On the surface, A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams is a love story that connects two artists across generations. But in reality, it’s a story about a young woman who takes a chance on herself and her dream. Ricki Wilde is a 20-something year old from Atlanta, Georgia–who comes from a wealthy and meritocratic family. From childhood, she always felt like she didn’t fit in, and maybe there’s good reason for that. Her inability to fit in, in addition to meeting her fairy godmother, leads her to Harlem.
As she immerses herself into her new community, which is filled with the history of the Harlem Renaissance, she meets a man. She feels an extraordinary but unexplainable draw to him, with multiple run-ins that don’t seem coincidental. Williams draws readers in with a modern day love story, sprinkled with colloquial humor and Louisiana voodooism. She balances Harlem’s intersection with music throughout history, and the uniqueness that the Harlem Renaissance offered Black Americans in the 1920s. Cross generationally, Williams uses Ricki’s business as a flower shop owner to pay homage to historical figures and places from that time. All of this, in conjunction with intense sex scenes, makes this a perfect book for the hopeless romantic and the history buff.
-Monique Wilson, editorial assistant
Out now
