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A Novel of Hattie McDaniel?The Untold Story of Hattie McDaniel's Life and Legacy
by ReShonda Tate
Bestselling author ReShonda Tate presents a fascinating fictional portrait of Hattie McDaniel, one of Hollywood's most prolific but woefully underappreciated stars—and the first Black person ever to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in the critically acclaimed classic film Gone With the Wind.
It was supposed to be the highlight of her career, the pinnacle for which she'd worked all her life. And as Hattie McDaniel took the stage in 1940 to claim an honor that would make her the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award, she tearfully took her place in history. Between personal triumphs and tragedies, heartbreaking losses, and severe setbacks, this historic night of winning best supporting actress for her role as the sassy Mammy in the controversial movie Gone With the Wind was going to be life-changing. Or so she thought.
Months after winning the award, not only did the Oscar curse set in where Hattie couldn't find work, but she found herself thrust in the middle of two worlds—Black and White—and not being welcomed in either. Whites only saw her as Mammy and Blacks detested the demeaning portrayal. As the NAACP waged an all-out war against Hattie and actors like her, the emotionally conflicted actor found herself struggling daily.
Through it all, Hattie continued her fight to pave a path for other Negro actors, while focusing on war efforts, fighting housing discrimination, and navigating four failed marriages. Luckily, she had a core group of friends to help her out—from Clark Gable to Louise Beavers to Ruby Berkley Goodwin and Dorothy Dandridge.
The Queen of Sugar Hill brings to life the powerful story of one woman who was driven by many passions—ambition, love, sex, family, friendship, and equality. In re-creating Hattie's story, ReShonda Tate delivers an unforgettable novel of resilience, dedication, and determination—about what it takes to achieve your dreams—even when everything—and everyone—is against you.
"This is best-selling author Tate's first historical fiction title, and what a novel it is! Her portrayal of McDaniel is magnificent, and Tate has a unique ability to bring out this strong, resilient, and passionate woman from the page into life. Those who enjoy character-centric historical fiction and Hollywood biopics will savor it." —Library Journal (starred review)
"The novel shines in its portrayal of the movie world and at McDaniel's Sugar Hill home. A must-read for fans of Tate's Jasmine series coauthor Victoria Christopher Murray (The First Ladies, 2023), this novel will also appeal to fans of biographical fiction about strong female characters, including Josephine Baker's Last Dance by Sherry Jones (2018)." — Booklist
"ReShonda Tate's The Queen of Sugar Hill, about Hattie McDaniel's life, will be one of the stand-outs of the historical fiction season. Not only is the book wonderfully researched, but Tate has written an emotional page-turner about Old Hollywood in all of its horror and beauty. McDaniel was the first Black Oscar-winning actress who should've reigned, but the roadblocks were plentiful and exhausting. Nonetheless, in ReShonda Tate's capable hands, The Queen of Sugar Hill is also a humorous, inspiring, and surprising read you won't be able to put down." —Denny S. Bryce, best-selling author of The Other Princess: A Novel of Queen Victoria's Goddaughter and Wild Women and the Blues
"Reshonda Tate's new historical fiction, The Queen of Sugar Hill, takes the reader on an intimate drive through the complex and often misunderstood neighborhood where Academy Award-winning actress Hattie McDaniel lived. Tate's characterization of this champion of human dignity and humble fighter for race advancements is riveting, soulful, and poignant. Her exploration of the chasm between those wanting to work within the system and those rejecting it is as heartbreaking as it is illuminating. The Queen of Sugar Hill is a must-read biographical fiction." —Vanessa Riley, award-winning author of Island Queen and Queen of Exiles
This information about The Queen of Sugar Hill was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
As a national bestselling author and award-winning journalist, ReShonda Tate has the credentials, and the passion, to bring stories to life. A highly sought-after motivational speaker/poet, ReShonda is a three-time nominee and previous winner of the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature. She has received a plethora of distinguished awards and honors for her journalism, fiction, and poetry writing skills, including an induction into the Arkansas Black Hall of Fame and the Texas Literary Hall of Fame. Two of her novels have been made into television movies.
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