Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC! This is a multi-layered novel that tackles the concept of passing as related to race and the many complex implications and reasons behind choosing to do so. The dual POV is incredibly interesting, with my favorite being the portions taking place in the past. I couldn’t help but be riveted by the life of our titular heroine.

I am stunned that this is a debut novel - the writing is incredible. The subject matter is eye opening, engaging, and critical reading material. I highly enjoyed this and recommend it whole heartedly.

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the free audio book in exchange for an honest review. This was narrated by Ariel Blake, Kineta Kunutu, & Lynnette Nicholas, all of whom did a fabulous job!!! Highly recommend the audio book.

This is the life story of the 1950's silver screen star, Kitty Karr. It starts off in the present day following the St John sisters, a large African American family that are all billionaires, mourning the loss of Kitty who just passed away. But it quickly shifts to the 1930-40s in the Jim Crow south where an black girl is raped by a white man and becomes a mother. The story of Hazel and Mary progresses in their world of North Carolina with Hazel working for the same family as her rapist was from and her daughter, Mary, who can pass as a white person. We meet another mother and daughter pair who are the same as Hazel and Mary...black mom with a daughter who can pass as white. The mothers conspire to provide a better life for their daughters and hatch a plan to send both girls to Los Angeles, which is where Kitty is born. The story travels all the way up to the present day after covering a whole host of issues from blacks passing as whites in the segregated South, the underground that raised money against the racial injustices of the 60s, hard decisions, family and identity.

I really enjoyed this story for the most part. I thought it was very well researched, addressed the historical events from a different and enlightening perspective and really shed light on the African American community outside of the south during the 50s and 60s. I did not like the present day St John family as they had attitudes that their lives contained 'problems' that really and truly most people could only hope for. I loved the past stories of Hazel, Kitty, Emma, Lucy and the others that were raised up with Kitty. They were faced with enormous sacrifice, injustice and problems that I could barely listen to let alone walk behind them in their footsteps.

Interesting read and highly recommend!

I loved this so much I wanted it to be real. It feels real.
I wanted to look up Kitty Karr to see pictures of her. I wanted to know her like we know celebrities now. I do know this story is a story about things that did happen to women in the Golden Age of Hollywood.
This was beautifully written and researched. I fell in love with our characters. I love how it was all related to now. The narrators were amazing. They did this flawlessly.
The last line!

A thoroughly riveting historical fiction that takes place in Jim Crow South. It touches on hard, sensitive subjects but it's also educational.
Kitty Karr is a white old Hollywood actress who leaves her entire estate to 3 wealthy black women - daughters of celebrities themselves. And they have no idea why.

This book is wonderful and if you liked Evenlyn Hugo, you will enjoy reading this. It's got the same vibe.



Thank you to Netgally and Crystsl Smith Paul for this advanced copy of the audiobook.

Upon her death, White silver screen star, Kitty Karr, leaves her entire estate to three young Black women. It results in a lot of questions, which Elise St. John, one of the recipients intends to find the answers to.

As Elise digs into Kitty’s past, she uncovers truths that could unravel Kitty’s legacy, Elise’s career, and the entire Sr. John family.

I loved this story about Kitty’s past. It starts with how she had to leave her family behind to pass as white, covers her career, and explores the choices she made to keep her secret. It was both thought-provoking and entertaining, making it a perfect pick for ultimate beach reads and also for book clubs.

I absolutely adored this book, and the audiobook made me love it even more.

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a beautiful, intoxicating debut novel from Crystal Smith Paul. The story begins in 2017 with the St. John sisters, Elise, Giovanni, and Noele, who have inherited a fortune of about 600 million dollars from the Hollywood icon Kitty Karr.  The question on everyone's minds: Why did a White Hollywood star bequeath her entire fortune to the three Black daughters of her former co-star?  To unravel the mystery, this book is told from multiple points in time from three different points of view: Kitty Karr; Elise St. John; and Hazel, a black single mother living in segregated North Carolina.

The narrators did a fantastic job making Kitty, Elise, and Hazel come alive. Having a full cast gave each woman her own distinct voice, which I think was vital to the story and made the reading experience more enjoyable. The flow was easy to understand as the story moved from chapter to chapter.

From the very first chapter, I was engrossed in the lives of the three women and their very different perspectives: from Hazel's life in the Jim Crow South in the 1930s and 40s, to Kitty's beginnings in Hollywood in the 1950s, to Elise's successful acting career in the 2010s.  This novel is an emotional, gripping tale about family, celebrity, racism, and colorism. 

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

If you loved Evelyn Hugo you will love this. As someone who could have been a passing mixed person in that era I'm always attracted to books on this perspective. People don't always understand the hardships or nuances we face being lighter. Kitty was a fabulous story - It was told in 2 parts; Kitty's and her family after she passes. I enjoyed Kitty's parts more, but appreciated the ending.

Although this book is fiction, the reality of the actual storyline is fascinating. Kitty Lane Karr seems like a real. person. I was deeply invested in her story. When Kitty Karr, 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 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. 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.

This novel thoughtfully tied together issues that Black Americans have experienced throughout history that continue today. Various topics were addressed in a way that was informational and thought-provoking. I will definitely be doing more research after reading this.
Thank you Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book

This book is a slow burn that really delivers in the end. It starts with the death of Kitty Karr Tate, a White silver screen legend, who leaves her entire estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women who have no idea why. The story became a lot more interesting to me after it opened up a second timeline about a single mother in the segregated South in the 1930s-50s. As the pieces came together connecting these 2 timelines, the story really captured my heart and opened up a lot of questions about everything we inherit due to our family, race, and gender. This is an incredibly thought-provoking debut - it made me feel very conflicted between all the characters and interested in learning more about the issues in the book. Out of the 2 timelines, I found the past one a lot more interesting - the characters in the present timeline were not as engaging but it was still a great story overall.

The audiobook had separate voices for each character, and Ariel Blake, Kineta Kunutu and Lynnette Nicholas were the perfect narrators for this story.