overcome their disturbing past in time to find their daughter before it's too late?
- GenresHistorical Fiction
106 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 15, 2017
1 person is currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Yecheilyah Ysrayl
26 books46 followersYecheilyah (e-see-li-yah) Ysrayl is a multi-award-winning author, book blogger, and poet who specializes in Black historical fiction and poetry. She is a native Chicagoan who grew up on the city's south side. She has been writing since she was twelve years old and studied technical and professional writing at Chicago State University. She loves to travel, write poetry, and laugh until her stomach hurts.
Yecheilyah lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and writes and publishes full-time. Her mission is to restore Black historical truth.
Yecheilyah lives in the Atlanta area with her husband and writes and publishes full-time. Her mission is to restore Black historical truth.
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
July 15, 2017
*Thank you to the author, Yecheilyah Ysrayl, for giving me a free digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
FIRST THOUGHTS
I heard about this book through the author’s bio when she contacted me to do a guest post on my blog. I asked for more information and the book sounded intriguing with a little mystery twist to it.
PLOT
The story follows Nora as she tries to follow her dreams. The novel takes place in the 1920s, so it’s hard for a young woman to go after what she wants, especially if she’s also black.
As her parents try to convince Nora that her dreams aren’t good enough, Nora decides to take fate into her own hands and leaves without a word. From there, we go back and forth between Nora and her parents following both as her parents try to find her and as Nora tries to make her dreams a reality.
It’s a great plot idea and the time period makes it all the more interesting.
CHARACTERS
While I enjoyed all the characters and they were all unique from one another, I felt as though I didn’t get a good chance to get to know them all.
Judging from the title, this story should be about Nora, but as the novel went on we learned more about her parents and less about Nora.
By the end of the novel, I felt I had a good grasp on Gideon and Molly, but Nora was still somewhat of a mystery to me as was her friend, Lisa.
WRITING STYLE
I was confused at the beginning of most chapters. Some chapters had headings such as which point of view we were in, but not all of them. Some chapters mentioned the year date, other chapters mentioned a location and one chapter even indicated the time. Some chapter headings didn’t say anything at all and I found this be really confusing. I couldn’t keep track of who I was supposed to be following or where I was.The author’s writing is beautiful. She captivates the dialect of the southern speak wonderfully
However, the author’s writing is beautiful. She captivates the dialect of the southern speak wonderfully and I found the description of each and every action and location to just roll off my tongue as I read.
OVERALL
The novel stands at about 150-pages long. I felt as though much more could have been done with it. By the end of the story, I realized book one seems to be a build-up for book two. Still, I’m interested in reading book two when it comes out.
Favorite Quote:
“And the arts… could not exist without the continual growth of emerging talent.” –Yecheilyah Ysrayl, Renaissance: The Nora White Story
*This review was originally published on my blog, RachelPoli.com
FIRST THOUGHTS
I heard about this book through the author’s bio when she contacted me to do a guest post on my blog. I asked for more information and the book sounded intriguing with a little mystery twist to it.
PLOT
The story follows Nora as she tries to follow her dreams. The novel takes place in the 1920s, so it’s hard for a young woman to go after what she wants, especially if she’s also black.
As her parents try to convince Nora that her dreams aren’t good enough, Nora decides to take fate into her own hands and leaves without a word. From there, we go back and forth between Nora and her parents following both as her parents try to find her and as Nora tries to make her dreams a reality.
It’s a great plot idea and the time period makes it all the more interesting.
CHARACTERS
While I enjoyed all the characters and they were all unique from one another, I felt as though I didn’t get a good chance to get to know them all.
Judging from the title, this story should be about Nora, but as the novel went on we learned more about her parents and less about Nora.
By the end of the novel, I felt I had a good grasp on Gideon and Molly, but Nora was still somewhat of a mystery to me as was her friend, Lisa.
WRITING STYLE
I was confused at the beginning of most chapters. Some chapters had headings such as which point of view we were in, but not all of them. Some chapters mentioned the year date, other chapters mentioned a location and one chapter even indicated the time. Some chapter headings didn’t say anything at all and I found this be really confusing. I couldn’t keep track of who I was supposed to be following or where I was.The author’s writing is beautiful. She captivates the dialect of the southern speak wonderfully
However, the author’s writing is beautiful. She captivates the dialect of the southern speak wonderfully and I found the description of each and every action and location to just roll off my tongue as I read.
