Wild Women and the Blues: Chapter Sampler

Special Sneak Peek!

Be among the first to experience Jazz-age Chicago as it comes to vibrant life in Denny S. Bryce’s evocative debut novel that weaves together the stories of a grieving film student in 2015 and an ambitious chorus girl in Chicago’s Black Belt in 1925 as they both come to grips with loss, forgiveness, and the limitations—and surprises—of love.

1925: Chicago is the jazz capital of the world, and the Dreamland Café is the ritziest black-and-tan club in town. Honoree Dalcour is a sharecropper’s daughter, willing to work hard and dance every night on her way to the top. Dreamland offers a path to the good life, socializing with celebrities like Louis Armstrong and filmmaker Oscar Micheaux. But Chicago is also awash in bootleg whiskey, gambling, and gangsters. And a young woman driven by ambition might risk more than she can stand to lose.

2015: Film student Sawyer Hayes arrives at the bedside of 110-year-old Honoree Dalcour, still reeling from a devastating loss that has taken him right to the brink. Sawyer has rested all his hope on this frail but formidable woman, the only living link to the legendary Oscar Micheaux. If he’s right—if she can fill in the blanks in his research, perhaps he can complete his thesis and begin a new chapter in his life. But the links Honoree makes are not ones he’s expecting . . .

Piece by piece, Honoree reveals her past and her secrets, while Sawyer fights tooth and nail to keep his. It’s a story of courage and ambition, hot jazz, and illicit passions. And as past meets present, for Honoree, it’s a final chance to be truly heard and seen before it’s too late. No matter the cost . . .

Advance Praise for Wild Women and the Blues

“An ambitious and stunning debut . . . a sparkling cocktail of evocative detail, world-wise characters and heartfelt prose . . . celebrates the glam, danger, and promise of Chicago during the Jazz Age, giving readers an intricate, multi-generational story.”
—Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author

“You’re in a master’s hands, leading you through the emotional and sometimes dangerous steps linking present and past in this intricate, bold, unforgettable dance.”
—Susanna Kearsley, New York Times and USA Today bestselling author

"Bryce’s atmospheric debut novel catapults readers into the oft-overlooked era of the 1920’s Jazz Age. An intriguing cast of characters and compelling storytelling . . . deftly delivers what historical fiction has been missing."
—Farrah Rochon, USA Today bestselling author