With Love from Harlem: A Novel of Hazel Scott by ReShonda Tate
From The Queen of Sugar Hill author ReShonda Tate—a new novel inspired by beloved Harlem jazz performer Hazel Scott and the equal parts exhilarating and tumultuous relationship that changed the course of her life.
Harlem, 1943. At just twenty-three, Hazel Scott is a woman on fire. A jazz prodigy, a glamorous film star, and a fierce advocate for civil rights, she’s breaking barriers and refusing to play by the rules. Then Adam Clayton Powell Jr. walks into her life. Harlem’s most electrifying preacher-turned-politician, Adam is as bold and unyielding as Hazel—charismatic, powerful…and married.
This kicks off a decades-long relationship that propels them into the center of a political and cultural revolution. As Hazel’s star rises, Adam takes the national stage in Congress and the couple becomes the toast of the country. But when their affair turns into a marriage, behind the glamorous façade is a battlefield of ego, ambition, and sacrifice. Forced to choose between her music and her family, Hazel must decide what she’s willing to lose—and what she refuses to give up.
Set against the pulsing backdrop of twentieth-century Harlem and featuring icons like Billie Holiday, Langston Hughes, and James Baldwin, With Love from Harlem is a sweeping, emotionally charged romantic drama, rich with historical detail. ReShonda Tate delivers a powerful portrait of love, art, and the price of being unforgettable.
As the national bestselling author of more than 53 books, ReShonda Tate has the credentials, and the passion, to bring stories to life.
Read an excerpt at https://reshondatate.com
Soignée Intimate Conversation with ReShonda Tate
ReShonda Tate is a national bestselling author of more than 53 books, celebrated for bringing history, heart, and humanity to the page. Her latest novel,The Queen of Sugar Hill (William Morrow), offers a vivid fictional portrait of Hattie McDaniel, Hollywood trailblazer and the first Black person to win an Academy Award. Her upcoming novel, With Love From Harlem, will shine a light on jazz great and civil rights activist, Hazel Scott. ReShonda’s work blends meticulous research with emotional depth, reintroducing overlooked Black icons to modern readers.
An NAACP Image Award multiple nominee and winner for Outstanding Literature, ReShonda’s books are perennial bestsellers and have appeared in USA Today, The Washington Post, Essence, People, Jet, and Ebony, among others. She is a sought-after motivational speaker, award-winning poet, and a member of both the Texas Literary Hall of Fame and Arkansas Black Hall of Fame.
Several of her novels have been adapted for screen: Let the Church Say Amen was directed by Regina King and produced by TD Jakes and Queen Latifah, with ReShonda making her on-screen debut. The Secret She Kept also aired on TV One, where she appeared in a cameo. As a screenwriter, she has penned two holiday films—Christmas With My Ex (TV One) and Christmas in the Friendly Skies (Apple TV, Amazon Prime).
A veteran journalist, ReShonda has worked as a television reporter and anchor in Oklahoma City, Beaumont, and Houston, and currently serves as Managing Editor of The Defender newspaper. She is also co-founder of Brown Girls Books and Brown Girls Entertainment, amplifying fresh literary and media voices.
A graduate of The University of Texas at Austin, ReShonda is a proud member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority and Jack & Jill of America. She and her husband Jeffrey Caradine share five children.
Visit: www.ReShondaTate.com for tour schedule, book excerpts and more.
SLM: What first sparked your love for storytelling and how did that shape your career?
ReShonda: I’ve always loved making up stories (my mother called it lying). As a little girl, I was that kid who stayed up past bedtime with a flashlight and a book, completely lost in another world. My father was a storyteller. He would create a story from an everyday slice of life – a fly in the car, a stray dog, a homeless man. He would just create these stories off the cuff and I would lose myself in his storytelling. That hunger to understand people and their journeys led me to journalism, where I learned to listen deeply and honor truth. Eventually, fiction became my space to explore the emotional truths behind the facts. Storytelling is in my soul.
