The anticipation for this read was excruciating, but it was worth the wait because Tia Williams gave us a black love story for the ages set in 1920s and modern-day Harlem.
Free-spirited Ricki comes from a wealthy family in which everyone seems to have been the first Black to do something. The Wildes of Atlanta are a family built on conformity and respectability, and Ricki sticks out like a sore thumb. Her three older sisters never miss an opportunity to remind her that she’s a disappointment, so when a chance encounter with the regal 96-year-old Ms. Della presents the opportunity for Ricki to pursue her dream of owning a flower shop in Harlem, she jumps at the chance to leave her elitist family and wealth behind.
When Ricki meets the mysterious Ezra, she’s instantly and inexplicably drawn to him. Given her track record with men, she does her best to avoid him. And, try as he might, Ezra can’t help but be pulled into Ricki’s orbit. But what’s his reason for avoiding love? Welp, it’s doozy.
I was expecting Williams to make me swoon. What I was not expecting was a supernatural mystery that would have me clutching my pearls.
I loved how Williams pays homage to the Harlem Renaissance and what it meant to Blacks, and I identified with Ricki’s romanticization of Old Harlem. In typical Williams fashion, the writing is smart and funny. The dialogue is snappy. Ezra is hilarious. Ricki’s a wild child. Her best friend, former child star Tuesday, is unhinged but in a good way. I aspire to be as cool as Ms. Della in my 90s. Her life revolved around her husband, who was a doctor. Now that she’s a widow, she is making her way through a spicy bucket list. I just love her.
This is a fairytale that is a love letter to Harlem. I would love to see it on the screen. Okay, hear me out.
Aldis Hodge as Ezra
Keke Palmer as Ricki
Kiersy Clemons as Tuesday
And, Harlem’s own, the legendary Leslie Uggams as Ms. Della.
I did some digging, and Ms. Uggams and Della has something important in common, but I can’t say because it’s a major spoiler.
Basically, I’m obsessed!
Have you read it yet? What are your thoughts? Do you like when books you love are adapted for the screen?
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