Sophfronia Scott Pays Homage to Literary Greats in ‘Unforgivable Love’ [REVIEW]

Like the flowers in her hair, everything about Mae Malveaux seems a little too perfect. (Photo by Pauline Rosenberg, Flickr)

What happens when you cross Dangerous Liaisons with The Color Purple? The answer may very well be Sophfronia Scott’s beautiful new novel, Unforgivable Love. Here, Harlem’s elite turn love into a tantalizing, precarious sport where everyone is fair game. 

William Morrow

As the city simmers in the hot summer sun, stunning heiress Mae Malveaux derives her pleasure by exercising total control over the men in her life. But when one of those men leaves her and takes up with another woman, Mae’s bitter jealousy has her conjuring a grand scheme in order to be her former lover’s undoing.

Valiant Jackson wants Mae so much he will go to great lengths to have her, even if that includes getting embroiled in her treachery. Meanwhile, a devoted wife and church goer underestimates Val, and suddenly no one is safe from two schemers on the prowl and eager to satisfy their every desire.

Reading Unforgivable Love is like losing oneself in a decadent world that is lost to time, one that is captivating and taboo, and where scandal is frequently served up for breakfast. Scott’s writing brings the pages to throbbing, vivid life as she rethinks the original novel and turns it into a social commentary that is as relevant today as it was in the 1930s, when the novel is set.

As such, this is the kind of book that will undoubtedly be read in college literature classes and creative writing workshops for years to come, as students try to emulate Scott’s literary prowess. With a style that is deeply reminiscent of literature by Toni Morrison, Ralph Ellison and even Maya Angelou, this new literary masterpiece chronicles the black experience in a way that is fresh, insightful, sensual and luxuriant. Scott is an author to watch!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Sophfronia Scott
(Photo by Rob Berkley)

Sophfronia Scott hails from Lorain, Ohio. She was a writer and editor at Time and People magazines before publishing her first novel, All I need to Get By. 

She holds an MFA from Vermont College of Fine Arts and a bachelor’s degree in English from Harvard. Her short stories and essays have appeared in numerous literary journals.

She lives in Connecticut with her husband and son. Readers may vist her home on the Web at Sophfronia.com, like her on Facebook, and follow her on Twitter and Instagram.

UNFORGIVABLE LOVE
By Sophfronia Scott
528 pgs. William Morrow. $15.99

You may purchase Unforgivable Love at one of these fine online retailers: HarperCollins, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

Unforgivable Love is brought to you in association with TLC Book Tours.

Unforgivable Love Giveaway

Want to win a copy of Unforgivable Love for your personal library? Simply complete the form below and click submit to enter. Giveaway is limited to U.S. residents only. Contest ends October 25, 2017.