Masquerade by Anne Shade is the story of one woman’s journey to find herself and live the life she desires despite being a black lesbian in 1925 USA.
Set in the roaring 20s, a time when people had certain new freedoms and lax liquor laws thanks to the economic boom after the first world war. There was sexual freedom, expressions and a boom in masquerade and drag balls but still laws against being homosexual. In this fascinating time of juxtaposing societal norms, expectations and freedoms we find ourselves in Harlem, the mecca of cultural and creative freedom.
When we first meet Celine she is married to her best friend, Paul. Paul and Celine grew up together and when they both realised that they were gay they decided to marry one another so that they could have some kind of freedom. Celine, though, never explored that side of herself even though Paul tried hard to get her to, going so far as bringing back women to the house in an attempt to get Celine to live her true life.
But, early on in the book Paul is discovered with his male lover and he is killed. Because it is such a scandal Celine and her family are forced to flee their home in New Orleans and end up in Harlem where Celine’s aunt lives.
Now a widow, Celine is determined not to marry again but rather to live the life that Paul wanted for her and that she has longed for her entire life. With the support of her aunt she finds herself at a masquerade party where one of the dancers, Dinah, catches her eye. She and Dinah are instantly attracted to one another and their love evolves quickly.
But when the owner of the club where Dinah works gets a new business partner in the form of a gagster named Philly then things go terribly wrong. Philly sets her sights on winning Celine from Dinah and she will stop at nothing to succeed. Add to that the fact that there is something about Philly that is dangerously attractive to Celine and the fact that Celine is determined not to settle down with anyone until she has found herself and you have a complication that Dinah and Celine may not be able to overcome.
The Characters
Celine is the main character in the book and most of the book is centred around her with a mere handful of times when we get to see Dinah’s point of view. This means that we get an intimate look into how Celine is feeling and what she is thinking.
As women, we are trained to think of others first. We are rewarded for being aware of the needs of many rather than our own needs and so our instincts are to immediately do things that are best for others. And my training in this regard kicked in with this book and I found myself conflicted. Celine spent most of the book making decisions which were right for her and knowing that she was hurting others with her decisions and yet she made them because she was on a journey that was for her.
I spent time reflecting on this. It was a really interesting process and I found a deep respect for Celine as a result.
The Writing Style
Shade has some moments of genius in this novel where her use of language, descriptions and characters were magnificent. I would like to see her push the boundaries of her writing prowess so that we get a book that is full of those moments of genius.
In terms of the actual story told, this was a book about a woman’s self discovery and sexual journey. It’s kind of like The Color Purple by Alice Walker in that regard, so don’t expect a romance that is typical for the lesbian fiction sector.
Note: I compare it to The Color Purple only in that it is a journey of a woman finding herself, neither the writing style nor story itself is similar.
Pros And My Favourite Parts
I found the historical elements fascinating. Shade peppered in enough historical flavour to keep me utterly fascinated. I love the idea of the masquerade and drag balls and wish there were more of them in the book.
Cons And Heads Up
For those die hard romance fans you are probably not going to get the buzz of excitement you get with a romance novel. Yes, there is a love story in the book and yes there is a happy ever after, but the romantic pair spend most of the book not as a couple. And the main plot is not a romance at all.
The Conclusion
At just over 300 pages in print length this is a decent sized drama. You will get interesting historical elements, a complex character who spends most of the book self actualising and you will get steaming hot, graphic and frequent sex scenes.
I enjoyed the read but it was not what I was expecting and I found myself often conflicted by the main character’s choices. Then again, isn’t that often the case with good literature?
TLDR (too long didn’t read)
This is the book about a woman finding herself and exploring who she really is. Set in 1925 in Harlem, there is a fun historical twist to the book. Get it if you are looking for something like The Color Purple without the sexual assault.
