This book was wonderful. The last time I read “a novel of *insert historical figure here*,” it had been a regrettable trainwreck. I’m so happy to say this was not the case for The Queen of Sugar Hill. I loved learning so much about the fantastic woman Hattie McDaniel. My reading led me to do lots of research about her and her time. It was so fascinating.

When I started the book, I was surprised to learn that the book started with Hattie winning the Oscar. I guess I assumed that the book would be the story of her journey to being the first Black person to win an Oscar, but instead it was about her life after that groundbreaking event, and I love that. Hattie’s life went on for a couple decades longer after Gone with the Wind, and that not only deserves to be respected, but it also shows how Hattie’s problems weren’t all solved due to that enormous win. That’s a story that needs to be told. Hattie’s story, as she says in the book, is one that reminds to celebrate all progress made while not forgetting the progress left to be made.

There were a few stylistic choices I wasn’t keen on, but the story was so good, the leading lady so charming, and her voice so well-crafted that I didn’t mind.

The author feels passionately about Hattie McDaniel, and it’s evident in every piece of the book. At the end she makes a historical note about the liberties she took as this is a piece of fiction. There is a ton of historical accuracy and it is a well-researched piece; but some timelines, characters, and the like are bended or blended to make the story flow better. I appreciate the author’s willingness to not maintain absolute fidelity to the events of Hattie’s life. I think that was the downfall of another historical fiction book I read recently, the attempt to tell EVERYTHING that happened. The author was careful and thoughtful in writing this story, telling the truth accurately while fully understanding this is indeed a piece of fiction, and as a result made choices wisely. Her dedication to the story shows on every page.

Hattie was despised by many in her time for being too Black in the eyes of white people and giving in to stereotypes in the eyes of Black people. In our day, she quickly receives criticism still for the racism present in Gone with the Wind. But Hattie lived then and her legacy lives today to remind us that the good things of the world didn’t come easy, the goodness of the present wouldn’t be possible without the people who came before us doing the best with what they had, and that we have a lot to learn from the heroes who came before us as we continue to try to fight injustice. Hattie McDaniel herself was born of a father and mother who were former slaves. Heroes like them made for heroes like her, who made heroes of further generations. She was a first and laid the ground for much more Black (particularly Black woman) success. We’d be foolish to not celebrate it, and this book celebrates it well.

I’ve been a fan of Hattie McDaniel since I saw her in “The Little Colonel” , on late-night t.v as a kid. I didn’t know about racism and stereotypes; I just thought she was sweet to Lloyd and funny with Bill Robinson’s character.
So, when I saw this book on Netgalley, I was interested, and hoped it would contain information about Hattie’s work with 20th Century Fox, as well as details about her work in “Gone With the Wind.”
It was a bit disappointing. The novel began with Hattie receiving her Oscar for her “Mammy” role, and continued with details about difficult it was for her to get parts other than domestic help in movies, and how her friendship with Clark Gable really helped her through discouraging times.How Hattie became “The Queen of Sugar Hill” and lived her life until 1952 was the main premise of this book. It was interesting, just not what I was hoping for.

The Queen of Sugar Hill is an interesting story about Hattie McDaniel told in her voice. Although fiction I learned so much about Hattie and the conflict black actors experienced during this time in Hollywood. Even though she won an Oscar for her role as Mammy in Gone With the Wind she had trouble finding work. The NAACP targeted her for taking demeaning roles. Not only did Hattie have struggles working she had four failed marriages. Luckily she had a group of friends that were always there for her. Clark Gable was one of those friends.
Thanks NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fascinating book!

Wonderful yet heartbreaking read. Gives you a good look at Hattie's life and the challenges she continually faced. A book you definitely should read.

I received this advance reader copy from net galley in exchange for a fair review. I found this story enjoyable but the protagonist didn't feel well developed or three dimensional to me. I am sure it's historically accurate, but I found that the details didn't successfully demonstrate Hattie McDaniel is emotional reactions to the racism she faced. I was looking for more show, not tell in this story.

Excellent! I thoroughly enjoyed this story on the life of Miss Hattie McDaniel. The author wrote the story in first person which made it feel so personal. It was as if Hattie was sitting with me sharing her life’s story. I celebrated and danced with her during the good times. Equally I shared in her heartbreak during the hard times. This story awakened me to Hattie McDaniel’s life in a way I never imagined. A true page turner. I highly recommend this book to all readers.

