Thanks to Book Club Girl, Willam Morrow, and NetGalley for this copy of "The Queen of Sugar Hill," a novel about Hattie McDaniel.

Accolades to author Tate for the meticulous research into McDaniel's life. She was portrayed as immensely talented, loyal and devoted to family and life-long friends, and joyously full of life.

But she was a fierce fighter for racial equality, even though she faced criticism for not doing enough. She knew that change would come incrementally and used her influence in Hollywood as an Oscar winner to try to improve it from within.

I loved this book. I knew it was about Hattie McDaniel, Oscar winner, but wasn't sure where the story would take me. This book takes you on the journey of Hattie's life and all of the racism she had to overcome and deal with on a regular basis in Hollywood. She may have be the first African American to win an Oscar but that did not open the doors to acting opportunities. Hattie quietly fought for her rights and others until the end. I was fascinated who her friends were and where she lived. This is not a story about her time on Gone with the Wind and that was ok with me. I'm glad the author focused on Hattie's whole life and not one acting job. The notes at the end let you know what liberties the author took and what was true, but the extensive research that went into writing this book shines through. I found it to be immersive and shows Hattie as a real woman not a character she played in numerous movies.
If you want to read a fascinating story about an unsung hero in Hollywood, I would highly recommend this book!
Thank you Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

I learned so much about Hattie McDaniel's tumultuous life from this historical fiction account. She was the first African-American to receive an Oscar, for playing Mammy in Gone With the Wind. But instead of the award opening doors for her, she found herself typecast, and always in need of work. The NAACP denigrated her for playing demeaning roles, but those were the only roles open to “colored” actors at the time.
McDaniel successfully fought restrictive covenants that whites used to try and keep African-Americans from living in well-to-do neighborhoods, and became the Queen of Sugar Hill. Despite four failed marriages and a lifetime of effort to be taken seriously at her craft, hers was a courageous, generous spirit.

Has Times Really Changed?

ReShonda Tate may have taken some liberties in writing this story, thoes liberities woven together with truth, gave an impressive story. The hardships, abuse, both physical and mental Ms. McDaniel had to endure were heart breaking. Through it all she remained steadfast in her beliefs, friendships, with a smile on her face till the end. Well written, touching, even if you have never seen Gone With The Wind. We should all read and discuss The Queen of Sugar Hill.

It felt like there were elements at the beginning of the book that were glossed over that I would rather the author build up more about the character to create the conflict for later on in the book.

From the very first page, I loved this book. The words flowed like lyrics and sang a sweet melody.
The book starts with Hattie McDaniel winning best supporting actress Oscar, but she was not allowed at the after party because of her race. Her disappointment is palpable. I was instantly hooked and read this in 2 days.
This is a fantastic novel - if you love historical fiction then you will devour this.
Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collins for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

The Queen of Sugar Hill is a novel about the life of Hattie McDaniel after she became the first black woman to receive an Oscar.

Characters- Hattie herself is the most fleshed out character in this book. She is sweet, she is angry, she is multi-faceted and you can't help but love her. If you thought you knew her, you are about to learn better. That being said, I had a harder time connecting with many of the other characters in the book. Some of them (mostly the men...) I'm okay with not connecting with, though! Boy she had some horrible men in her life, and she so deserved better!

Atmosphere - I love an old Hollywood tale, and this has that atmosphere, but from an angle we don't often see. Unlike many old Hollywood stories, this book shows less of the glitz and glamour and more of the struggle and fight. Fewer red carpets, more audition lines. I appreciated that.

Writing Style - This was the aspect of this book I struggled the most with. I absolutely think this is an important story, a powerful story, and an incredibly well-researched story. I struggled with the amount of exposition, and the confusing timelines, though.

Plot - The plot of this book is entirely wrapped up in Hattie's growth as a character, and plot driven by character is always my favorite thing.

Intrigue - Though intrigued to learn more about Hattie McDaniel, I think the issues I had with the writing style fed into a lack of intrigue. The time jumps, the confusing passive tenses, and the amount of exposition made it hard to find intrigue.

Logic - I completely understand this world and the events here, even though it's entirely frustrating cause... it's America...

Enjoyment - I did enjoy this book and would suggest it for anyone who is into historical fiction or Hollywood stories.

