HARLEM AFTER MIDNIGHT Canary Club, Book 2

Narrator Leonie Elliott skillfully transports listeners to Harlem with an impressive story that contrasts the changes in Black life in the early twentieth century. In 1936, as jazz singer Lena Aldrich sails from England to New York, she encounters shipboard musician William Goodman. She gratefully accepts his offer to stay with his family as she searches for information about her late father, Alfie. In flashbacks, Elliott superbly portrays Alfie, a pianist who encounters racial barriers as he pursues a musical career in 1908. Lena's perceptions of the city, her new friends, and the truths about Alfie are well rendered. Dramatic depictions of the Harlem Renaissance, rent parties, and the Apollo Club are engaging. Audio enhances a story replete with lively dialogue, descriptions, and atmosphere. S.G.B. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine [Published: NOVEMBER 2023]