Hattie McDaniel was on top of the world-with her Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress, the first Oscar ever for an African-American, she was finally going to get the roles that she had worked so hard for and richly deserved. But Los Angeles in the 30's and 40's was not a place that guaranteed success for any actor, much less a dark-skinned comedic one. Starting with not being able to attend her own After Oscars party as the restaurant was "whites only," she realized that her dreams would have to be retooled.
In a constant fight with studios to get past constantly playing mammy characters, or at least to play them with dignity, McDaniel walked a tightrope between stereotypical roles and unemployment-often losing her way. To add to that, the NAACP wanted to bring her down, in favor of light skinned modern actresses, setting up a competition for the very few available jobs that Hollywood offered. She had lots of man trouble and was unfortunately very unlucky in love. But she was rich in friendships, both white and black, notably Clark Gable who was her advocate. Her "never give up" attitude was an inspiration to those who came after her.
Historical fiction is not an easy genre, especially when written in the first person as a fictional autobiography. The author must present the true information about the main character as she also develops her voice. This can lead to a very stilted and preachy narrative...you don't want the non-fiction aspect to overpower the character with whom the reader must relate. Tate never lets the history get in the way of her character's narration-you really get a sense of knowing McDaniels struggles and triumphs by the end of the novel and you root for her and hope for a satisfying resolution of her problems. I really enjoyed this book-I learned a lot about McDaniel's life and experienced a period of Hollywood history that more people should know about. A book club must.
Reviewed by Donna Ballard
Publication date - January 30, 2024
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