I Really enjoyed the plot but I found bouncing around in the timeline took me out of the story often, and I would just be getting attached to one of the (many) characters and then the POV would change suddenly.

I think the concept is really important because it truly shows that skin colour has nothing to do with how good the person will be. I think once people understand that having lighter skin doesn't equal better we can finally start to understand that we are all equal.

I liked the relationship between the sisters as it reminded me of my sisters.

I really enjoyed DID YOU HEAR ABOUT KITTY KARR? by Crystal Smith Paul which is the @reesesbookclub May pick! This debut novel is about fictional actress Kitty Karr and her rise to fame and her beneficiaries who will uncover Kitty’s secrets. This book is definitely for fans of The Sevens Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I liked the multigenerational story told over an expansive timeline including old Hollywood and more present day. It was interesting all that Kitty had to go through in her life and to find out how her life intertwined with the other women in this book. I liked the main topics of race and family and how wealth and privilege can affect your life. There was one very specific reference to Neve Campbell in The Craft that I loved! I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ariel Blake, Kineta Kunutu and Lynnette Nicholas and they were great. I love a full cast on audio. I’d love to see this book adapted to film or tv one day.
.
Thank you to Henry Holt Books & Macmillan Audio for my gifted review copy!

I seriously loved Thai! Multigenerational story about three sisters, their mom, and a neighbor who passed away. Told from multiple points of view.

This was okay. I preferred the past timelines must better than I did the present. The present timelines seemed somewhat disjointed from the past and more choppy. Felt like those chapters were written by two different authors.

When Kitty Karr Tate, a famous movie star, passes away, she leaves her fortune to the St. John sisters. Elise St. John, closest to Kitty, begins to fulfill Kitty’s wishes while the gossip columns speculate as to why a White movie star would leave her belongings to this Black family. Elise realizes there’s more to Kitty’s history and identity.

I don’t want to give too much away, although I don’t think the point of the book is the big reveal. It was still fun for me to speculate on how Kitty Karr’s story would unfold. How heartbreaking of a story, at that!

d You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a standout book for me. It incorporates so many of the elements I love in fiction. There is a dual timeline, a family saga, and a Hollywood setting. All things that mixed together, create some of my favorite books.

I have seen a lot of comparisons thrown around for a lot of other recent and popular books and while I do feel like it is safe to say those comparisons are very valid, I also think this book provides a fresh twist. I feel like it is hard to accurately explain the fresh take without spoiling the book... so I will leave it up to you.

The writing style and storytelling reminded me a lot of The Farewell Tour by Stephanie Clifford while the overall vibe reminded me of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo meets The Vanishing Half.

This book is packed with social commentary that I found fascinating and I already am planning to do further reading on it.

I also listened to an audio ARC of this and the audiobook is fantastic. One of my favorites of the year. The narrators switch based on whichever perspective we are reading from and I think that added really well to the overall tone of the story.

I think this is a book I will think of for months to come.

Thank you to Netgalley and Henry Holt & Co. for the early access audio ARC!

Many thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan audio for the review copy of this. The narrators really helped bring the story to life. Enlightening, entertaining and uplifting dual storylines bring the past and present together.

Key Details:
• Fame
• Racism
• Mysterious family history
• Multiple Timelines and POV

If Evelyn Hugo and The Vanishing Half had a baby, it would be this book. With elements of stardom, and the price people pay to get to the top, mixed with the injustice that African American’s have faced historically this book touches on many deep subjects. I loved the various perspectives and character development! This book was an enjoyable storyline, but also makes you think about real-life issues in a new way. Highly recommend!

Kitty has been sent away by her mother to Hollywood. She wants more for Kitty than what is available at home. See, Kitty has a white father and a black mother. But, Kitty has a white skin tone. Her mother knows she can have the life of her dreams away from the south where everyone knows her background.

This is more of a 3.5 star read. I, of course, rounded up! It is a bit long and it tends to drag in the middle. It could have been cut by about 100 pages probably. That being said, I did enjoy Kitty. She is truly a tough woman in a terrible time.

I learned a great deal in this book. I knew quite a bit. But, I didn’t know the lengths many people went to hide what they really are. So, the secrets and the manipulation really add to the intensity of this story.

The narrators are excellent. This is probably why enjoyed this book more than I would have if I had physically read it. There are three narrators and each one created amazing voices!

Need a story with so many secrets…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Elise and her sisters inherit the estate of the famous actress Kitty Karr. But why? As the women dig into Kitty’s past, secrets begin to unravel.

