Wald brings Jenkins’ “iridescent genius and generous spirit” alive in this revealing portrait of a self-determined, gay Black woman. Drawing on interviews and extensive personal papers, she tells Jenkins’ story in intimate, revealing detail, framed in the sweeping cultural and political changes of the post-war civil rights movement. Jenkins’ music may not have changed the world, but her rhythms continue to model a much-needed “antidote to its cacophony.”

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Booklist, starred review