From her childhood in Chattanooga to her Harlem debut; from touring the Jim Crow South to showcasing in Shanghai and London, Valaida lived large, blazing a trail with energy and style. Based on the story of Valaida Snow, one of jazz?s first female trumpeters, this is an enthralling, seductive, deeply imagined novel. Candace Allen received her BA from Harvard before attending New York University?s School of Film and Television. A former Hollywood screenwriter and assistant director, she was the first African-American woman to become a member of the Director?s Guild of America.