SLM: What part of the publishing process taught you the most about your strengths?
ReShonda: Editing. It’s where I discovered my endurance, my discipline, and my willingness to fight for the heart of the story. I learned that I’m not afraid of revision—I’m committed to refinement. In fact, I’ve discovered that good books aren’t written – they’re rewritten. That’s a strength that has carried me through 53 books and counting.
SLM: How did it feel to cross the milestone of writing fifty-three books and still have more stories to tell?
ReShonda: Humbling. Surreal. And honestly? A blessing. To still feel excited, still feel curious, still feel hungry to create—after all these years—is a gift I don’t take lightly. Every story reminds me there’s more work to do, more voices to honor, more history to reclaim. I treat each book like it’s my first. Believe it or not, I still get nervous, wondering if this is the book readers will hate. Thank God, I’ve yet to deliver that book and hope I never do.
SLM: What has surprised you the most about your creative process after so many novels?
ReShonda: That it continues to evolve. I’ve learned to trust my instincts more, release perfectionism, and follow the emotional truth of a story even when it scares me. I used to think writing would get easier. It hasn’t because with each new book, I challenge myself to dig deeper.
SLM: How would you describe your evolution as a writer after publishing more than fifty books?
ReShonda: I’ve become braver. More intentional. More rooted in purpose than performance. Early in my career, I wrote to entertain. Now I write to illuminate—to reclaim stories erased or minimized. My craft has deepened, but so has my conviction.
SLM: What inspired you to write With Love From Harlem and focus on Hazel Scott’s untold story?
ReShonda: Before Oprah. Before Alicia Keys. There was Hazel Scott. This was a woman who refused to shrink, even when the world demanded it. Her brilliance, her activism, her elegance, her audacity—she was everything America tried to ignore. I knew immediately that she deserved a novel worthy of her magnitude. Writing this book was a personal mission to give her the spotlight she earned but that has been erased over the years.
SLM: What about Hazel Scott’s life resonated most deeply with you as a woman and creator?
ReShonda: Her insistence on being seen on her own terms. Hazel was a Black woman demanding dignity in rooms designed to deny her. That resonated with me—not just creatively, but personally. She reminds all of us that our gifts are not up for negotiation.
SLM: How did you approach writing about her complex relationship with Adam Clayton Powell Jr.?
ReShonda: With tenderness and truth. Their love story was passionate, complicated, and deeply human. I wanted to honor both the beauty and the breaking—the love that uplifted her and the choices that wounded her. I wrote their relationship with empathy but without romanticizing the realities Hazel faced. I really embraced that both of these people were flawed – like all of us, so I told the good, the bad and the ugly of their story.
SLM: What did you learn about the balance between love, ambition, and identity while writing this book?
ReShonda: That even extraordinary women wrestle with the very things we do—choosing themselves, choosing their dreams, choosing the truth. Hazel showed me that ambition doesn’t erase vulnerability, and love doesn’t erase purpose. So often as women, we give up the things that matter to us most for the greater good of those we love. We are forced to choose. And I wanted Hazel’s story to show what can happen when we don’t choose ourselves.
SLM: How much research went into recreating Harlem in the 1940s and capturing that cultural pulse?
ReShonda: OMG…the research. One of my friends was like “Can you stop researching the book, and write the book!” I spent countless hours going through archives, newspapers, film footage, academic texts, oral histories, music recordings, fashion references, and historical walks through Harlem. I wanted readers to taste the jazz clubs, feel the glow of the marquee lights, hear the hum of a city in cultural bloom. Research was my passport into that world. Unfortunately, I would go down these rabbit holes and spend way more time than I should have on research.
SLM: What behind-the-scenes moment during the writing process stands out in your memory?
ReShonda: There was a day I was writing one of Hazel’s performance scenes, and I had her music playing in the background. I swear it felt like she was right there beside me, guiding my hands. It was one of those rare moments when a character becomes a presence.
SLM: Were there any challenges or surprises you faced while blending real history with fiction?