Hattie McDaniel won an Oscar for playing Mammy in Gone with the Wind; however, it didn't change her life like she thought it would. This book covers Hattie's life after winning the Oscar and the battles she faced as a black woman in Hollywood with white and black audiences. Hattie wanted to portray characters unlike her character Mammy and the normal characters black people played in Hollywood. She had a lot of resistance from white and black audiences yet continued to rise above the criticism. The book is thoroughly researched and is a compelling read.

This is an absolutely amazing book that brings Hattie McDaniel vividly to life! ReShonda Tate has captured Hattie's spirit, her courage and tenacity, and her exceptional talent in this book. Hattie was the first black woman to win an Academy Award, yet she was relegated with the other black actors in the film to a table at the back of the event and was denied entrance to the after party that was held in a white's only restaurant. The book tells Hattie's story from her Academy Award win through the rest of her adult life. That may have been her highest film award, but it was far from her only award or achievement. I never realized that she was the force behind the landmark case that ensured that racially restrictive covenants in deeds were declared illegal throughout the country. This is a well-researched historical fiction, full of notable and memorable characters, as well as the film, radio, and television stars of the time, and the early days of NAACP. The author's notes at the end are definitely worth reading. Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for my advance copy of this book. The opinions of this review are my own.

Hattie McDaniel was the first black person to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in the movie Gone With the Wind. Even though she was proud of her Oscar, it didn't seem to make her life any easier. This book is a fictionalized story of Hattie's life at the Oscars and the rest of her life. She had a lot of heartache in her life, but she remained strong and kept going. She dealt with criticism from both whites and blacks as well as struggling to find good roles for a black actress. I knew about Hattie McDaniel from Gone With the Wind, but this book delves into so much more of her life. I thought it was well=written, and I was very interested in learning more about her. The author did a great job of bring her to life, and letting the reader know more about this strong, courageous woman.

Thank you to Net Galley and William Morrow Publishing for the chance to read and review this book! All opinions expressed are my own.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishers for this Advanced Readers Copy of The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate!

This fictionalized tale of Hattie’s life was intriguing, entertaining, and left me wanting more. I couldn’t give this one five stars because I’m still not sure how I feel about taking so many liberties with a person’s life. I did enjoy this story and will be doing more reading about the life of this woman.

Based on the life of Hattie McDaniel The Queen of Sugar Hill by ReShonda Tate dives into the struggles that she faced after winning the Academy Award for her portrayal of Mammy in Gone with the Wind. The pages are filled with interesting facts of not only Hattie, but other actors of her time.
I found The Queen of Sugar Hill both engaging and eye opening. There were several times where I spent hours looking up the facts and people that were mentioned. This book is well researched, and though it veers from the exact timeline of Hattie McDaniel's life it is a must read for fans of historical fiction and old Hollywood.
The Queen of Sugar Hill is a solid 4 stars.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for an advance copy in return for my honest review.

Hattie McDaniel made history as the first black person to win an oscar. Her portrayal of Mammy in Gone With the Wind kicked off a firestorm of controversy. White Hollywood elites did not want a black actress to win acting's biggest award. Black journalists called McDaniel's role as Mammy a step back in the fight for equal rights. In the middle was McDaniel herself, doing the best she could with a few roles she could attain.

ReShonda Tate's The Queen of Sugar Hill begins the night McDaniel won her Oscar and follows McDaniel through the rest of her career. McDaniel coped with an hysterical pregnancy, racism, criticism and eventually breast cancer. She worked steadily for years as an actress and cabaret singer. I was disappointed Tate made Clark Gable a hero in the novel. Gable championed McDaniel and treated her as an equal more than her other white co-stars, but Gable was a problematic person and feels a little too celebrated in the novel. I did like that Tate talked about Butterfly McQueen and revealed that she was nothing like the insipid portrayal of Prissy she was forced to give in Gone With the Wind. McDaniel was a dignified human being, a history maker, and trail blazer. The novel shines a spotlight on a woman and an era that needs to be re-examined for the benefit of history.

Hollywood - 1930s and 1940s

Hattie McDaniel was proud of her part in the wildly popular film Gone With The Wind where she played Mammy. And she worked hard to perfect that role, despite the fact that many of her fellow Negro actors were not content with playing such parts. When Hattie was nominated for an Academy Award as Best Supporting Actress, she didn't expect much. At the awards ceremony, while the rest of the GWTW cast sat in the front row of the audience, Hattie was relegated to a small table in the back of the auditorium. And then her name was called as the winner, and a whole different world opened up for her. Or so she thought.

Traditionally, Oscar winners found new openings in their careers. But for Hattie, that wasn't the case, Even the after Awards party barred non-whites from attending. Despite an agent who tried hard to get her great parts, Hattie struggled to find meaningful work. While it was an honor to be the first Negro actor/actress to win an Academy Award, the NAACP wasn't thrilled that it was for playing a slave. And the movie companies were not as eager to hire Negro actors.