OVERALL
The novel stands at about 150-pages long. I felt as though much more could have been done with it. By the end of the story, I realized book one seems to be a build-up for book two. Still, I’m interested in reading book two when it comes out.
Favorite Quote:
“And the arts… could not exist without the continual growth of emerging talent.” –Yecheilyah Ysrayl, Renaissance: The Nora White Story
*This review was originally published on my blog, RachelPoli.com
August 31, 2017
I was honoured to receive an advance review copy of this book. At eighteen Nora decides to leave her Mississippi home for the bright lights of Jazz Age New York where she aims to become a writer. She does so without informing her parents so that they believe she has been abducted and murdered or worse. The story flicks back and forwards from Nora's experience in New York to her parents' desperate search for her, aided by relatives and neighbours. The search brings back memories of a previous disappearance with tragic consequences some two decades earlier.
The writing is of a very high quality, evoking period and place so well that I was transported to the Jazz Clubs and writers' circles of nineteen twenties New York and to the equally hot and humid atmosphere of the Mississippi Delta.
The characters, too, came across as entirely believable. Norah's determination to succeed as a writer and the difficulty of getting published, the strings that have to be pulled and favours curried, is especially well realised. As an innocent, she is ripe for exploitation by others. The awe in which she holds successful people compounds her inability to see their true motives when they offer support.
The most frustrating aspect of the book is the way it ends on a cliff hanger, leaving the reader desperate to read the sequel in order to discover what happens next in Norah's life. I can certainly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the lives, music and culture of African Americans in the early part of the twentieth century. And if you doubt the contemporary relevance of that period in the history of the USA, just think Charlottesville.
The writing is of a very high quality, evoking period and place so well that I was transported to the Jazz Clubs and writers' circles of nineteen twenties New York and to the equally hot and humid atmosphere of the Mississippi Delta.
The characters, too, came across as entirely believable. Norah's determination to succeed as a writer and the difficulty of getting published, the strings that have to be pulled and favours curried, is especially well realised. As an innocent, she is ripe for exploitation by others. The awe in which she holds successful people compounds her inability to see their true motives when they offer support.
The most frustrating aspect of the book is the way it ends on a cliff hanger, leaving the reader desperate to read the sequel in order to discover what happens next in Norah's life. I can certainly recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the lives, music and culture of African Americans in the early part of the twentieth century. And if you doubt the contemporary relevance of that period in the history of the USA, just think Charlottesville.
Read
July 18, 2017Renaissance by Yecheyliah Ysrayl is recognizably the first installment of a longer story. It is mostly introduction and we are indeed introduced to a whole world, the Harlem Renaissance, and what it meant for an entire generation of artists. The story is split into two main plots, one following Nora, a young aspiring author who finds her way in among the most influential artists of the Renaissance, and one following her parents in the South, who have lost all news of her and have to face not just her disappearance, but also the consequences of multiple events in the past.
There’s a vast and varied cast of characters that, especially in Nora’s parents’ section, gives a very strong sense of community, whereas Nora’s section is crowded with big names of the Renaissance scene. Personally, I enjoyed the ‘southern’ thread more – besides, reading about ‘normal’ people is always my preference. But I liked the Renaissance thread too because it revolves around true events and offers a vision of the movement that is seldom seen: not just the excitement and the advancement of Africa American art and experience, but also more shady relationships that supported it.
The characters all sound real. I really really liked all the dialogues, it seems like hearing true people speaking. Even the crowd scenes (and there are a few in the ‘southern’ thread) are involving and easy to follow.
There is one thing that halted me in places: the story is very fragmented. We have the two main threads that sometimes intertwine in odd places, but we also have lots of flashbacks, sometimes one inside the other. It never resulted in confusion, but I did find it unnecessarily complicated, especially because rather than support each other, these multiple threads happening at different times seems to scatter the story. It resulting in a difficulty – at least on my part – to see a direction in the novel.
But apart from this, it was a fine, easy read. I enjoyed it.
There’s a vast and varied cast of characters that, especially in Nora’s parents’ section, gives a very strong sense of community, whereas Nora’s section is crowded with big names of the Renaissance scene. Personally, I enjoyed the ‘southern’ thread more – besides, reading about ‘normal’ people is always my preference. But I liked the Renaissance thread too because it revolves around true events and offers a vision of the movement that is seldom seen: not just the excitement and the advancement of Africa American art and experience, but also more shady relationships that supported it.
