Celeste’s Harlem Renaissance

Definitely a good read. Just so you know. The author of Celeste’s Harlem Renaissance is Eleanora E. Tate, and at the center of her story is Celeste Lassiter Massey. Celeste lives a fairly happy life in Raleigh, North Carolina, if you subtract her Aunt Society from the mix. Aunt Society has a tongue like a sword, and finds fault with everything Celeste says or does. But things get really bad when Celeste’s father starts coughing. A lot. Everyone says it’s consumption. Finally, her dad agrees to go see a doctor. And is told he has to be sent to a sanitarium. Aunt Society doesn’t want to take care of Celeste any more than Celeste wants her to, and Aunt Society’s idea is to send her niece to work for a pair of sisters out past Roxboro. Not a chance! So, as a desperate hope, Celeste writes to her Aunt Valentina up in Harlem, New York, begging her to come down and take care of her. Instead, she’s shipped up to Harlem itself! And though things may not be as glamorous as Celeste first expected, she doesn’t have quite a bad time. But an unexpected event sends more change wheeling her way, and bringing with it new decisions. The writing was awesome, and I loved the plot and characters. Which there are scores of. So, please, check this out!