In the Face of the Sun: A Fascinating Novel of Historical Fiction Perfect for Book Clubs

“Bryce excels at placing readers in a glamorous time and place…riveting and vibrant.” — Booklist

In the Face of the Sun was named a Go On Girl Book Club 2021 New Author of the Year selection and was recognized among the most anticipated historical novels of 2022 by She Reads, Book Riot, We Are Bookish, BiblioLifestyle, BookBub, and BookTrib.

In this sweeping historical novel, the author of Wild Women and the Blues intertwines two unforgettable stories set four decades apart. As a woman fleeing an abusive marriage journeys from Chicago to Los Angeles with her fearless aunt, long-buried family secrets emerge, revealing a painful legacy that has shaped generations.

Los Angeles, 1928. The newly opened Hotel Somerville stands at the center of the city’s thriving Black community, welcoming entertainers, entrepreneurs, and dreamers. For aspiring journalist Daisy Washington, it represents opportunity and hope. Determined to lift her family out of poverty, Daisy secretly reports on political activism and Hollywood scandals. But in a city where ambition collides with racism, greed, and betrayal, even the most determined woman can become trapped by the very secrets she uncovers.

Chicago, 1968. Frankie Saunders has only one goal: escape her abusive husband. Her unlikely rescuer is her outspoken and unpredictable Aunt Daisy, who remains haunted by the choices of her youth. As they travel west toward Los Angeles, Frankie discovers that the past cannot simply be outrun. Family secrets, unexpected love, and hard-won resilience force both women to confront the lives they have lived—and the futures they still hope to claim.

Rich with unforgettable characters, emotional depth, and meticulous historical detail, this multigenerational saga explores love, heartbreak, forgiveness, survival, and the enduring strength of Black women determined to shape their own destinies.

“The scenes are cinematically vivid, the language fresh and vibrant, the characters complicated and real.” — Historical Novel Society

“The author of Wild Women and the Blues is back with another historical fiction novel to dazzle and amaze.” — Book Riot

“An engrossing family saga filled with heartbreak and love, victory, forgiveness, and loss, and a wonderful character study of several unforgettable women.” — All About Romance