The characters all sound real. I really really liked all the dialogues, it seems like hearing true people speaking. Even the crowd scenes (and there are a few in the ‘southern’ thread) are involving and easy to follow.
There is one thing that halted me in places: the story is very fragmented. We have the two main threads that sometimes intertwine in odd places, but we also have lots of flashbacks, sometimes one inside the other. It never resulted in confusion, but I did find it unnecessarily complicated, especially because rather than support each other, these multiple threads happening at different times seems to scatter the story. It resulting in a difficulty – at least on my part – to see a direction in the novel.
But apart from this, it was a fine, easy read. I enjoyed it.
August 26, 2017
I was impressed with this first offering from Yecheilyah Ysrayl, she captured the past in a beautiful way. A way that made me feel a part of the story and not just reading about a musical history and important historical events. I loved Norah's spunk, her determination, and her cleverness. I also worried about her impulsiveness and her determination.
The parents of Norah were so well written. They made me connect to the southerners I grew up with. The older generation that had seen so much, struggled so much and wanted for their children, so much. I could relate these parents to my own grandparents who grew up during hard times and wanted everything for their children.
It was an important read for me because it showed the drive and ambition of a young woman making her way into a large city after being raised by parents that knew hardship. There was so much for me to learn. I loved the history as well as the current being twined together in a way that taught me as I read. I felt this book as much as read this book. It was enlightening and it was powerful. I can see how it would also be considered empowering to an entire generation of new readers. Great first book. I can't wait to see what happens in book two.
The parents of Norah were so well written. They made me connect to the southerners I grew up with. The older generation that had seen so much, struggled so much and wanted for their children, so much. I could relate these parents to my own grandparents who grew up during hard times and wanted everything for their children.
It was an important read for me because it showed the drive and ambition of a young woman making her way into a large city after being raised by parents that knew hardship. There was so much for me to learn. I loved the history as well as the current being twined together in a way that taught me as I read. I felt this book as much as read this book. It was enlightening and it was powerful. I can see how it would also be considered empowering to an entire generation of new readers. Great first book. I can't wait to see what happens in book two.
August 30, 2017
Yecheilyah Ysrayl expertly writes the vibrant 1920’s of the Harlem Renaissance into life. Nora White, a young, naïve, high-spirited, aspiring writer from Mississippi finds herself in over her head when she befriends the rising stars of the Harlem literary elite – Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston. Beautifully written and well researched, the author did a terrific job transporting her readers, and her fictional character Nora White, to a magical period in New York City, enriched with jazz and poetry, contrasted against Nora’s family home in rural Mississippi where the segregation law of Jim Crow was still in effect. Ms. Ysrayl wrote regional/period dialect as effortlessly and expertly as William Faulkner and Tennessee Williams painting her scenes descriptively and characters deftly. Great storytelling, with a cliff-hanger. I’m looking forward to the next installment!
June 30, 2017
Nora White loves to write. Living on her parent’s farm in rural Mississippi, Nora has her sights set on a different life than the one her parents have. The one thing she desires is to become a writer; quite a tall order for a young black woman in the 1920’s. Nevertheless, Nora has her dreams, and she will not let anything get in her way, not even her close-knit family.
Nora grew up during tough times. African Americans were forced to live under the cruel Jim Crow segregation laws established throughout the South. White vigilante violence against Blacks terrorized families with lynch mobs and other forms of violence. Death rates were high. As life in the South continued to deteriorate for African Americans, they had little choice but to move north in record numbers.
“This 1920’s movement was named the Harlem Renaissance, which erupted into a cultural, social, and artistic surge of people into Harlem, in New York City. By 1925, the movement was called the “New Negro Movement,” named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke.” (Wikipedia)
Nora White heard all the rumors about moving north, yet she did it anyway. Without a second thought, she left her family behind and headed for Jacobsville, New York about 45 minutes from Harlem. Things being the way they were, she took a job as a maid working for Charlotte Crosby, a woman ruled by her prejudices.
Nora is befriended by Lisa, another domestic employee of ‘Godmother’ (Charlotte), who suggested they become roommates to save money. Lisa introduces Nora to the Sugar Cane Club, one of the hottest jazz clubs in Jacobsville, where the admission is free for women. Nora enters the world of Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, and many others.