ReShonda: Absolutely. The biggest challenge was respecting the weight of real events while allowing space for imagination. This was especially hard for me as a journalist because I’m trained to not distort facts. I struggled with this a lot. But I wanted to honor Hazel without turning her into a myth. Striking that balance—truth with texture—was both the hardest and most rewarding part.
SLM: How did you decide which parts of Hazel’s story to highlight and which to leave in the background?
ReShonda: I focused on the moments that revealed her essence—her strength, her artistry, her vulnerability, her fire. Some parts of her life were fascinating but didn’t serve the emotional arc, so I let them live in the shadows. I followed the pulse of the story.
SLM: What do you want readers to take away from Hazel’s story once they close the book?
ReShonda: That brilliance deserves recognition. That courage has a cost. That Black women’s stories are not optional—they’re essential. And that Hazel Scott was a force who refused to be forgotten.
SLM: How has this novel changed the way you view your own creative legacy?
ReShonda: It reminded me that legacy is rooted in impact, not volume. If my work helps restore even a sliver of history or inspires someone to look deeper, then I’ve done something meaningful. Oh, it also taught me to burn all my letters cussing my old boyfriends out, delete all my text messages and get rid of all incriminating evidence….because I’m SURE some of the stuff I read in their letters were never intended for the general public’s eyes. Lol
SLM: What can readers expect next from you after With Love From Harlem?
ReShonda: I’m working on another historical novel about the women who built the bootlegging industry. I’m fascinated by their stories. Basically, more historical fiction centered on the extraordinary lives of Black women who shaped culture, challenged norms, and changed the world.
SLM: What lessons from journalism have stayed with you as you transitioned into fiction writing?
ReShonda: Tell the truth. Lead with curiosity. Listen more than you speak. And remember that every person—real or fictional—deserves to be portrayed with nuance and dignity.
SLM: How do you stay grounded and creative while managing such a successful literary career?
ReShonda: I keep my circle strong and my spirit steady. I also hustle hard – like I’m an independent author. I’m a workaholic so I’m trying to be more intentional in understanding that creativity is not a machine—it’s a living thing that needs care. So I must take better care of me.
SLM: What’s one personal truth you discovered about yourself while writing this book?
ReShonda: That I, too, have been guilty of shrinking. Writing Hazel taught me to walk a little taller and take up the space I’ve earned.
SLM: How do you protect your mental health and creativity when the publishing space feels loud or competitive?
ReShonda: I put my blinders on. I remind myself that my lane is my lane. I honor my rhythm, unplug when needed, and create boundaries around my peace. There was something magical about turning 50 – I no longer care who’s mad, why they mad, how long they stay mad. I keep my eyes on the prize and just try to live my blessed life.
SLM: What other art forms feed your creative soul?
ReShonda: Film, without question. There’s something about the way a movie marries image, sound, emotion, and movement that lights up every creative part of me. A great film doesn’t just entertain, it immerses you. It teaches you pacing, framing, silence, tension, and the power of a single look or gesture.
As a storyteller, I study films the way musicians study sheet music. The camera angles, the lighting, the way a scene breathes, the emotional beats that aren’t spoken but felt—I pull from all of that when I write. Film reminds me how powerful visual storytelling can be. I aggravate my husband though, who always tells me ‘can you just watch the movie and not study the movie?’
SLM: How can readers connect with you, and what’s the best way to support your work beyond buying a book?
Join me on Instagram, Facebook, and Substack. Invite me to your book clubs, share posts, request my books at your library, tell a friend, leave reviews, and spread the word. Readers are the heart of our literary community. Visit: www.ReShondaTate.com for tour schedule, book excerpts and more.
Connect with ReShonda Tate
Website: www.ReShondaTate.com
Instagram: @reshonda_tate
Facebook: @rReShondaTateWrites
Threads: @reshonda_tate
TikTok: @reshondatate
Newsletter/Substack: https://substack.com/@reshondatate
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRealReShondaTate