There is so much to love in this book. I was struck by the beautifully executed non-sexual relationship between a black jazz trumpet performer Napoleon and Maddy.  The loving way the sequence where Benny plays background music to a silent film is goose bump writing. And you will flip when you  read about the rejuvenation of Napoleon’s career after a vicious attack. He is able to use his disfigurement and career threatening injuries to his advantage when he is renamed The Black Butterfly. Mary Morris peppers this historical fiction with characters like Al Capone and Louis Armstrong to engage us in this lovely and inspiring novel. And in all her novels, Judiasm is sparingly used as a backdrop.

Reading: “Hand-Me-Down Stories” – YouTube

The Jazz Palace | Jewish Book Council