In the spirit of Ragtime, Randall's new novel reimagines a vibrant period of Detroit history in the first half of the 20th century when the Black Bottom neighborhood which housed the first wave of the Great Migration and was a mecca of African American culture.

It focuses on the real-life Ziggy Johnson, a well-known gossip columnist and owner/emcee of a nightclub that hosted greats like Ethel Waters and Duke Ellington. Organized around 52 famous African American "saints" like Sarah Vaughn, Jackie Robinson and Adam Clayton Powell, it also brings to life the stories of local heroes who will be well known to Detroiters.

Alice Randall is the Author of four critically acclaimed novels, including Pushkin and the Queen of Spades, Rebel Yell, Ada's Rules and New Times Bestselling The Wind Done Gone, A Professor and writer-in-residence at Vanderbilt University, Randall is a native of Detroit and a graduate of Harvard. She lives in Nashville, Tennessee.

Alice Randall: Author Talk with Question and Answer