Clara Johnson is a Black Woman living in DC during the time of Langston Hughes. She is something else - she was born with a caul and screaming and her ability to commune with spirits is attributed to her caul. In this novel, Penelope tells the story of Clara and her team as they attempt to save the Black community from spirits stealing their destinies. When we meet Clara, she has been brokering deals between people for six years already and is working as a typist at a local journal. She is offered a deal by a spirit that she calls the Empress - if she can get a hold of a special ring, and provide it to the empress, Clara will be released from her deal with the Empress. The same deal will be extended to anyone else helping her. She enlists the help of her roommate, Zelda, Jesi Lee (a porter), musician Israel Lee and Aristotle.
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel. The period - 1920's DC Black community - was amazing rich, as were the characters and Clara's story. The characters remained warm and empathetic, even where they could easily become cold and cynical. The story was fun and not just a run of the mill treasure hunt - more noir combined with historical fiction (Clara Johnson was an actual person!) - so it was fun. The pacing was good too - it moved quickly. It also kept me on my toes - the "bad guy" and the plot kept changing, so I was constantly reading, hoping to learn more.
The theme of freedom is important here - there is a group of people that are seemingly held captive and forced to work, much like the sharecroppers were forced to work in the wake of slavery. The debts held by the spirits also reflect that. The book begs the question of what can actually be done with freedom. If freedom is so hard won, then what can and should be done by those who have actually won that freedom?
Really enjoyed this book.
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