Nora never loses her desire to be a writer. Eventually, through her visits to the Sugar Cane Club, she is hanging out with the likes of the poet, Langston Hughes, and writer, Zora Hurston. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Nora is thrust between Langston and Zora in a feud of massive proportions!
The author did a fabulous job of inserting the fictional Nora White into the historical time period. The story flips between Nora’s family back home and her experiences in New York. It was a great storytelling technique because the reader was able to grasp the stark differences in life between the two geographical locations while realizing the specter of racism existed everywhere.
I also liked the fact that the characters spoke with the typical speech patterns of the time. From a historical perspective, it was like experiencing time travel to another era. I love jazz and swear I heard the sounds of Billie Holiday singing, “Strange Fruit,” one of the first anti-racism songs.
The story is filled with a few twists, and it does end with a cliffhanger. For me as a white woman, to slip within the pages of Nora’s life was a humbling experience. I saw through Nora’s eyes, and my heart ached. Despite her hardships, I respected and loved her spunk! Go, Nora!
I loved Nora’s story and can’t wait to find out what happens next! I understand the second book in the series will be released in December 2017. That’s going to be a long wait…
Nora grew up during tough times. African Americans were forced to live under the cruel Jim Crow segregation laws established throughout the South. White vigilante violence against Blacks terrorized families with lynch mobs and other forms of violence. Death rates were high. As life in the South continued to deteriorate for African Americans, they had little choice but to move north in record numbers.
“This 1920’s movement was named the Harlem Renaissance, which erupted into a cultural, social, and artistic surge of people into Harlem, in New York City. By 1925, the movement was called the “New Negro Movement,” named after the 1925 anthology by Alain Locke.” (Wikipedia)
Nora White heard all the rumors about moving north, yet she did it anyway. Without a second thought, she left her family behind and headed for Jacobsville, New York about 45 minutes from Harlem. Things being the way they were, she took a job as a maid working for Charlotte Crosby, a woman ruled by her prejudices.
Nora is befriended by Lisa, another domestic employee of ‘Godmother’ (Charlotte), who suggested they become roommates to save money. Lisa introduces Nora to the Sugar Cane Club, one of the hottest jazz clubs in Jacobsville, where the admission is free for women. Nora enters the world of Duke Ellington, Jelly Roll, Fats Waller, Billie Holiday, and many others.
Nora never loses her desire to be a writer. Eventually, through her visits to the Sugar Cane Club, she is hanging out with the likes of the poet, Langston Hughes, and writer, Zora Hurston. As if that wasn’t exciting enough, Nora is thrust between Langston and Zora in a feud of massive proportions!
The author did a fabulous job of inserting the fictional Nora White into the historical time period. The story flips between Nora’s family back home and her experiences in New York. It was a great storytelling technique because the reader was able to grasp the stark differences in life between the two geographical locations while realizing the specter of racism existed everywhere.
I also liked the fact that the characters spoke with the typical speech patterns of the time. From a historical perspective, it was like experiencing time travel to another era. I love jazz and swear I heard the sounds of Billie Holiday singing, “Strange Fruit,” one of the first anti-racism songs.
The story is filled with a few twists, and it does end with a cliffhanger. For me as a white woman, to slip within the pages of Nora’s life was a humbling experience. I saw through Nora’s eyes, and my heart ached. Despite her hardships, I respected and loved her spunk! Go, Nora!
I loved Nora’s story and can’t wait to find out what happens next! I understand the second book in the series will be released in December 2017. That’s going to be a long wait…
September 6, 2017
Come On Book Two!
Nora White is a recent high school graduate searching for herself, trying to find her voice. A seed looking for the right environment. It's not the family farm, not the acres that provide food and establish ownership. It's not the South, with its stench of slavery and racism. It has to be Harlem, New York. It has to be the Mecca, where blacks have finally arrived, right. Only there, in that environment, will Nora find her voice. Because she wants to write. Be mentioned among the likes of Langston and Zora Neal. So she flees the South for greener grasses. Leaves her mother and father’s good graces. She essentially runs away from home, from her family, and maybe even from herself. Will she find good soil and break ground? Or will she just end up breaking her parents’ hearts?
