"'Economy Hall'” is so inviting that the true depth of its scholarship is revealed only in its bibliography, which lists dozens of archival and other sources. Shaik’s monumental book ...is lyrical and mysterious and always captivating."
"Shaik blows the dust off the ancient records of an African American society...A lively, readable story."
Washington Independent Review of Books
"prodigious and fascinating research"
"She renders the results of her extensive primary source research for Economy Hall with the detail and pacing of a novel."
“Economy Hall: Fatima Shaik Explores the Hidden History of Black New Orleans ”
Christian Science Monitor
"Shaik painstakingly recounts Economie meetings, translating the society’s minutes from the original French....In its final days, Economy Hall, the group’s headquarters, became an indispensable part of the city’s cultural legacy."
America Magazine: The Jesuit Review
"Fatima Shaik's stunning book stems from the author’s tenacity in excavating the contours of a culture and a keen eye for the people who sustained it."
“Economy Hall’s hidden history is revealed in rescued journals from a turbulent time.”