Angel of Harlem: A Novel Based on the Life of Dr. May Chinn

by Kuwana Haulsey

Book Overview

Inspired by the extraordinary events of Dr. May Chinn's life, Angel of Harlem is a deeply affecting story of love and transcendence. Weaving seamlessly scenes from the battlefields of the Civil War,... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0375508708
• ISBN13: 9780375508707
• Release Date: September 2004
• Publisher: One World
• Length: 340 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.1" x 8.1"

Customer Reviews

Trulu, one of the best!

This novel covers the life of Dr Mae Chinn and her rise to fame. Born in extreme poverty conditions, she overcomes numerous obtacles by having a helpful mother with fortitude and desires and eventually gains an education. Although she faced horrific hardships such as having to give up a very much wanted child (adoption)as well as racism, sexism, jealousy and other negatives, she refused to give up and then secured a medical degree as a first time woman of that era. She diligently worked to help the people of Harlem, NY with thier plights of illnesses and troubles. For this reason, she wore a halo as an ANGEL. Great read!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Gore Vidal & Toni Morrison had a baby: Hausley = High Art

The sincere magic of this novel is in Kuwana Hausley's pacing of her innate gift and masterful technique like a marathoner and not a sprinter. A writer who has a magnificent subject like Dr. May Chinn, MD--the polymath first Black Female Doctor of Harlem who comes of age during the Harlem Renaissance--could easily be enticed into putting her genius into the first chapter or so and coasting through the extrarodinary life of her subject like a census bureau or FBI chief about to accost a witness thereafter; letting the great life (sort of) speak for itself. But Ms. Haulsey turns virtually every sentence of her fictional retelling of this nonfictional inspirational life into an interconnecting poem, linked together to every other sentence so neatly and artistically that her subject matter comes alive, breaks your heart and lifts your spirit as if she is a member of the family. I had the pleasure of meeting Ms. Hausley at a literary function in New York where I discovered her natural humility and grace--which invisibly reads through her style. This book is beautiful for so many reasons; the least of which, paradoxically enough, because of the incredible courage and life of the subject. Think LUST FOR LIFE; Think Gore Vidal's LINCOLN; think THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF MALCOLM X. Then think Toni Morrison's SONG OF SOLOMON and you'll be ready to feel THE ANGEL OF HARLEM. Wonderful.

A Literay Treasure!

Angel of Harlem is the story of Dr. May Edward Chinn. As a young girl May was a trained concert pianist until a racist professor ended it all for her. May rose above all limitations and went on to become the first African American female doctor in New York during the 1920's. May was the first African American woman to graduate from University and Bellevue Hospital Medical College and she was also the first African American woman to hold an internship at Harlem Hospital. This story takes you through May's life and the many hardships she endured. The death of her fiancé, being forced give up a child and the racial and gender barriers she faced. Her father was a former slave and an alcoholic who also struggles through many things as does her mother who works endlessly as a domestic. Dr. Chinn was also an accompanist for singer Paul Robeson which opened the doors to the many friendships she had with the Harlem Renaissance's famed artists such as Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes, Claude McKay and Countee Cullen. This walk back in time is poetic. Haulsey's prose is so vivid you can hear the music and the voices of these famed legends. It was like I was sitting in the club right next to them. Dr. Chinn was a determined woman who became one of the first early cancer detection specialists and she treated the poor in her community for fifty years. Dr. Chinn's story is heroic. I truly enjoyed this novel. Haulsey has proven herself; she is indeed a gifted writer. Angel of Harlem is a literary treasure. A classic for years to come. Reviewed by Dawnny

An Extraordinary Woman in an Extraordinary Time!

If one believes that some people are truly destined for greatness regardless of their station in life, then Dr. May Edward Chinn is a perfect example. May is conceived as a "love child" of a married middle-aged former slave and an orphaned teenaged Indian maiden. The shame of their affair forces her parents to relocate to Harlem only to meet unemployment, impoverished living conditions, and rampant racial discrimination. Despite her father's negativism, chauvinistic views, and emotional abandonment, it is her mother's tenacity and belief in education that propels young May to become proficient in her studies and master the piano. Her dreams of studying at Julliard on a music scholarship are crushed by an unplanned teenaged pregnancy in which she unwillingly gives the child up for adoption. She eventually drops out of high school due to a lengthy bout of depression stemming from the adoption and deferred dreams. Fate intercedes and through several well-timed networking opportunities along with a little name-dropping (and/or perhaps coincidence), she applies, is accepted, and enrolls at Columbia to study music only to be harassed by a racist professor. However, when one door closes, a window opens and through a series of what could be considered "divine" interventions, she changes her major to science and the rest is history. She eventually becomes the first African American female doctor in New York City and a renowned medical pioneer - however, her road to success is an arduous journey filled with racism, colorism, sexism (even from African American men), financial burdens, and familial strains which the author construes with great sentiment. There are wonderful episodes in which she falls in love, tours with Paul Robeson, dines with Zora Neale Hurston, and parties with famous Renaissance-era Harlemites like Jean Toomer, Fats Waller, Countee Cullen, and Langston Hughes. Hausley's writing and overall biographical presentation is suburb! Compassion and respect exude in her the depiction of Dr. Chinn, the woman; and the utmost humility is conveyed in the stories of her personal and academic trials and tribulations. Albeit, I found the pacing a bit slow at times, I quickly realized that this is not a story that should be rushed. It is history and Haulsey took her time to create an authentic early 20th century setting, complete with social attitudes, and wonderful descriptions of New York City's sites, sounds, language, and particularly Harlem's colorful clientele. The author left me in awe of Dr. Chinn and wanting to know more about her and the fate of other characters in the book. A job well done! Reviewed by Phyllis APOOO BookClub Nubian Circle Book Club

History Comes Alive

Dr. May Edward Chinn, New York's first black female doctor, serves as the inspiration for Kuwana Haulsey's ANGEL OF HARLEM. So often, persons of historical significance are narrowed down to brief biographical sketches, but HaulSey has truly brought the life of Dr. Chinn alive in this stirring novel. Dr. Chinn's early childhood is explored, and her mother's lifelong commitment to her education is highlighted. Her father's narrow views of what was considered proper for women, strict rules and emotional distance, also had a strong influence on his daughter's life. In spite of her achievements, Dr. Chinn's life was far from easy. She became pregnant by her high school sweetheart, who upon learning this, he promptly ended the relationship. She was forced, by her parents, to give her child up for adoption. In spite of the fact that she never completed high school, she was accepted at Columbia University where she first wanted to study music. Because of discrimination, she eventually changed her major and this led to her career as a physician. Dr. Chinn fought discrimination on two levels, race and gender but was persistent enough to succeed in spite of these limitations. In addition to her academic and professional accomplishments, her social life allowed her to cross paths with many notable Harlem Renaissance figures such as Langston Hughes, Zora Neale Hurston, Fats Waller, and Madam C.J. Walker. She also served as a pianist who accompanied Paul Robeson in many of his early performances. This book is a wonderful testament to the life of a truly amazing woman who was persistent enough to break down walls and bring down glass ceilings. While there were moments when I felt the story stalled, overall the author did an excellent job. She provided a thoroughly developed setting, and well developed characters. With great sensitivity the author addressed through the characters such issues as the role of women in society, the color complex, discrimination, teen pregnancy, homosexuality, and poverty through the lenses of the 1920's Harlem era. ANGEL OF HARLEM is not only an enjoyable read, but it is also a book that will encourage readers to embrace the past and make an extra effort to learn more about some of the trailblazers that have helped to make this country what it is today. Reviewed by Stacey Seay of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers