Did You Hear about Kitty Karr? -- Crystal Smith Paul, Hardcover

REESE'S BOOK CLUB MAY 2023 PICK

A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz

When Kitty Karr Tate, 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 from her beginnings in the segregated South 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.

As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living. 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.

Author: Crystal Smith Paul
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Published: 05/02/2023
Pages: 416
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 1.31lbs
Size: 9.49h x 6.62w x 1.32d
ISBN: 9781250815309

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal Prepub Alert 12/01/2022 pg. 10
Library Journal 02/01/2023 pg. 68
Booklist 02/15/2023 pg. 28
Kirkus Reviews 03/01/2023
Publishers Weekly 03/20/2023

About the Author
Crystal Smith Paul attended Spelman College and UCLA's School of Theater, Film and Television and received her master's in journalism from NYU. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Salon, Jezebel, and HuffPost. She currently works in digital marketing for wellness and beauty brands. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is her first novel.