I loved this layered, complex story. Kitty was such a wonderfully rich character. The plight of black people in the 1950s came alive in this story., and the narration was spot-on. My biggest issue is the large cast of characters with similar names. This made following the story confusing at times, but the beauty of the story outweighs this problem.

Unfortunately I'm just not meshing with the narrators here. I have tried and tried and just can't. 😞 I have a print copy and I'm going to read that instead. Thank you Macmillan for the opportunity to listen. 💕

I lost access to this file a couple days after being approved and it is no longer on Netgalley app. I won't be reviewing sadly for that reason.

If you loved The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, read this book!

Kitty Karr Tate is an icon in Hollywood. A White icon. And when she dies, she leaves her multi-million dollar estate to the St. John sisters. Three young and wealthy Black women. It instantly raises questions, not only in the media, but also with the family.

And while Elise, a celebrity herself, is going through Kitty's things, she finds secrets that will not only rock her world, but the entire world if they come to light.

The story is told from multiple perspectives, from the 1930s to 2017. I listened to this book as an audio book. There are multiple narrators and the story is told beautifully.

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr captivates you and transports you into the depths of racism and the lengths people go through to change the narrative of their lives.

I give Did You Hear About Kitty Karr 5/5 stars.

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a duel narrative novel telling the story of Kitty Karr, a white passing actress and Elise St. James, a black actress and Kitty's neighbor. Elise and her three sisters, wealthy in their own right, inherit Kitty's vast estate and fortune after her death and the world wonders why they are her heirs. Elise unravels Kitty's story as she goes through Kitty's papers and the stories form the novel. Entertaining, but long winded, the premise here is the meat of the novel. The particulars are overlong and often beside the point. Read by two narrators with distinct voices (easy to keep the two separate as you listen). This is easily a book I can see being translated to a screen, but potentially with much tightening of the plot.

Thank you MacMillan audio for this review copy, this is an excellently narrated book and I appreciated the voice work. This is a 4 star audiobook production, 3 star book for me as I just had trouble getting into the plot (nothing to do with the production of the audiobook, the plot/how the story was set up just never grabbed my attention as much as I wanted it to, the story felt predictable to me and while sometimes that can still work, this was one time it did not work for me).

As soon as I saw this cover I knew what this book was about - well at least one of the main storylines. It immediately brought to mind The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. It's the same conceit - hiding in plain sight from a world that would never accept your true self.

This book also brought to mind a lot of painful truths of the past that still linger today. Written in a dual timeline, it is difficult to listen to parts that are centered in the Jim Crow south. It's a striking juxtaposition with the current timeline yet some things unfortunately haven't changed enough yet.

This book is ultimately about race. gender, family secrets and the price we all pay for them. The St John sisters, Black, rich socialites have been left a multimillion dollar inheritance from newly deceased silver screen star Kitty Karr. As they begin to sort through Kitty's things they begin to uncover long hidden family secrets that will change everything they thought they knew.

This was such an incredible listen that will stay with me for a long time.

This is a wonderfully told tale of what it means to be a light-skinned black and pass as being white. During difficult times of segregation in the deep south, this made the quality of life a whole lot better. This is a troublesome yet enlightening account. Dual time periods add to the mystery and tension and the narrator does an excellent job. This will be popular with book clubs.

What a timely and astounding book. I loved it. Great pace, great story. I LOVED the narrator that did Kitty's chapters. The narrator for Elise's voice was breathy. Overall 5/5 and would highly recommend this audiobook!

A moving historical fiction novel that explores the complexities of race relations in America, the behind the scenes workings of Old Hollywood and the dangers and challenges of 'passing' as a light-skinned Black person during the post-WWII period. Incredibly well-written and great on audio, this book is perfect for fans of Passing by Nella Larsen or The personal librarian by Marie Benedict. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early audio version in exchange for my honest review!

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? was a page turning delight. It was so well written, with beautiful sentences—the present timeline sounding like poetry (and brought to life by the audiobook narrator).

With the complexity of the story, and stunning writing, there’s no question as to why it is a Reese Witherspoon pick. Well deserved!

This story has many layers, all of which are heart wrenching, captivating, and leave the reader forever changed. I did not want to put this story down as I was so engaged in the story while also tying every moment to the reality of our world. There’s no doubt this story will be the talking point for a long time, as it should be.

I listened to the audiobook. Each of the three narrators brought the story to life in their own way, and tied it all together quite well. I listened at 1.75x speed, which is my normal.

I highly recommend this book and the audiobook. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this advanced audio copy.