Essence bestselling author Donna Hill brings us an emotional love story set against the powerful backdrop of the civil rights movement that gripped a nation—a story as timely as it is timeless…The year is 1963. In Harlem, the epicenter of Black culture, the fight for equality has never been stronger. The time is now. Enough is enough. Yet even within its ranks, a different kind of battle rages. … different kind of battle rages. Love thy neighbor? Or rise up against your oppressors?
Jason Tanner has just arrived in New York to help spread the message of his mentor, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., of passive resistance, while beat poet Anita Hopkins believes the teachings of Malcolm X with all her heart: that the way to true freedom is “by any means necessary.” When Jason sees Anita perform her poetry at the iconic B-Flat lounge, he’s transfixed. And Anita has never met anyone who can match her wit for wit like this…
One movement, two warring ideologies—can love be enough to unite them?
Confessions in B-Flat is a celebration of the hard-won victories of those who came before us, and a stark reminder of just how far we still have to go.
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A beautiful love story of opposites attracting! It was based in the 60s so it also had purspose! If you’ve read anything from Donna Hill you know she’s a phenomenal author! A must read!
This book has many elements that I really enjoy and made the story and the book so much more enjoyable.
Confessions in B flat is a story that talks a lot about those years of Malcolm x and martin Luther king, the story some home intertwines with the story of these magnificent men the stories, the causes they support, and what they were fighting for..
Jason tanner is not ready to fall in love but life has a very strange manner of bringing things that maybe we aren’t looking for but it is the right time for us to embrace it this is the case for Jason when he met Anita, he didn’t know anything else just that he had to meet her and see what else she has hidden behind that beautiful smile.
Anita knows how to write and she expresses her self in a way that has many men including Jason drilling for her talents and her intelligence, she writes beautiful poetry that expresses her thoughts, emotions, and things she is living and going through, she also writes a lot about their constant struggle with life and white people who don’t see them as equal and are constantly fighting with them.
in Confessions In B Flat we get to read about what Black people have been suffering from for decades still in 2020 they still suffering racism and separation many leaders and white people are so eager to promote this evilness. I really like how this book talks about the subject in a way that makes us aware but also makes us fall in love with the characters Jason and Anita.
There is love, there is passion, there is faith and strength everything combined with the love Anita And Jason keep professing until the end. life and circumstances separated Anita and Jason but true love can never be extinguished not even with time.
Many great things to talk about in this book, but I don’t want to give anything away, Donna Hill did a great job putting everything together to make this story brilliant and pretty well balanced and articulated
My first read by this new to me author and it certainly will not be my last.
A very fitting story considering the social climate of 2020!
Powerful, heartfelt and thought provoking, this unique story has me captivated from beginning to end.
This author masterfully wove a unique and powerful romance in the midst of political turmoil of the early 1960’s in NYC.
Well written with accurate historical references this compelling story is a must read!
The storyline takes place back in the early 1960’s during the civil rights movement in Harlem New York. Jason Tanner has decided to move from Atlanta Georgia to Manhattans Harlem New York to start an expansion of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Non-violent movement While traveling on the bus to New York news breaks that four young girls are killed after a church was fire bomb. Jason sees Anita Hopkins who is from Brooklyn New York and now lives in Harlem New York is upset upon hearing the news and he goes over to comfort her. Anita is a activist volunteer for Malcolm X and believes in his theory that freedom for Black people is by any means necessary and not continue to back down and walk away from the injustices that are done to them by the white man, KKK and police especially in the South.
After running into each other again weeks later in Harlem Jason and Anita finally gets to learn more about each other and become more acquainted with each other. Even though Jason and Anita have different views about the civil rights movement there is a mutual spark of interest between them. So can they be in a relationship with both of them having opposite views on racial inequality or is it better to not get involved with each other at all? You will have to read the book to find out because I don’t want to give any spoilers.
I love how well the author developed the characters and the storyline. You can feel the emotions of love, anger, hurt, pain, suffering, joy and happiness within family. Also in the storyline even though it is fictional, there are events and people that really took place during that time, the assignations of President John F Kennedy and Malcom X, the bombing of the church in Alabama where 4 little black girls were killed, rioting in Brooklyn and Harlem because of a young teenage black boy being killed by the police.
This book was a page-turner for me and reminded me of how it was back then living during that time in which I was a young child and now even today some of the same injustices are still being made to people of color. Also I love reading Jason and Anita’s story. Anita’s poetry and spoken word was excellent to read.
I highly recommend this book to read, you will not be disappointed.
Cassandra H.
I voluntarily read a copy of this book from Netgalley and this review is of my own honest opinion and thoughts.
In the 1960s, two men were at the forefront of the civil rights movement and the fight for social justice. Malcolm X and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wanted the same thing, but they approached that vision from very different backgrounds and means. Confession in B-Flat places the reader in the midst of this dynamic time with a multimedia retelling of Romeo and Juliet — Jason, the “do-gooder” mentee of Martin Luther King Jr., falls for Anita, the fiery devotee of Malcolm X.
I loved the way history is weaved into Jason and Anita’s journey. The incorporation of music, poetry, speeches, news articles, and photographs brings this time period to life and helps you feel the tumultuous times in which they lived.
Above all, Confessions in B-Flat is a love story. At times, it is beautiful and heartwarming, while at other times, it is heartbreaking. Jason and Anita’s path to their happily-ever-after isn’t a straight one but reflects their personalities — strong, independent Anita and patient, do the right thing Jason.
Jason and Anita are two sides of the same coin, much in the same way that you can’t look at the civil rights movement without considering the work of both Martin Luther King, Jr. and Malcolm X. This engaging, emotional love story is a must-read!
Thanks to Donna Hill, Entangled Publishing, and NetGalley for the digital ARC to read and enjoy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.
This book drew me in at the beginning and kept my attention until the end. I learned a lot while reading this book about the civil rights movement. I loved the history and research and pictures and news articles that were included, they really helped bring the story to life for me. Jason and Anita were two wonderful characters, and I enjoyed watching them develop and figure out what really mattered to them in life. This was my first book by Donna Hill, but it won’t be my last!
Donna Hill’s Confessions in B-Flat is a poignant, timely, and beautiful story about two people finding their way during the tumultuous 1960s.
When Jason Tanner meets Anita Hopkins on a bus bound for New York City, he knows he’s encountered someone special. He’s been sent by Dr. King to expand the message of passive resistance to people up north, which seems to directly clash with Anita’s support of Malcolm X’s ideology. But neither Jason nor Anita can seem to shake their connection. Will it be enough to keep them together during one of the most politically charged time periods in America’s history?
As mentioned in the blurb, this novel is as timeless as it is timely. At its core, it’s a story about two people whose connection and love for each other strengthens with time, despite some seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Hill is masterful at weaving the history of the Civil Rights Movement into her narrative; you feel dropped straight into that time period and all of its vigor and tumultuousness. Yet, the personal connection and bond between Anita and Jason is what really shines. Though they’re shaped by their time, their love is universal.
I felt a gamut of emotions reading the arc of their story, and feel that it’s not only important for its message about civil rights (and how much more work there is to do) but for its beautiful love story and tremendous character growth. I also greatly enjoy reading stories about characters whose life experiences are different from mine, as it widens my worldview and enriches my life in ways that are valuable and important. We need more stories like these.
This is one of my favorite novels of 2020. A definite must-read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Entangled Publishing for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.