The first thing that drew me to this novel was its beautiful cover. A deep blue sky fading into a sunset which bakes an old country road golden brown. After reading the description and the first few pages, I was hooked by elegant prose and alliteration (e.g. “knew the mind of a mule”). I enjoyed the use of personification, when the author says that the sun was an overseer. The plot moved quickly but did jump around a bit from relative past to relative present. However, the author clearly notes this movement. So it assists the reader.
There's a little mystery, which I love. What was it about Nora’s mother, Molly White? What family secret was always at the tip of the tongue? I enjoyed the way that mystery kept peeking out at you. To me, that tugs at the reader. Keeps him and her intrigued.
The characters were well developed and memorable. You’ll love Nora’s father, Gideon AKA Dee Dee, because he's ‘bout that life! You’ll hate Ms. Charlotte, because she’s eccentric and entitled. There are characters you just aren't sure about like Lisa, no spoilers. Then there are the famous Harlem Renaissance folks with whom Nora rubs elbows. I won't tell you who, exactly, but they are some of Harlem’s elites.
Overall, RENAISSANCE is beautifully written, with an ending that will have you craving book two to see what happens next. Come on, Book Two!
Nora White is a recent high school graduate searching for herself, trying to find her voice. A seed looking for the right environment. It's not the family farm, not the acres that provide food and establish ownership. It's not the South, with its stench of slavery and racism. It has to be Harlem, New York. It has to be the Mecca, where blacks have finally arrived, right. Only there, in that environment, will Nora find her voice. Because she wants to write. Be mentioned among the likes of Langston and Zora Neal. So she flees the South for greener grasses. Leaves her mother and father’s good graces. She essentially runs away from home, from her family, and maybe even from herself. Will she find good soil and break ground? Or will she just end up breaking her parents’ hearts?
The first thing that drew me to this novel was its beautiful cover. A deep blue sky fading into a sunset which bakes an old country road golden brown. After reading the description and the first few pages, I was hooked by elegant prose and alliteration (e.g. “knew the mind of a mule”). I enjoyed the use of personification, when the author says that the sun was an overseer. The plot moved quickly but did jump around a bit from relative past to relative present. However, the author clearly notes this movement. So it assists the reader.
There's a little mystery, which I love. What was it about Nora’s mother, Molly White? What family secret was always at the tip of the tongue? I enjoyed the way that mystery kept peeking out at you. To me, that tugs at the reader. Keeps him and her intrigued.
The characters were well developed and memorable. You’ll love Nora’s father, Gideon AKA Dee Dee, because he's ‘bout that life! You’ll hate Ms. Charlotte, because she’s eccentric and entitled. There are characters you just aren't sure about like Lisa, no spoilers. Then there are the famous Harlem Renaissance folks with whom Nora rubs elbows. I won't tell you who, exactly, but they are some of Harlem’s elites.
Overall, RENAISSANCE is beautifully written, with an ending that will have you craving book two to see what happens next. Come on, Book Two!
August 15, 2017
*I received this book in exchange for an honest review* Full review is up on my blog; https://tizzymatic.wordpress.com
I've never felt more at home when reading a book until I read this.
This review is more personal for me being that I'm Black and grew up (still live in) the hood. Even though the characters time was during the late 1800s to 1923, it felt so relatable. The way they talk is pretty much how we still talk. The way they think is the same even though we're almost a century past that time. That was my bias opinion, so let me get into the actual review.
I rated this 5 stars for how relatable it was for me, the knowledge I gained, the story, the characters, and the pacing. It felt like I was in history class, but I actually learned history. You know what I mean? A teenage girl aspiring to become a writer during the time of the Harlem Renaissance - that's literally what's going on. Within that, there's life. Life of her, life of her parents, life of people around her - it's not just her story, it's everyone's.
Going back and forth through time helped us discover why things were the way they were even though it's actual history if you think about it. You should know what happened during those times, so you can assume what's going on. Yes, it's a story. Stories can have real in the made-up. Am I right?
Back to being bias, I have to say that this is my first time reading something that I had a COMPLETE grasp on. I understood everything from how they spoke to how they thought. Very impressive in my opinion. I don't only recommend this, I think this is something that can be read in class. Very high of a recommendation.
I've never felt more at home when reading a book until I read this.