I would like to thank William Morrow and Net Galley for the opportunity to read this as an ARC. I am a big movie fan and love to read about movie stars. I really wanted to know more about Hattie McDaniel, both as a person and as an actress. Unfortunately, for me at least, this book fell short. It went into little depth about her acting. It was long and slow moving. It was also very sad, and rightfully so as Miss McDaniel had a lot of sorrow in her life. But it did not make me feel her sorrow, or pain.It was very superficial.I just did not get the emotional involvement that I want ftom a historical novel/fiction .It was , for me at least, just ok. It starts with her wining her Oscar in 1940 and goes to her death in 1952. While her marriages, friendships and relationships are detailed, I just did not get that in depth feeling I look for in a book. It was interesting, but not compelling.

The Queen of Sugar Hill is an interesting look into the life of Hattie McDaniel both before and after her Academy Award win for GONE WOTH THE WIND. While the story starts with her win, the author cleverly shares Hattie’s history through flashbacks throughout the book. I enjoyed learning about this period of history - the late 30s through the early 50s and how Hollywood was affected by the times.

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance readers copy in return for an unbiased opinion.

This well researched book exhibits a strong sense of place and time. Hattie McDaniel comes alive in these pages and her struggle as a person of color struggling with the prejudices of Hollywood, criticism from others in the Black community for her roles, and her struggles in her personal life were hugely felt by this reader. I thought it was wise of Tate to start the book post production and release of “Gone with the Wind” and rather start with McDaniel’s Academy Award win.

The author did a great job with her telling of the Hattie McDaniel story. The book was rich in history and it showed what lengths the actor had to endure to become a success. I enjoyed reading this book and look forward to reading more books by this author.

I wanted to read this book because I always enjoy reading the story behind the life of a celebrity. And I was fascinated by the subject of this book -- Hatty McDaniel, the first African American to win an Academy Award. I have to say that I was interested in what the author wrote in her "Historical Note" -- that she loves historical fiction because it allows her to merge the facts with her own creativity. I agree, that's what I love about historical fiction too -- but in the case of a real historical character, I often feel distracted as I read, wondering what is real and what is invented.

That said, I did enjoy ReShonda Tate's novel. I liked the voice she created for Ms. McDaniel, and I was intrigued by her telling of the relationships between Ms. McDaniel and her Gone With The Wind co-stars. I was saddened by how she was often treated because of her race. And I'm inspired now to read more nonfiction about this strong woman who broke barriers.

Fan of the Gone With the Wind movie? You'll want to read this book. Chronicling the life of Hattie McDaniel after she wins the Oscar for her portrayal of Mammy, this book gives lots of important behind the scenes details of the making of this iconic movie. More importantly, this historical novel shows the deep struggles faced by Hattie McDaniel as she tries to further her career after winning the Oscar. This book shows the racism faced by Ms. McDaniel and the utter lack of film roles or other career opportunities available to her, despite her Academy Award winning performance. Unfortunately, the book does not have a "Hollywood Ending," and that perhaps is the point of the book.

Overall, an excellent book.

I received this kindle book from NetGalley and immediately wanted to read about Hattie McDaniel, the first member of her race to be so honored with an Academy Award for best supporting actress for her superb performance as Mammy in ‘Gone With the Wind’

Hollywood clubs, sights, restaurants and digs. Learning how Hattie McDaniel made a name for herself in music, in vaudeville, and onstage in several cities. Her fortune of finding an agent when most white agents didn’t take Negro clients. Hatties’ role as Mammy often got more attention than some of the other players who were considered the stars, so she learned how to embrace it.

Hoping that she capitalized on her Oscar win, Hattie believed that her Oscar win was about to open a number of doors, and she didn’t want to block her blessings. Hattie was truly tired of the press linking everything she said or did to Mammy. She had enough and wanted to let these people know that she was Hattie McDaniel, not Mammy, and filmmakers remain dependent on typecasting colored performers. Fair-skinned black woman working in Hollywood, had the luxury of turning down roles, but the roles were of loose women, while the darker complexed black women were given servants, and mammy roles.

Hattie moved to the suburb of West Adams District that until a few years ago didn’t allow any colored folks to live there. To her it was a sign of success. Some of the most respected elite had settled in Sugar Hill. She had to fight restrictive covenants, and complaints about property values going down. Hattie McDaniel was in a high-profile case and gave a major shot at striking a blow against housing discrimination.

Parties gave Hattie joy. She had parties with Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington, Judy Garland, Bing Crosby. Clark Gable, Laurence Olivier, Wonderful Smith, white actors, directors, reporter and Hollywood movers and shakers. Several of the black local actors served as a floating hotel for entertainers who came through town.