Hattie's personal life was a struggle at times, too. Multiple marriages, despair that she couldn't get pregnant, and having to find enough work to pay the bills, she spent many years trying to prove her worth. She was, however, surrounded by good friends, and if not for them, Hattie would have been lost. Despite her war work and her agent, her acting career was grinding to a halt. Racism would rear its ugly head over and over again, preventing Negro actors and actresses from working. But Hattie was not one to let anything get her down for long.

THE QUEEN OF SUGAR HILL is an eye-opening look at American history and the undergrowth of racism. But it also shows the strength and determination of one woman who knew herself, who knew what she wanted, and would stop at nothing to achieve her goals.

I highly recommend THE QUEEN OF SUGAR HILL for its honesty and for telling a story of perseverance.

Hattie McDaniel was an amazing woman and led a fascinating life. Not only did she win an Academy Award but she opened many doors for Black people, not just performers. Her life is worthy of book and this one related much that was of interest. The author obviously did her research and included lots of information, but, for me, the book never really came alive.

Hattie McDaniel walked away with an Oscar for her role in Gone With The Wind which should have opened all the doors for roles but instead she was shunned by her own people for not fighting more and still banned by the white studios from getting anything other than a maid or bit character roles. Fight she did for racial equality in the studio, in her segregated Sugar Hill neighborhood and government. Hattie was unlucky in love and never had the long term marriage and houseful of children she longed for. In the Golden Age of Hollywood where your secret (or rumor of one) let out by Hedda Harper could cost you everything Hattie still spoke up for what she believed in. Even her good friend and chief supporter Clark Gable could not break the racial ceiling in Hollywood. Much praise to the author who did justice to Hattie McDaniel's incredible story that has until now remained mostly ignored. Recommended for readers of those stars who suffered from inequity in Hollywood such as THE BRIGHTEST STAR by Gail Tsukiyama or Jamie Ford's THE MANY DAUGHTERS OF AFONG MOY. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

"The Queen of Sugar Hill" is a now historical fiction novel based on Hattie McDaniel's life. She was famous for her role as "Mammy" in the classic blockbuster, Civil War set "Gone with the Wind" movie, for which she became the first woman of color to win an Oscar. Sadly, she really struggled even after that - men, discrimination, type-casting, red-lining & more all factor into her story. I really enjoyed learning more about her & I recommend this book. My sincere thanks to Net Galley & the publisher for the complimentary DRC, my pleasure to review it!

I received a copy of "The Queen of Sugar Hill" by ReShonda Tate from NetGalley. The author writes this book as fiction but based on the life of Hattie McDaniel. The book is seen through Hattie McDaniel's narrative. Although this book is fiction it includes some real life things that were in the Oscar Winning actresses life.
The book starts in 1940. It is the night of the Oscars and Hattie McDaniel is nominated for best supporting actress for her role as "Mammy" in Gone With the Wind. she becomes the first African American woman to win an Oscar.
This book starts from that night and ends at her death in 1952. The author gives Hattie McDaniel a voice of what she could be thinking over these 12 years. She has faced many obstacles. White people see her as "mammy" and expects her to continue in the same kind of roles. She also is pressured and judged by fellow black people who hate the "mammy" and maid type roles she is force to perform. She is also unlucky in love. Over her life she is married four times. The first marriage ends when the love of her life dies. Her other husbands in her life only use her and treat her badly. she also is treated badly when she is the first black person to move into the all white "Sugar hill" neighborhood and she is pressured to move. I think the author has written a pretty good book on what it must have been like for the talented actress. She did a lot of research on the actress. I enjoyed reading the book but also found myself feeling outraged for the obstacles that Hattie Mcdaniel faced in her life. I would give this book a 4.5.

I’m a ReShonda Tate (Billingsley) fan, so I’m most always going to give anything she writes a chance. When I read the synopsis I was even more interested in the story because—oddly enough—Gone with the Wind is one of my favorite movies. I have to admit that when I began the story I was a little bit disappointed, as I thought the story would begin with her youth, but it started very much into her adult life. Despite the initial disappointment, I decided to keep reading and I’m very glad that I did. This was such a great weaving of fact and fiction. Many times I found myself reaching for my phone so that I could look up different people, places or experiences. It made the book come alive for me and I really enjoyed that aspect. The writing style was very engaging and easy to follow—a hallmark of this author’s work. All in all, a really good and informative read.

The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author.


****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****