Review: Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?
Finished Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul some days ago, and I can’t stop thinking about it.
The story is told in several POVs spanning a timeline of almost 100 years. The “oldest” POV is the one of Hazel, a black girl growing up in southern USA in the 1920s. Her life is shaped by racism and segregation, and she’s working hard to give her daughter a better life. Eventually, we switch to her daughters POV around the 1940s (if I remember correctly) and move further on in time from there.
This part of the book is so well written. Smith Paul really makes you feel for the characters, makes you understand their struggles and anger. Most characters in this part of the story feel so human, they are flawed and make mistakes, but they also care and want to do better.
The past stories are set against the backdrop of Elize’s POV. She’s a black actress nominated for an Oscar in 2017. And here it gets a bit frustrating. This bit of the story could be compelling but falls flat. The characters in this part are all unlikable and obnoxious. Everything feels rushed and there is so much going on that I can’t care for anything.
I really wish Smith Paul would have turned these stories into two separate books. Following Hazel and Co through the ages was a great read. I wish we could have just continued with it instead of the story being cut off in the 1960s. This was a 4.5 star read, even 5 stars with an interesting ending.
And I can see the structure of Elize’s story shining through the convoluted mess. A black actress just having landed a Vogue cover story, an Oscar nomination, and about to be married to a fellow actor. But then we get to know her and find out that it’s all hollow and that she struggles with not being allowed to speak up about injustice against African Americans since her management wants her to be more palatable.
That alone is a compelling story. But add a secret love story with a photographer telling the life of his grandfather through his photos and Elize finding out a big secret about her family and you get an amazing story about a woman caged in by her own success finding her voice and standing up against social injustice and the rich and famous hoarding money.
As is, I can still recommend the book. The retro POVs make up the majority of the book, and this part is absolutely worth a read. Elize’s POV is frustrating to read, but mostly so because the rest of the book is so well written.














