Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
A Novel
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3.9 • 267 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
REESE'S BOOK CLUB PICK
BOOK OF THE MONTH PICK
A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz
When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.
A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could—and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty.
The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them.
As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender—and the choices some women make to break free of them.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Racial politics and Hollywood glamour collide in this exuberant drama about a well-off family and an unexpected inheritance. The three St. John sisters are both Hollywood royalty and successful in their own rights—the epitome of Black excellence. But when their neighbor, the retired white actress Kitty Karr, dies and bequeaths all of her riches to the sisters, the St. Johns are plunged into a mystery surrounding Kitty’s will…and her secrets. Crystal Smith Paul artfully weaves together storylines from the ’30s to the present day, from the segregated South to the Hollywood Hills. We adored the sumptuous language that made this book feel like a portal into the most moneyed neighborhoods in L.A. Mixing showbiz glitz with devilishly clever family drama, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is an unmistakable hit.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In Paul's appealing if overlong debut, a Black Hollywood family reckons with a surprising and complicated past. The St. Johns live in a Bel Air mansion that features a garden maze and a Ferris wheel. Elise is the family's latest star of the silver screen and up for an Academy Award for Best Actress. Her mother, Sarah, is also a storied actor, while her father, James is a renowned musician. Elise is preoccupied with managing her image and avoiding the paparazzi, until the death of neighbor Kitty Karr, Elise's beloved mentor, who leaves a fortune to Elise and her two sisters. As Elsie goes through Kitty's journals, the narrative winds back to Kitty's hardships in 1930s North Carolina and mid-century Hollywood glamour, and Elise learns that while Kitty passed as white, she was actually a light-skinned Black woman. Though Paul crowds the narrative with far too many underdeveloped characters and makes a few too many implausible plot leaps, she ably describes Kitty's transformation and unflinchingly details the racism, misogyny, and exploitation Kitty faced as a young woman. Though a bit clunky, the dramatic story and hefty subject matter would make a fine adaptation to the silver screen.
Customer Reviews
Great story with some confusing writing
This was a superb book! I loved the passing story line. I love the walk through the Jim Crow era and the Civil Rights Movement through the lens of black women passing. However, the writing was confusing. At time, I assumed I was reading a flashback only for it to a poorly written conversation. Other time it felt like I was watching a movie that had scenes cut out.
Not bad.
This was a pretty good read. I was really disappointed in how it ended.
Great read, lots of characters
Great story, but a lot of characters to keep track of - need to dedicate a little time to get into it.