Member Review

My thanks to Hyperion Avenue for an eARC via NetGalley of ‘The Mayor of Maxwell Street’ by Avery Cunningham. This is a work of literary historical fiction with elements of crime drama.

What a fantastic debut this was. It is set in 1921 Chicago and focuses on the life of Penelope (Nelly) Sawyer, a Black heiress. She is the daughter of Ambrose Sawyer, whose affluence has catapulted his family to the heights of Black society. The Sawyers and other wealthy Black families have gathered in Chicago to hold a Grand Cotillion.

Following the death of her only brother, Elder, in a road accident Nelly suddenly becomes the season’s premiere debutant. Yet Nelly has aspirations beyond marriage and society influence. For the past year she has worked secretly as an investigative journalist, sharing the achievements and tribulations of everyday Black people who are living in the shadow of Jim Crow.

She is especially keen to discover the identity of the head of an underground crime syndicate, known as the Mayor of Maxwell Street. In the course of her investigations she encounters speakeasy manager Jay Shorey and enlists his help. Yet before too long the two are caught up in the dangerous world of Prohibition-era Chicago. No further details to avoid spoilers.

While Nelly is the novel’s main protagonist we also are given insight into Jay’s origins. He was born in rural Alabama to a murdered biracial couple yet forced to flee. Jay is able to ‘pass’, something that Nelly does not approve of, stating: “I was raised to stand firm in my heritage. I can’t imagine pretending to be anything other than what I am.”

When Nelly along with a number of other Black patrons are required to leave an art exhibition featuring acclaimed African-American artist, Henry Ossawa Tanner, her friend Mabel observes: “We can’t even enjoy our own art unless it’s on their terms. Oh, well.”

In this scene and others Cunningham addresses the prejudice that her Black characters deal with on a regular basis in a matter of fact manner that underlines how the community has become used to the racism and charts their own path.

I was not aware of the alternative High Society established by wealthy Black Americans and admire how well the author portrayed this. In addition, Jay’s story was poignant and contrasted with the privilege that Nelly experiences.

Overall, I found ‘The Mayor of Maxwell Street’ a fascinating novel that held my attention throughout. There were definitely links with ‘The Great Gatsby’, which the author confirmed in interviews. Avery Cunningham is clearly an author to watch and after this stunning debut I look forward to news of her future projects.

Highly recommended.