Book of The Month discussion

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.

11 chapters

Kitty (view spoiler)[ wow, she seems larger than life. I wonder how she'll tie into the story of the two little girls (Lillian and Mary) because I assume she does
it must be hard to be without her. I feel bad for Elise (hide spoiler)]

Elise (view spoiler)[ I like Elise. she's in a tough position, though, and I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to deal with that kind of fame

it IS tacky to have a halloween/birthday party so close to the memorial though. Yikes.

I wonder if we'll find out that Rebecca's family (grandma) ties back to these 2 girls too. Or if it's Elise's grandma. I'm not sure how the two stories connect yet (hide spoiler)]

20 chapters

(view spoiler)[ wow, okay so now we know
I wonder if Rebecca's mom is Emma.

I know now that Mary is Kitty Karr. She's worked hard to make it in this business. It must be so scary, anxiety inducing, the think about being caught.

It was awful - I was so mad - that Emma would send around those awful rumors about her. To lie about the history she had at the company. She barely kept Kitty safe.

I wonder where this goes from here. It sounds like the photographer knows Kitty's secret now. I wonder if this will change how the family feels or if they know. I wonder how the world will handle it. and those that knew her when she first moved (hide spoiler)]

31 chapters

(view spoiler)[ wow, so I wondered if they were her kids and grandkids. how heartbreaking she could never tell them

I wonder how Kitty's husband handled it. I just can't imagine he would accept her (and how much better she was at writing and acting). I wonder if she hid it.

I like that this chunk spent more time in the past instead of going back and forth (hide spoiler)]

finally done

(view spoiler)[ I don't know if Kitty would have wanted her to tell the truth about Kitty and how they were related
but I like that Elise made her own decision after she did a lot of research.

I was so glad Nate accepted their daughter.
(hide spoiler)]