Krystal Marquis

*Instant New York Times Bestseller* The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked. "A fresh, utterly enchanting read.” —Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of the Beasts of Prey trilogy The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago. Now it's 1910, and the Davenports live surrounded by servants, crystal chandeliers, and endless parties, finding their way and finding love—even where they’re not supposed to. There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married . . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love—unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business—and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers. Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life—and love. "The perfect read for fans of escapist historical fiction.” —NBC’s TODAY "The Davenports has it all: romance, heartbreak, courage." —Ebony "Deftly written . . . A dazzling debut." —Kirkus (starred review) "Stunningly wrought . . . Presents a cast of take-charge women." —PW (starred review) "It has the compulsive readability of Gossip Girl." —Booklist (starred review) "Compelling . . . distinct and satisfying." —BCCB "Skilled . . . Well-written . . . Sure to please." —SLJ "If this whole series existed right now, I’d tear through it to the exclusion of everything else in my life." —Teen Librarian Toolbox

The Davenports

Ellie 

“Olivia remembered the moment she’d realized that every Black person she knew was touched by the horror of slavery. Sometimes Olivia felt it like a wound hidden deep under smooth skin—one that she didn’t remember receiving but that ached nonetheless.”

“There is more than one kind of beauty.”

“Men never outgrew the instincts of playground possession.”

“Is she being picky? Or does she know what she wants and is willing to wait for it?”

“I have learned there’s not much you can do about how people look at you.”

“Most days, though, I find myself wondering how, or even why, I am where I am.”

“She’d already endured one lecture on how to better control or conceal her emotions and did not wish to invite further scrutiny.“

“There will come a time when you meet someone who makes even the mundane things seem magical.”

“Going to bed hungry each night as a child makes you hungry in other ways as an adult.”

“I don’t share many things in common with girls my age,”

The Davenports quotes

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