A review by marik0n
Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul

challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

This book was an absolute page turner for me and I enjoyed every second of reading it. At first I picked it up because it gave [book:The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo|32620332] vibes and I was all for it.
This story is a multi-generational saga which includes strong, resilient, feminist women and indeed explores Hollywood. However, it does so in the context of the civil rights movement. 

As a European I was familiar with the hardship black people and especially black women had to endure (and many still do up until today), but reading this book was certainly a punch it the stomach. There is no only a comparison of white vs black lives and privileges through different times, but also it highlights the different approaches and livelihoods inside the black community. 

While reading this I kept thinking about this quote from Barbie: "We mothers stand still so our daughters can look back to see how far they've come.”. If this book isn't a representative example of that I don't know what is. 

This book also offers some food for thought regarding men and their relationships with women; the ways men disappoint us, take advantage of us or simply the way that they will never full (sometimes because they just won't even try) comprehend womanhood  <i> The need to possess, to own her, was the masculine greed that killed her </i>

The only thing I disliked about this book were the present day segments. They just weren't this strong and they kind of threw me off the story. Thankfully, the main focus of the books is the in the past pov which I greatly enjoyed. If the majority of the chapters hadn't been about the past, I believe that I would have DNFed this book. The character development of the St. John sister was barely there and to be honest it didn't really move me as they felt a little flat and who can actually relate with millionaires?

Both while reading and after finishing this book I felt very sentimental and connected to women and womanhood.

I would most certainly recommend it.