"Kaplan (By Fire, by Water) builds an enchanting world featuring musical giants George Gershwin and Kay Swift... This spellbinding and luminous tale will linger in readers’ minds long after the final page is turned."
- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
- Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“A complex and involving story… It is difficult to imagine living a more incredible first half of a life than Swift’s, and Mitchell James Kaplan’s prose luxuriates in depicting her surprising and wildly artistic world.”
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
- Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
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One of fourteen "Must Read
Theater Books for Winter, 2021"
Theater Books for Winter, 2021"
One of the "Most Exciting Reads
Of Winter/Spring 2021"
One of "Twelve Non-WWII Historicals
to Read in 2021"
to Read in 2021"
One of "30 2021 Historical Fiction Books
to Add to Your To-Be-Read List Right Now"
to Add to Your To-Be-Read List Right Now"
One of the "Best Books to Kick Off 2021"
One of the "Top March 2021 Book Releases"
"Something To Look Forward To"
(March and April 2021)
(March and April 2021)
Playlist for "Rhapsody"
PRAISE FOR
RHAPSODY
"Kaplan’s sweeping novel, spanning the years 1917 to 1937, portrays the life of Kay Swift, one of Broadway’s first female composers, extracting her from the shadow of her colleague and lover, George Gershwin... The history is engrossing... Kaplan’s propulsive style imparts a momentum of its own...The many disquisitions, on topics as varied as the underpinnings of American anti-Semitism to the misappropriation of Black culture by well-intentioned Whites, are interesting and important... Our verdict: Get it."- Kirkus
"Snappy dialogue and lush prose bring the Jazz Age to life as Kaplan takes readers from Harlem rent parties to the stage lights of Broadway... A sumptuous fictional account of a complex real-life romance, this book will stick in readers' heads like the melody of a favorite ballad."– Booklist
"RHAPSODY does it all. The novel flows as lyrically through Kaplan’s prose as the wail of the saxophones and crescendos of Gershwin’s keyboards. You can almost hear the taxi horns and clopping hooves of carriage horses in Central Park through his words as you imagine riding down Park Avenue past the towering edifices of lush mansions. As Kay becomes so absorbed in her performing as to be swept away from her audience, I read this book under that same captivation as minutes flowed into hours. Only my noisy team of hungry terriers could break my concentration."– Bookreporter.com
“Kaplan’s vivid prose and empathetic characterization shines a spotlight on this remarkable woman who contributed so much to American music.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and Mistress of the Ritz
“A luminous journey through the jazz age in fast-paced New York City... I was utterly swept away.”—Stephanie Cowell, American Book Award–winning author of Claude and Camille and The Physician of London
“We all know Gershwin, but how many know he was ‘the man behind the woman,’ the conflicted, extraordinary Katharine ‘Kay’ Swift? Mitchell James Kaplan illuminates her in Rhapsody, bringing his impressive knowledge of history, composition, and the heart’s whims to bear on this shining rendition of Swift and Gershwin’s star-crossed love.”—Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Z and A Good Neighborhood
“Mitchell James Kaplan’s Rhapsody shines a blazing light on the celebrated George Gershwin, uncovering the man behind the legend through the story of the woman he loved, Kay Swift, a brilliant musician caught in the swiftly moving mores of New York’s Jazz Age. Rich with history and packed with intricate detail, Rhapsody soars.”—Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of The Widow of Wall Street and Waisted
“Mitchell James Kaplan pens a lilting, jazzy ballad as catchy as a Gershwin tune, bringing to vibrant life the complicated relationship between classically trained composer Kay Swift and freewheeling star George Gershwin. Their musical bond is as powerful as their passion, and jazz-soaked, gin-drenched Broadway is their playground through the tumultuous years of the Great War and Prohibition. Rhapsody will have you humming, toe-tapping, and singing along with every turn of the page.”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Huntress
"A thoughtful portrait of its characters and their time, Rhapsody will carry readers along with verve and feeling."—Reading the Past