This review is more personal for me being that I'm Black and grew up (still live in) the hood. Even though the characters time was during the late 1800s to 1923, it felt so relatable. The way they talk is pretty much how we still talk. The way they think is the same even though we're almost a century past that time. That was my bias opinion, so let me get into the actual review.
I rated this 5 stars for how relatable it was for me, the knowledge I gained, the story, the characters, and the pacing. It felt like I was in history class, but I actually learned history. You know what I mean? A teenage girl aspiring to become a writer during the time of the Harlem Renaissance - that's literally what's going on. Within that, there's life. Life of her, life of her parents, life of people around her - it's not just her story, it's everyone's.
Going back and forth through time helped us discover why things were the way they were even though it's actual history if you think about it. You should know what happened during those times, so you can assume what's going on. Yes, it's a story. Stories can have real in the made-up. Am I right?
Back to being bias, I have to say that this is my first time reading something that I had a COMPLETE grasp on. I understood everything from how they spoke to how they thought. Very impressive in my opinion. I don't only recommend this, I think this is something that can be read in class. Very high of a recommendation.
July 5, 2017
I received a copy of Renaissance: The Nora White Story (Book One) free from the author.
From the beginning when we meet Nora and her family on their farm this book hooked me and I didn't want to put it down.
The language was so well written that I can still hear the soft southern accents and the bustle of city life.
The period in which the novel is set, during the famous Harlem Renaissance vibrates with details that make it spring alive inside your mind.
I loved how the author sprinkled the back story in delicious detail which didn't slow down the pace of the book. It is horrifying in places but, it is historically correct too and it made me sad that people treated other humans this way.
To sum up, this novel grabs you and transports you to another era and into the lives of those characters who lived during that time. With all the horrors, highs and lows they go through I felt as if I went through it with them. That is a sign of a wonderfully written story and the author has created a treasure.
I will have to be patient and wait for Book 2 because at the end of this book I actually shouted out loud because I had finished it.
Highly recommended to anyone who loves a tremendous tale that spans history and life.
From the beginning when we meet Nora and her family on their farm this book hooked me and I didn't want to put it down.
The language was so well written that I can still hear the soft southern accents and the bustle of city life.
The period in which the novel is set, during the famous Harlem Renaissance vibrates with details that make it spring alive inside your mind.
I loved how the author sprinkled the back story in delicious detail which didn't slow down the pace of the book. It is horrifying in places but, it is historically correct too and it made me sad that people treated other humans this way.
To sum up, this novel grabs you and transports you to another era and into the lives of those characters who lived during that time. With all the horrors, highs and lows they go through I felt as if I went through it with them. That is a sign of a wonderfully written story and the author has created a treasure.
I will have to be patient and wait for Book 2 because at the end of this book I actually shouted out loud because I had finished it.
Highly recommended to anyone who loves a tremendous tale that spans history and life.
July 24, 2017
I really enjoyed this book, I just wanted more! The author is a very gifted story teller. She weaves the history into the lives of the characters. I really liked the way she interjected the past of her parent's lives with Nora's present life. But I felt as though I was kind of watching at the edge of the story. I know this book is part of a series, but even in this first book, I wanted more...more pulling into those character's lives, more really sinking my teeth into it. I really think this author can deliver on that, because she is gifted. I'm looking forward to the rest of the series!
July 4, 2017
I received an ARC copy of ‘Renaissance’ by Yecheilyah Ysrayl for reviewing. I must say not only did I enjoy the story, which is the first book in a series, but I, a middle-aged British white woman, also learned a little more of black American history at the same time. The author managed to weave aspiring writer Nora White’s fictional character in amongst the life and times of 1920’s Jazz age poets and novelists Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston.
Nora feels that she is destined for bigger things than working on her parents’ Mississippi farm. She learns of the ‘Harlem Renaissance’ movement and dreams of going to New York and becoming a famous writer, much to her parents’ disgust. However, after escaping to Jacobsville near Harlem, she realises that fame is not going to come to her overnight. She takes a job as a maid to grouchy Charlotte Crosby, where she meets a new friend Lisa, who also works for Charlotte. Meanwhile back at the farm, Nora’s parents are distraught at her disappearance and try to search for her.
Lisa takes wide-eyed Nora to the Sugar Cane Jazz club, where through an invitation to a party she finally gets to meet her idols Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, but also finds herself in the middle of a feud between them.
