Kitty Karr” is uneven, but this is an ambitious novel, illuminating the complexities of racial identity, particularly what it means to be Black in Hollywood no matter the era. Many years later, one sister lives with her black daughter in the same southern town she once tried to escape. There’s even a trip to Maine, my personal favorite seaside location; this one wins for hitting two of my criteria at once.

How does the concept of inheritance shape their relationships with each other and the world around them? As with her New York Times-bestselling debut The Mothers, Brit Bennett offers an engrossing page-turner about family and relationships that is immersive and provocative, compassionate and wise. When she passes away, the world is shocked to find out she left her massive multi-million dollar estate to her next door neighbors: the St. The premise is that actress Kitty Karr (Tate) passes away and wills her fortuned estate to the Black St.Discuss the portrayal of the entertainment industry and its influence on the characters’ lives and aspirations. And don’t even get me started on the reviews saying “Taylor Jenkins Reid did it better in Evelyn Hugo”. Discuss the complexities and tensions that arise from navigating societal expectations, familial legacies, and personal desires.

Paul's sprawling multigenerational debut hits the ground running with a peek at the complicated family life of an iconic, privacy-seeking clan of Hollywood stars: the St. John, a celebrity herself, faces various personal challenges throughout the book, including a cheating fiancé and a controversial social media post. John sisters’ lives and identities change when they inherit Kitty Karr’s multimillion-dollar estate? John—three black sisters who have been famous since birth thanks to the accomplishments of their actress mother and musician father—the inheritance opens up a barrage of questions from the press and public.I liked the multigenerational story told over an expansive timeline including old Hollywood and more present day. But I’m pretty picky on how late I’ll read a book now because I need my energy to keep with an active toddler! The theme of passing is just as relevant as it was in the past, and people’s identities, backgrounds, and hardships are still just as valid and will never be overdone or tropey when the underlying causes, such as racism, permeate every facet of society and every Black American family tree. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.

a fast-paced, atmospheric charmer from Holly Goldberg Sloan, the Hill family arrives in Hawaii for a new beginning. My only real issue with this book was the early flashbacks of Kitty’s childhood story were a bit slow, but beyond that everything was great. Her mother was pacing, hidden deep in the labyrinth, but every so often Elise could hear her feet kicking up gravel. Craig is an art dealer, Naomi is in the music business and Marielle, the type to bring foster pets to a weekend away, is the only one of the group to raise a child, parentage uncertain.This intriguing story shifts to Jim Crow-era North Carolina in the 1930s, where we meet Hazel, a young Black woman who has lost her entire family. As the magazine deadline draws near and Ruby finishes what has begun to seem to her an act of brutal betrayal, she is forced to grow up and at last to look at her mother–and herself–through the eyes of a woman.