Excerpt from Masquerade by Anne Shade
An excited murmur traveled through the crowd as a spotlight shone just past where Celine and Olivia stood. It seemed every person in the room turned in Celine’s direction, gazing at something behind her. As she turned to see what everyone was looking at, a pathway cleared for the cloaked figure of a woman entering the room from a nearby doorway. Celine watched as the figure drew closer and found herself mesmerized by how it seemed the woman floated, rather than walked, toward her. She halted just as she passed Celine and gazed back over her shoulder at her. Celine’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the sparkle of deep brown eyes peering at her through a feathered mask. The very mask Olivia had asked her to make that afternoon but refused to say who it was for. She gazed down at the front of the cloak, knowing what lay beneath, the matching top and bottom of the feathered costume she had created. She found herself wanting to rip open the cloak to see the body of the woman who wore it. Her imagination had run wild wondering what this woman looked like as she worked on the costume, causing her to prick herself several times with the sewing needle. She had, quite literally, poured blood, sweat, and tears into the costume.
When she looked back up, the woman smiled seductively, turned away, and continued her spotlighted, slow, sexy stroll to the center of the room.
“She’s known as Sable,” Olivia whispered in Celine’s ear. “We should move closer for a better view.”
Celine didn’t argue. She just let Olivia guide her through the crowd until they somehow ended up in front. The rhythmic drumming that had been playing during Sable’s entrance stopped as she slowly shed her long cloak to the delight of her audience, but no one was more affected by her appearance than Celine. Sable’s long, lithe, muscular dancer’s body and dark pecan complexion shone iridescently in the light. The way the leather of the feathered brassiere and shorts cupped her breasts and behind so perfectly had Celine flushed with heat.
A lonely trumpet wail filled the now hushed room, and Sable began a slow, graceful dance in response. The rhythmic drums joined in once again, and her movements grew wilder, more seductive, as her body gyrated and swayed in a provocative dance that left every man and woman watching heated with desire. At the height of her dance she turned directly toward Celine. The trumpet stopped, leaving only the drum cadence in its wake. It played a slow jungle beat as Sable reached her arms toward Celine, beckoning her forward.
Celine had been watching the performance awestruck. Even with the mask covering most of her face, Sable’s dark, exotic beauty could not be contained. Now it was calling to her like a siren’s song. The drumbeat picked up, and Sable closed her eyes, wrapped her arms around herself, swaying to the beat, then looked back at Celine and beckoned to her once again. A memory niggled at Celine’s mind, but before she could grasp it someone gently pushed her forward. With her gaze locked onto Sable’s, she continued moving forward. Celine stood, center stage, gazing up at Sable, who stood a few inches taller than her. She was lost in the depth of Sable’s brown eyes, no longer caring where she was or who was watching. All Celine knew was that she had to be near this seductress who had woven a spell around her that she couldn’t, and didn’t, want to break.
Sable moved close enough to Celine for their bodies to almost touch. There was nothing but a thin strip of air keeping them apart. Celine trembled as she felt Sable’s hands travel up the front of her tuxedo jacket. Something in the back of Celine’s mind told her this was wrong. This was not how a lady behaved, but the thought was shoved aside by something more primal. A physical hunger she had denied herself for far too long. That hunger became a need that refused to be denied, especially with this beautiful temptation sliding her warm hands beneath her jacket and up her back. When Celine reached up to touch Sable, she was left grasping air as Sable slipped away.
Sable smiled mischievously as the trumpet joined the drums again and she began another dance. No longer able to control her desire, as the drum beat in a steady cadence that seemed to match her heartbeat, Celine walked over, pulled Sable up against her body, grasped the back of her head, and brought Sable’s lips down on her own in a kiss that left her stunned at her own boldness and drew an excited applause from their audience.
“We should probably give them a bow,” Sable said breathlessly when their kiss ended.
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Bits and Bobs
- ISBN number: 9781635558319
- Publisher: Bold Strokes Books
- Anne Shade Online
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