The book has a five star story and plot, but because of some editing errors I am giving it four stars. I enjoyed this ‘faction’ story, as the author has obviously carried out a lot of research to make the book authentic of its time. A recommended read.
Nora feels that she is destined for bigger things than working on her parents’ Mississippi farm. She learns of the ‘Harlem Renaissance’ movement and dreams of going to New York and becoming a famous writer, much to her parents’ disgust. However, after escaping to Jacobsville near Harlem, she realises that fame is not going to come to her overnight. She takes a job as a maid to grouchy Charlotte Crosby, where she meets a new friend Lisa, who also works for Charlotte. Meanwhile back at the farm, Nora’s parents are distraught at her disappearance and try to search for her.
Lisa takes wide-eyed Nora to the Sugar Cane Jazz club, where through an invitation to a party she finally gets to meet her idols Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston, but also finds herself in the middle of a feud between them.
The book has a five star story and plot, but because of some editing errors I am giving it four stars. I enjoyed this ‘faction’ story, as the author has obviously carried out a lot of research to make the book authentic of its time. A recommended read.
April 2, 2020
From the minute I began reading this book, I thought of Zora Neale Hurston's short story, "The Gilded Six Bits." Little did I know that Hurston herself would appear as a character in the book. This writer's descriptions reminded me of early Hurston, and then Hurston herself becomes an integral part of the novel.
This is the story of Nora White, whose black family descends from slaves in the south but remarkably owns land and works their land to survive and thrive. Nora graduates from high school, much to the pride of her family, and they want her to attend a black college, but she has other ideas. She wants to go to New York City and become a writer, partaking in the scene of Harlem. She has romanticized the idea of what that means when she has an argument with her mother and father, who have looked to her as a light in their sky because she has completed the education they have never been able to achieve. She takes the money they had put aside through scrimping and saving and runs off to New York City.
Meanwhile, no one knows where she's gone--whether she's been abducted and killed, like her father's sister had been, or if she's still alive. Much of the conflict in her family's life surrounds the search for her to determine if she's alive or dead.
In New York City, she has to take a job as a maid at a wealthy woman's house, where she meets Hurston and enters the literary scene. I'll leave the plot there so as not to reveal anything else.
This is the first book in a series about Nora, and it's well written and, from what I can see, historically accurate. I enjoy historical fiction and would recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre. I especially liked the times of conflict between Nora and W.E.B. DuBois and his political theories about how African-Americans should use their educational pursuits to help others who are uneducated. If I had been able to give it 4.5 stars, I would have. I am very much looking forward to reading the second book.
This is the story of Nora White, whose black family descends from slaves in the south but remarkably owns land and works their land to survive and thrive. Nora graduates from high school, much to the pride of her family, and they want her to attend a black college, but she has other ideas. She wants to go to New York City and become a writer, partaking in the scene of Harlem. She has romanticized the idea of what that means when she has an argument with her mother and father, who have looked to her as a light in their sky because she has completed the education they have never been able to achieve. She takes the money they had put aside through scrimping and saving and runs off to New York City.
Meanwhile, no one knows where she's gone--whether she's been abducted and killed, like her father's sister had been, or if she's still alive. Much of the conflict in her family's life surrounds the search for her to determine if she's alive or dead.
In New York City, she has to take a job as a maid at a wealthy woman's house, where she meets Hurston and enters the literary scene. I'll leave the plot there so as not to reveal anything else.
This is the first book in a series about Nora, and it's well written and, from what I can see, historically accurate. I enjoy historical fiction and would recommend this book to anyone who likes this genre. I especially liked the times of conflict between Nora and W.E.B. DuBois and his political theories about how African-Americans should use their educational pursuits to help others who are uneducated. If I had been able to give it 4.5 stars, I would have. I am very much looking forward to reading the second book.
August 23, 2019
My perception is there are two stories within one book. One, is the story about Nora White, who graduates from high school and pursues her dream of becoming a published author. Despite the strong protests of her parents, she makes her way to New York from Mississippi. The second story is her parent's fears for her safety and their following her. Their daughter's leaving brings up memories of past events that included a lynching. I loved the book, but the transitioning from one story to the next was not always clear or smooth.
The social, political, and religious issues were well-researched and interesting to read.
The social, political, and religious issues were well-researched and interesting to read.
May 14, 2020
I read Renaissance as a member of the advance copy team.
