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    Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?: A Novel
    Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?: A Novel
    Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?: A Novel
    Audiobook13 hours

    Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?: A Novel

    Written by Crystal Smith Paul

    Narrated by Ariel Blake, Kineta Kunutu and Lynnette Nicholas

    4/5

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    • Identity

    • Friendship

    • Family Relationships

    • Family Secrets

    • Secrets & Lies

    • Fish Out of Water

    • Forbidden Love

    • Secret Identity

    • Rags to Riches

    • Mentorship

    • Hidden Past

    • Family Secret

    • 'forbidden Love' Trope

    • 'magical Negro' Trope

    • Love Triangle

    • Celebrity Culture

    • Grief & Loss

    • Betrayal

    • Family Dynamics

    • Race & Identity

    About this audiobook

    REESE'S BOOK CLUB MAY 2023 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.

    A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.

    Editor's Note

    Sweeping debut…

    A sweeping debut on how racism and misogyny alter our stories and shape future generations, “Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?” begins with the death of an elderly Hollywood starlet. When a shocking secret is found in her old journals, it shakes her wealthy Black neighbors, the St. John sisters, to the core. Paul revisits the Golden Age of Cinema through Kitty’s reflections, revealing the many ways women and people of color had to sacrifice their identities and dignities to be seen.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherMacmillan Audio
    Release dateMay 2, 2023
    ISBN9781250899422
    Author

    Crystal Smith Paul

    Crystal Smith Paul attended Spelman College and UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and received her master’s in journalism from NYU. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Salon, Jezebel, and HuffPost. She currently works in digital marketing for wellness and beauty brands. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is her first novel.

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    Reviews for Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?

    4/5

    234 ratings16 reviews

    What our readers think

    Readers find this title to be a captivating and well-written story that explores the civil rights movement from a female perspective. The storyline of Kitty, a famous white actor, is interesting and enjoyable, while the storyline of Elise, one of the three black sisters, is dull. Some readers had difficulty with the audiobook narration, but found the story itself to be fascinating. The book touches on the themes of passing and generational wealth, and overall, readers found it to be an excellent and thought-provoking read.

    What did you think?

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    Review must be at least 10 words

    • 4/5

      Feb 23, 2025

      The book was interesting and I’m glad I read it, but I did not enjoy Elise’s narrator at all /: The other narrators were okay.
      I highly recommend reading the book in physical format (or as an ebook) instead of listening to it. I think I would’ve enjoyed it less if I’d listened to it in its entirety (I gave up on the audiobook about halfway and read it on my kindle instead).
    • 5/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Nice book, well written
      Didn’t like the narrations, almost quite because of it, I’m glad I finished this book though because the story is really good and fabulous characters
    • 5/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Excellent storytelling of the civil rights movement from a female perspective.
    • 4/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      The story of Kitty was captivating and I would get really frustrated when the chapter switched to present time. I loved the story of Kitty, however the chapters in present tense were often choppy and hard to follow with so many unnecessary characters.
      Overall, I enjoyed the book- would have loved more of some characters and less of others.
    • 4/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Gaining an understanding for the climate of “passing” in America
    • 4/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Excellent read. Very interesting story about how African Americans was passing as white.
    • 5/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Amazing story that tells the view of those who pass for white in America. It touches on views from both sides of their families, both past and current.
    • 5/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      This is the best book I’ve read this year by far!!
    • 4/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Reese Witherspoons book club fascinating generational wealth & racial trauma
    • 1/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      One of the worst narrations I have listened to. I couldn't get past the first chapter. This may be a good book, but may need to be read and not listened to.

      5 people found this helpful

    • 4/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      3.75 stars ✨
      A historical fiction novel following Kitty Karr, a famous white actor, who upon her death leaves all her fortune to three black sisters ?. The story consists of two timelines. One that follows Kitty and one that follows Elise, one of the three sisters.
      Kitty's storyline was interesting and I really enjoyed it but I couldn't say the same about Elise's story ?.
      This novel gives off some Taylor Jenkins Reid vibes which I loved ?. However the audiobook may not have been the right choice for this one, as I had a hard time concentrating on the story in the beginning.

      2 people found this helpful

    • 2/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Kitty’s story was interesting. Elise’s dull. The narration was horrible with mispronunciations throughout.

      3 people found this helpful

    • 4/5

      Jun 26, 2024

      Loved the book but very disappointed in the narrators. Words were mispronounced and sometimes the emphasis was on words in the sentence that didn’t make sense. My suggestion is to read the hard cover book and not the audiobook.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 1/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      I downloaded the audiobook for this book, and it was a mistake. I stopped listening after Chapter 2 because the narration is just awful, unfortunately. I’m still interested in story, however, so I will try to read it instead.

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5

      Oct 7, 2023

      Great story ending needs editing. With such a well developed story, it’s a rushed ending

      1 person found this helpful

    • 4/5

      Sep 26, 2023

      Enjoyed most of it until the end. It just stopped. I have questions. I need an epilogue or a part 2.

      1 person found this helpful