Title: Harlem’s Last Dance
Author: Peppur Chambers
Order at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookshop, and more… and at your local bookstore by request
It’s 1945, and eighteen-year-old Harlem Markeson is still imprisoned in Lady
Magdalena’s brothel, withering beneath the masquerade of sultry stage lights, jazz, and beautiful dancing girls. Caught in a tangled web of glamorous greed and sex, she has no one to trust, and no way to escape.
As Lady Magdalena’s carefully woven tapestry begins to fray, and lascivious flames lap at the binds that keep Harlem, the Brown Betties, and other girls captive, young Miss Markeson must embrace the fire within her to start anew, losing the last of her family’s fortune in the process.
To change her life, Harlem must turn away from the spotlight and dive headlong into darkness. But first… one last dance.
ISBN: 978-1-951393-18-2
Price: $22 paperback, $5.99 ebook
Praise for Harlem’s Last Dance:
“This is a story that chronicles high ambition, struggle, despair and moral dilemmas. The author does a fantastic job of setting the scene early in the book and takes you back to 1940s America. A must read if you enjoy a slice of historical fiction and are partial to strong heroines of colour. Some sentences I read two or three times over because they were written so gorgeously. They made me go ‘wow’, I wish I had written that!”
— Sarah Elliott, author of Warrior Wisdom Sun: Poems on battle, lessons and liberation
“Harlem Markeson is an unforgettable creation – and Harlem’s Last Dance is Peppur Chamber’s evocative coming-of-age story; a beautifully-written drama evoking the sights and sounds of an era and a city of unbridled post-war confidence. Engaging and sensual. A must read.”
— Elizabeth Wong, author of China Doll and @Lys
“A vivid and sincere glimpse into one young woman’s desire to escape poverty, and sexual exploitation. Instead of glorifying the great migration, Peppur Chambers boldly peels back the layers and re-introduces us to complexion-oppression/colorism, and the other negative influence of 1940’s urban living. You will stand and cheer when Harlem transforms into a strategic, empowered woman. There is real value in Harlem’s experience – a visible, invisible woman. Read it and you will understand why it’s important for Harlem to be seen!”
— C. Elyse, author of Lilies Bloom Lies Fester
“Powerful and raw. Peppur captures all the vivid details and brings the story to life to show the 1940’s burlesque scene and the struggles that a young black woman faces as she grows into a young adult.”
— Aiyona Calvin, Comm ‘26, Marquette University
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