Nora White is a farm girl from Mississippi who dreams of moving to Harlem and becoming a writer. Her biggest wish is to write alongside the legends of the era like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston!
Ok, I must stop here! This book was after my heart. I absolutely love both Langston and Zora! In fact the main character of my first book is named for them. I was swooning when the main character not only befriended, became a contemporary of these icons! Nora was living the life I would have wanted, had I lived in the 1920s.
The book flashed back and forth between Nora's family back on the farm and Nora living in NY.
Nora meets Zora while she is working her job as a maid/assistant to the grouchy Miss Charlotte, who insists on being called Godmother. She is a strange and temperamental woman who gives Nora a hard time. Nora is a bit of a fan girl, and managed to keep her composure long enough to procure an invitation to a party where all of the who's who of Harlem literary society will be.
Nora is overjoyed to meet them all, but makes it her mission to befriend Langston, who she is crushing hard on. That is until she realizes he is same sex oriented, or so the rumor goes.
The writer really did her research, touching on the feud between Zora and Langston over a play written by both, but only Zora was given credit. The way she wove Nora into the middle of the feud was genius. It was reminiscent of Forrest Gump a bit.
There is no way I wasn't going to like this book. Zora, Langston, Harlem, a bit of WEB DuBois and a roommate named Lisa! Wow! It turns out Lisa has an agenda at the end, but because the book ended on a cliffhanger we have to wait to see exactly what that is.
There were some serious shenanigans going on and I suspect there is a little mystery hiding just under the surface. Unfortunately my thirst to solve this mystery will not be satiated until December when book 2 is released.
In the meantime, I have all kinds of theories to mill around in my head to keep me busy. This book left me breathless! I want more and I want it now!
5 Stars*****
Nora White is a farm girl from Mississippi who dreams of moving to Harlem and becoming a writer. Her biggest wish is to write alongside the legends of the era like Langston Hughes and Zora Neale Hurston!
Ok, I must stop here! This book was after my heart. I absolutely love both Langston and Zora! In fact the main character of my first book is named for them. I was swooning when the main character not only befriended, became a contemporary of these icons! Nora was living the life I would have wanted, had I lived in the 1920s.
The book flashed back and forth between Nora's family back on the farm and Nora living in NY.
Nora meets Zora while she is working her job as a maid/assistant to the grouchy Miss Charlotte, who insists on being called Godmother. She is a strange and temperamental woman who gives Nora a hard time. Nora is a bit of a fan girl, and managed to keep her composure long enough to procure an invitation to a party where all of the who's who of Harlem literary society will be.
Nora is overjoyed to meet them all, but makes it her mission to befriend Langston, who she is crushing hard on. That is until she realizes he is same sex oriented, or so the rumor goes.
The writer really did her research, touching on the feud between Zora and Langston over a play written by both, but only Zora was given credit. The way she wove Nora into the middle of the feud was genius. It was reminiscent of Forrest Gump a bit.
There is no way I wasn't going to like this book. Zora, Langston, Harlem, a bit of WEB DuBois and a roommate named Lisa! Wow! It turns out Lisa has an agenda at the end, but because the book ended on a cliffhanger we have to wait to see exactly what that is.
There were some serious shenanigans going on and I suspect there is a little mystery hiding just under the surface. Unfortunately my thirst to solve this mystery will not be satiated until December when book 2 is released.
In the meantime, I have all kinds of theories to mill around in my head to keep me busy. This book left me breathless! I want more and I want it now!
5 Stars*****
July 15, 2020
After finishing this story, I went back to the beginning to try and connect the opening to the whole story. There was just so much going forwards and backward I had difficulty connecting the storyline. In spite of this, I wanted to know more about the White family.
The story was powerful and driving even though, I didn’t always understand the vernacular aspect of it. At one particular point in the story, the author referred to Molly as Nora. I did a double turn at that point and smiled, thinking that the author must have been carried away by the drive
Envy and jealousy can force people to do the unthinkable! Lisa’s treatment of Nora was calculated and heartless! She was not a friend and Nora with all her intelligence and ambition was very naïve.
It is also said that everything hidden will always come to light. Gideon believed his secret would never be found out., but the past has a way of coming back to haunt us!
This is a beautiful story, an insightful glance into the condition of the blacks of that time, a condition that albeit still exists today. Racism is deeply rooted in American fabrics. Racism has helped America to divide and rule.
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