The Book of Harlan

The Book of Harlan

During WWII, two African American musicians are captured by the Nazis in Paris and imprisoned at the Buchenwald concentration camp. “Simply miraculous . . . As her saga becomes ever more spellbinding, so does the reader’s astonishment at the magic she creates. This is a story about the triumph of the human spirit over bigotry, intolerance and cruelty, and at the center of  The Book of Harlan  is the restorative force that is music.” ― Washington Post “McFadden’s writing breaks the heart―and then heals it again. The perspective of a black man in a concentration camp is unique and harrowing and this is a riveting, worthwhile read.” ― Toronto Star The Book of Harlan  opens with the courtship of Harlan’s parents and his 1917 birth in Macon, Georgia. After his prominent minister grandfather dies, Harlan and his parents move to Harlem, where he eventually becomes a professional musician. When Harlan and his best friend, trumpeter Lizard Robbins, are invited to perform at a popular cabaret in the Parisian enclave of Montmartre―affectionately referred to as “The Harlem of Paris” by black American musicians―Harlan jumps at the opportunity, convincing Lizard to join him. But after the City of Light falls under Nazi occupation, Harlan and Lizard are thrown into Buchenwald―the notorious concentration camp in Weimar, Germany―irreparably changing the course of Harlan’s life. Based on exhaustive research and told in McFadden’s mesmeric prose,  The Book of Harlan  skillfully blends the stories of McFadden’s familial ancestors with those of real and imagined characters. "McFadden packs a powerful punch with tight prose and short chapters that bear witness to key events in early twentieth-century history: both World Wars, the Great Depression, and the Great Migration. Partly set in the Jim Crow South, the novel succeeds in showing the prevalence of racism all across the country―whether implemented through institutionalized mechanisms or otherwise. Playing with themes of divine justice and the suffering of the righteous, McFadden presents a remarkably crisp portrait of one average man’s extraordinary bravery in the face of pure evil." ― Booklist, Starred Review " The Book of Harlan is an incredible read. Bernice McFadden . . . has created an amazing novel that speaks to lesser known aspects of the African-American experience and illuminates the human heart and spirit. Her spare prose is rich in details that convey deep emotions and draw the reader in. This fictional narrative of Harlan Elliot’s life is firmly grounded amidst real people and places―prime historical fiction, and the best book I have read this year." ― Historical Novels Review, Editors’ Choice "Through this character portrait of Harlan, McFadden has constructed a vivid, compelling narrative that makes historical fiction an accessible, literary window into the African-American past and some of the contemporary dilemmas of the present." ― Publishers Weekly "McFadden’s impressive achievement offers us a window into the often very difficult lives of African Americans from the Jim Crow era up to the present―and, unexpectedly, in wartime Germany. Highly recommended for showing us that however badly black citizens have historically been treated, black lives matter." ― Library Journal (XPress Reviews) "Another one of Bernice L. McFadden’s masterpieces . . . McFadden took me on a melodious literary journey through time and place ― complex, real, beautifully raw, and necessary . . . McFadden’s prose lingers, giving me courage to stay committed to telling authentic stories that, while revealing of unspeakable truths, serve to unite us all." ― The Millions, Nicole Dennis-Benn’s A Year in Reading Dear Reader, In 2004 I read Firpo W. Carr's book Germany's Black Holocaust: 1890- 1945 , and was immediately intrigued. According to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, DC, "The fate of black people from 1933 to 1945 in Nazi Germany and in German-occupied territories ranged from isolation to persecution, sterilization, medical experimentation, incarceration, brutality, and murder."  I realized that while much had been written about the Jewish victims, the fate of Africans and African Americans at the hands of the Nazis was less well documented.  I was fascinated by this discovery and set about writing a story that would illuminate this hidden verity. But for many years, the story seemed out of my reach as I struggled to find a connection with the characters.  Luckily for me, early attempts at creating the story coincided with my ongoing personal genealogy research. For some twenty years I've been consumed with investigating my paternal line; specifically my grandfather, Harold McFadden, who was entirely absent from my father's life, thus a mystery to both of us.  When I decided to model Harlan Elliott after my grandfather, all that I had been struggling with came to an end. It was as if I had found the golden key; suddenly the foreign b