Hattie was tired of being assailed, and criticized for her portrayals and fought back. no matter how talented black actors were their options were few. No Negro woman had ever headlined her own radio show, but McDaniel was the first. Proctor & Gamble got the bright idea to get a Negro woman to play a Negro woman instead of a white man. Hattie began making demands. A return to what she loved was exactly what she needed. Procter & Gamble agreed to all of Hattie’s demands, but they’d also given her the final say over scripts and allowed her to hire her own staff, and was making the steadiest salary she had ever earned.

But such was the tragic life of Hattie McDaniel where breast cancer took up residence in her body. She’d been in more than seventy films and was destitute. The first Negro woman, to win an Academy Award, to stay at the Motion Picture Country Home Hospital, but denied burial at the Hollywood Memorial Park Cemetery.

The writing was well done and the fictional accounts felt very possible, however I am more intrigued to do further reading about the life of Hattie McDaniel. This novel is packed with historical facts, people, places and things. I would have read the book faster, but I constantly stopped to look up the actors, actresses, places, etc to give me a more visual reference. This is an extraordinary read and I hope to read more historical fiction from ReShonda Tate in the future.

#TheQueenofSugarHill. #NetGalley #Onnaday

This is a very special story that not only tells the story of America’s groundbreaking Black actress, Hattie McDaniel, but is a lens through which we can view social history.

The author chooses to open the novel with the occasion of McDaniel winning the Oscar for her portrayal of mammy in Gone With The Wind. It is that sequence that sets up the story of what it meant to be in the entertainment industry as a Black woman.

The author goes on to explore other relationships and complications in her stormy life.

I enjoyed the book and appreciate the fact that it delved into the underlying prejudices of tge entertainment industry and the broader society.
Thank you Netgalley.

Before this book, I knew about Hattie McDaniel only from her Acadamy Award winning performance, so it was interesting to see how varied and extensive her career was (She sang; she had a popular radio show!). Most interesting to me were her efforts to advance the film industry for those who followed in her footsteps. It was sad, though, to see the opposition she faced both from some blacks (who claimed she was keeping them stuck in the same type roles) and the whites who felt she'd already pushed the boundaries too far. It was heartening to see that she was a fighter to the end.

Thank you to BookClubGirls and NetGalley for the early read.

It's extremely clear and evident how much care went into writing this fascinating story based on the life of Hattie McDaniel. This book led me to research more about her and the tough times she went through trying to break into Hollywood and become a respected actress amongst her colleagues. It's really eye-opening to understand that her role in Gone With the Wind really should have opened so many doors for her, but it created additional roadblocks for her along her journey. Many thanks to NetGalley for the eARC!

ReShonda Tate delivers a great historical look at Hollywood and the first Black women to win an Oscar, Hattie McDaniel in The Queen of Sugar Hill. Tate allows readers to delve into McDaniel’s life from her childhood all the way to Gone With The Wind and her Oscar achievement. I enjoyed Tate’s writing style and love that she is bringing this story to readers everywhere!

The Queen of Sugar Hill is an outstanding read with a wow factor that captures your attention.

I felt like I had a front-row seat at the picture show and received all the tea.

Grab your fancy attire and get ready to strut the red carpet. This is one premier, starring Oscar Award Winner Hattie McDaniels, that you don't want to miss. Reshonda Tate Billingsley wrote an impeccable story and did it with style. She gives us the good, the bad, and the ugly, entangled with the glitz and the glam. Still, most importantly, she gives us Hattie McDaniels, a woman of dignity, poise, strength, and perseverance who fought a good fight until she could fight no more. She was "The Queen of Sugar Hill" indeed.

This is a book with all the feels. I am talking about clutching your pearl moments, moments of laughter, and even moments where you just might want to shed a few tears.

The Queen of Sugar Hill is a must-read with much to talk about.

4.0 stars
DEFINITE recommend

I received a complimentary Kindle e-book in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own. Thank you to ReShonda Tate, William Morrow, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

Wow! I had no idea that Hattie McDaniel, the first Black person to win an Academy Award for Gone With The Wind, had such an interesting and rich life!! Hattie was a multi-talented artist who could act, sing, and dance!! AMAZING!

However, her life did not reflect what someone who won an Academy Award should reflect in CREDITED movie parts. The segregation by the Hollywood studios at that time was a disgrace.

Read to learn more about this humble and trail-blazing woman who wanted to make it better for women AND Blacks. She succeeded!!