Harlem Shuffle

by Colson Whitehead, Yannick García · 2021

Ray Carney runs a modest furniture shop on 125th Street, dreaming of a stable life for his wife Elizabeth and their growing family. Beneath his respectable storefront lies a legacy of Harlem’s underworld, and when his cousin Freddie drags him into a daring robbery of the legendary Hotel Theresa, Ray’s carefully built façade begins to crack. As the heist spirals out of control, Ray must navigate a maze of family expectations, street loyalties, and the seductive pull of easy money, all while the vibrant history of Harlem pulses around him. Colson Whitehead blends razor‑sharp humor with a thrilling crime plot to explore race, power, and the thin line between legitimacy and deceit.