Common Sense Media Review
By Barbara Saunders
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Teen girls come of age in exciting historical romance.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 12+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Read
What's the Story?
When THE DAVENPORTS begins, Olivia Davenport and her best friend Ruby, both in their late teens, are seeking husbands among the wealthy Black elite in Chicago. Olivia's sister Helen doesn't really want a husband; she'd rather become a mechanic and run her father's carriage business along with her brother. When an attractive new man comes to town, his presence shakes up the young women's lives.
Is It Any Good?
This romantic novel set in 1910 Chicago is exciting and subversively feminist. In The Davenports (a debut novel Krystal Marquis began during National Novel Writing Month), four young women defy the expectations placed on them based on their race, sex, and class. The novel follows the conventions of the romance genre, with a lot of heated kisses and crushes, but it never crosses the line into explicitly sexual material. The author does a wonderful job showing how the personal and political join in individual lives. Money, politics, professional choices, and social position all strongly influence the outcomes of the flirtations. An especially interesting touch: Although the suitors are major characters, the events of the story are told and interpreted entirely from the perspective of the young women.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the history presented in The Davenports. What do you know about wealthy Black communities of the past?
Although The Davenports is about romantic relationships, the author chose to structure the story around the four women, not their suitors. Why do you think she made that choice?
Many of the characters in the story act with great courage and others give into fear, social pressure, or despair. Can you think of a time when you or someone you know acted from courage?
Book Details
- Author :
- Genre : Romance
- Topics : Activism , Family Stories ( Siblings ) , History
- Character Strengths : Courage , Curiosity , Perseverance
- Book type : Fiction
- Publisher : Dial Books
- Publication date : January 31, 2023
- Number of pages : 347
- Available on : Paperback, Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, Apple Books, Kindle
- Award : Common Sense Selection
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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