The Davenports

*Instant New York Times Bestseller*

The Davenports delivers a totally escapist, swoon-worthy romance while offering a glimpse into a period of African American history often overlooked.

The Davenports are one of the few Black families of immense wealth and status in a changing United States, their fortune made through the entrepreneurship of William Davenport, a formerly enslaved man who founded the Davenport Carriage Company years ago.

There is Olivia, the beautiful elder Davenport daughter, ready to do her duty by getting married . . . until she meets the charismatic civil rights leader Washington DeWight and sparks fly. The younger daughter, Helen, is more interested in fixing cars than falling in love—unless it’s with her sister’s suitor. Amy-Rose, the childhood friend turned maid to the Davenport sisters, dreams of opening her own business—and marrying the one man she could never be with, Olivia and Helen’s brother, John. But Olivia’s best friend, Ruby, also has her sights set on John Davenport, though she can’t seem to keep his interest . . . until family pressure has her scheming to win his heart, just as someone else wins hers.

Inspired by the real-life story of the Patterson family, The Davenports is the tale of four determined and passionate young Black women discovering the courage to steer their own path in life—and love.

"If this whole series existed right now, I'd tear through it to the exclusion of everything else in my life." -Teen Librarian Toolbox

"Deftly written . . . A dazzling debut." - Kirkus (starred review)

"The perfect read for fans of escapist historical fiction." -NBC's TODAY

Krystal Marquis lives in Connecticut and works as an environmental health and safety specialist for a book retailer - The Davenports is her debut novel and was inspired by the true life story of the Patterson dynasty who founded the first African-American car company in the early 1900s.