Confessions in B-Flat

Starred review from December 14, 2020
Hill (Rooms of the Heart) spins a powerful romance between passionate young activists during the American Civil Rights Movement. After marching on Washington, D.C., Atlanta native Jason Tanner, a committed advocate of nonviolence, is tapped to open Martin Luther King Jr.’s Harlem field office. On the bus to New York, he meets Anita Hopkins, a Brooklyn-born firebrand who firmly believes in Malcolm X’s message to demand equal treatment using any means necessary. Opposites attract and the pair quickly fall in love—but can they make their relationship last amid the turbulent times and despite their differing ideologies? Hill doesn’t hold back from discussing the atrocities perpetuated on African Americans or the risks her courageous characters take in advocating for their rights. Historical photos, famous speeches, and news articles from the day punctuate the narrative, and Hill skillfully weaves in real heroes of the movement, including the late John Lewis, to whom the book is dedicated. Meticulous research, achingly real characters, and convincing romance power this enthralling tale, which ultimately lands on a message of love and compromise. This is a knockout.