Frenetic. Frenzied. Fantastic.

You would think that the title of this novel would give it away, but you’d be wrong. Sure, the front cover flap makes explicit mention of it, but your experiences with both the hard and cool jazz of the late ‘40s and into the mid ‘60s still might leave you unprepared for the frantic pacing of Jazz by Toni Morrison. Even if you have treated your ears to the likes of Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, and John Coltrane, you probably aren’t ready for the brash and bold mix of heartbreak, whimsy, and deep substance on display in this book.

Set in 1926, the heart of the Jazz Age and the Roaring Twenties, the story centers an 18-year-old named Dorcas. Around her swirls the characters of Joe, Violet, and Alice – a curious triad who provide a variety of perspectives into Black life in this tumultuous period of American history. Joe and Violet have been married for many years, but their relationship has become increasingly distant, due in part to what could be described as mental illness for Victoria and Joe’s inability to talk about it with his wife. As Dorcas’ aunt, Alice has raised her niece with an iron fist since the child’s parents passed tragically. After dating her for three months, Joe shoots and kills Dorcas when she decides to date someone her own age. While he goes unprosecuted for the murder – since no one technically saw him do it – Violet attacks the corpse of Dorcas in the casket at her funeral.

All of this is revealed early in the book. What follows is a swirling miasma of timelines, points of view, and recollections about how our characters arrived at this tragic focal point. On one hand, no one comes across as anything like a classic protagonist. On the other hand, everyone does come across as remarkably sympathetic, not because people don’t face the consequences of their actions, but because context matters. When you live in a violent world that treats your life with such callous capriciousness, you can come to regard your own life with such self-hating disregard. In Morrison’s capable hands, we follow our remarkable cast of characters through internal monologues, tortured histories, sharp conversations, and more. You hurt for these people, yearn for them to find forgiveness, and hope they can experience some sort of healthy resolution.

This profound, intricate story deserves multiple reads, as you will crack open a new series of lessons and ideas each time.