The Davenports by Krystal Marquis
1910, Chicago. The Davenports are one of the few rich Black families. I have seen this book many times over the years. I am a fan of TV shows like Downton Abbey and The Gilded Age. I don’t know why I skipped over this title so often. I think I was led to believe it was more for high school, and I am always looking for middle school books.
There are many points of view in this book. Each of the girls has a goal for her life. Most of them involve romance.
Olivia is the oldest daughter; she is trying to find a good match to make her family proud. Her parents have introduced her to Mr. Lawrence, a businessman from London. He is the perfect man for her. But Olivia also met a Lawyer named DeWight, who is helping fight for Black people’s right to vote. Olivia learns more about the world beyond her mansion and starts to wonder what she wants for her future.
Helen is the little sister. She isn’t interested in dancing and gossiping. She likes working with her hands in the garage with her brother. She isn’t interested in finding a husband. Right?
Amy-Rose is a servant in the Davenport house. She came when her mother was hired. She skirts the line of servants and childhood friends with the Davenport ladies. She doesn’t want to be a maid forever. She has goals of opening a women’s hair-care shop.
Ruby is a friend of Olivia. Her family is not as wealthy, and it is up to her to marry well and help her family. A lot of pressure is being put on her to marry the oldest Davenport, John. But there are other men out there. Is John the only path to happiness?
There is a lot of trying to figure out who likes whom in this book. I also had to stop and think about which couples are best for each other. I found myself protective of these ladies. I wanted the best for them. With this book set in 1910, there was a lot of pressure on young ladies to find the perfect match and start a family. But it also seemed that everyone who they were “supposed” to be “perfect” for was the wrong people. It was a little frustrating (I’m sure the author wanted it that way) to read couples trying to force compatibility.
I was pleasantly surprised with the ending. Not what I thought was going to happen. It is very open-ended, and there is a second book.
Four out of Five Magical Coffee Cups
Literary Coffee 