The Davenports is a historical romance novel set in 1910s Chicago, following the lives of four young Black women navigating love, ambition, and societal expectations. The story is about the wealthy Davenport family who built their wealth through a carriage business and was one of the few Black elites of the era. Olivia Davenport, the eldest daughter, is expected to marry well but finds herself in love with a civil rights activist. Helen, her younger sister, is more interested in mechanics than debutante balls.
Matt Miller, a senior in high school, is dealing with the recent death of his mom to cancer. Mr. Ray, Matt’s neighbor, offers him a job at the funeral home. He is hesitant to take it but can’t pass up the good paycheck. So, Matt becomes the boy in the black suit because he starts wearing it every day. In a way it brings Matt comfort to watch the funerals. “I liked watching other people deal with the loss of someone, not because I enjoyed seeing them in pain, but because, somehow, it made me feel better knowing that my pain isn’t only mine.”