Rhapsody has a depth of detail, vibrant descriptions of persons and events, and a mesmerizing story. The richness of Mitchell James Kaplan’s delivery draws the reader in and keeps you immersed until the final page. This book will be a new favorite.—Wayward Reader
Vividly written and utterly compelling, and truly worthy of becoming our first Diamond Reviewed title for 2021. It shines a light not only on Gershwin’s discography, but also on his decade-long romance with Kay Swift.—Jathan&Heather.Com
One of the best contemporary historical novels surrounding the music industry.—Rajiv's Reviews
This book provides wonderful insight into the life of two of the defining stars of jazz, George Gershwin and Kay Swift. Kaplan does a great job at resurrecting Swift, a seemingly forgotten trailblazing woman composer.—With a Book in our Hands
"Snappy dialogue and lush prose bring the Jazz Age to life as Kaplan takes readers from Harlem rent parties to the stage lights of Broadway... A sumptuous fictional account of a complex real-life romance, this book will stick in readers' heads like the melody of a favorite ballad."– Booklist
"RHAPSODY does it all. The novel flows as lyrically through Kaplan’s prose as the wail of the saxophones and crescendos of Gershwin’s keyboards. You can almost hear the taxi horns and clopping hooves of carriage horses in Central Park through his words as you imagine riding down Park Avenue past the towering edifices of lush mansions. As Kay becomes so absorbed in her performing as to be swept away from her audience, I read this book under that same captivation as minutes flowed into hours. Only my noisy team of hungry terriers could break my concentration."– Bookreporter.com
“Kaplan’s vivid prose and empathetic characterization shines a spotlight on this remarkable woman who contributed so much to American music.”—Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author of The Swans of Fifth Avenue and Mistress of the Ritz
“A luminous journey through the jazz age in fast-paced New York City... I was utterly swept away.”—Stephanie Cowell, American Book Award–winning author of Claude and Camille and The Physician of London
“We all know Gershwin, but how many know he was ‘the man behind the woman,’ the conflicted, extraordinary Katharine ‘Kay’ Swift? Mitchell James Kaplan illuminates her in Rhapsody, bringing his impressive knowledge of history, composition, and the heart’s whims to bear on this shining rendition of Swift and Gershwin’s star-crossed love.”—Therese Anne Fowler, New York Times bestselling author of Z and A Good Neighborhood
“Mitchell James Kaplan’s Rhapsody shines a blazing light on the celebrated George Gershwin, uncovering the man behind the legend through the story of the woman he loved, Kay Swift, a brilliant musician caught in the swiftly moving mores of New York’s Jazz Age. Rich with history and packed with intricate detail, Rhapsody soars.”—Randy Susan Meyers, bestselling author of The Widow of Wall Street and Waisted
“Mitchell James Kaplan pens a lilting, jazzy ballad as catchy as a Gershwin tune, bringing to vibrant life the complicated relationship between classically trained composer Kay Swift and freewheeling star George Gershwin. Their musical bond is as powerful as their passion, and jazz-soaked, gin-drenched Broadway is their playground through the tumultuous years of the Great War and Prohibition. Rhapsody will have you humming, toe-tapping, and singing along with every turn of the page.”—Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network and The Huntress
"A thoughtful portrait of its characters and their time, Rhapsody will carry readers along with verve and feeling."—Reading the Past
Rhapsody has a depth of detail, vibrant descriptions of persons and events, and a mesmerizing story. The richness of Mitchell James Kaplan’s delivery draws the reader in and keeps you immersed until the final page. This book will be a new favorite.—Wayward Reader
Vividly written and utterly compelling, and truly worthy of becoming our first Diamond Reviewed title for 2021. It shines a light not only on Gershwin’s discography, but also on his decade-long romance with Kay Swift.—Jathan&Heather.Com
One of the best contemporary historical novels surrounding the music industry.—Rajiv's Reviews
This book provides wonderful insight into the life of two of the defining stars of jazz, George Gershwin and Kay Swift. Kaplan does a great job at resurrecting Swift, a seemingly forgotten trailblazing woman composer.—With a Book in our Hands
INTERVIEWS
David Rothenberg /WIRB Radio New York City
Washington Independent Review of Books
San Francisco Chronicle (AP from Roanoke Times)