Risking It All in The Mayor of Maxwell Street

Angie Raney

January 31

In my opinion, writing historical fiction is somewhat of a Herculean task. While absolutely nothing about writing any novel is easy, there are unique difficulties that come with writing this specific genre. Oftentimes, extensive research is necessary to accurately reflect the appropriate language, clothes, and settings. More importantly though, authors of historical fiction must find a healthy balance between what is true (or close to it) and what is imagined. I've always seen historical fiction as a daunting genre to both read and write, but I think it's incredible that we can be so deeply moved by history that we create pockets of fiction to live within its walls.

You can imagine then, how excited I was to read Avery Cunningham's debut novel, The Mayor of Maxwell Street. With a stunning cover and fellow DePaul alum as its author, The Mayor of Maxwell Street's cover calls it "an epic love story, a riveting historical drama, and a brilliant exploration of Black society and perseverance when the 20s first began to roar."

The novel is centered around Penelope "Nelly" Sawyer, debutante heir to the fortune of the wealthiest Black family in 1920s Chicago. Her parents are eager to find her an equally-elite husband; amid the stuffy cotillion culture, Nelly meets a host of peers with their own baggage to bear including biracial up-and-comer Jay Shorey. With a lot of charm and an air of mystery, Jay Shorey chases high society and is willing to do anything and everything to achieve it.

Nelly–beautiful and headstrong–resents the pressures placed upon her to find a suitor. Instead, she writes to the Chicago Defender under a pen name and is willing to fight for a shot at a byline under her real name. To do so, Nelly must uncover the identity of a mafia-esque shadow: the Mayor of Maxwell Street. A prominent figure in the underground Chicago gang scene, the Mayor "seems to deal in secrets" and sparks enough fear in the community to hush anyone who even mutters their name. In her journey uncovering the Mayor of Maxwell Street, Nelly encounters the vitriolic racism of 1920s Chicago, the suffocating confines of elite society, unexpected romance, and the often blurred lines of risk and reward.

The first pages throw readers into a thrilling atmosphere of tension and survival. While the novel does include romance, The Mayor of Maxwell Street shines most with its mystery/thriller elements–in perilous poker games, glitzy parties, and dimly lit speakeasies. At times, these high-stakes moments feel a bit rushed, but this does not substantially detract from the unraveling mystery as a whole. Cunningham relishes in the cat-and-mouse game of Nelly's pursuit to uncover the Mayor's identity, always keeping the reader wondering if their intuitions are as solid as they may believe.

While at times a bit too stubborn for her own good, Nelly is hardheaded, quick-witted, intelligent, and unafraid. Though she has the security of her parent's wealth, she is not completely shielded from the darkest parts of our society and sees firsthand the bigotry and hatred that plagued 1920s America. Despite these obstacles, Nelly seeks to make a name for herself outside of "the Sawyer girl," and she is willing to risk everything–money, security, body–to finally be free of the judging eyes that watch her every move.

Subsequently, Cunningham explores the complicated nature of risk throughout the novel. While reputation and money are at the forefront of many of the characters' minds, Nelly is not preoccupied with the danger of losing either. In fact, her wealth and status oftentimes prove to hinder her journey to finding the real Mayor. Rather, it is the risk of placing her trust in the right people and digging a bit deeper into Chicago's underbelly that poses a greater threat to our protagonist. Characters like Jay Shorey and Sequoia also know risk all too well, whether that be in starting a new life from the ground up or hiding parts of the one you've been bound to. All in all, Cunningham prompts readers to explore the bounds to which we would go for the people and things we covet most in life, and begs the question of whether or not we actually should.

As a whole, Cunningham's prose is rich and opulent–much like the society that surrounds Nelly herself. The Mayor of Maxwell Street is chalked full of glamorous descriptions, quippy banter, and a strong perspective on socio-economic and racial tensions of the past that continue to plague us today. The Mayor of Maxwell Street is thrilling, devastating, and joyous all at once–a very impressive debut and grand entrance by author Avery Cunningham.