The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel
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 film classic 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. more
432 pages, Paperback
First published William Morrow Paperbacks
4.07
Rating
368
Ratings
117
Reviews
ReShonda Tate
1 books 110 followers
Community reviews
4 solid stars. Historical fiction based on the life of McDaniel, the first person of color to get an Oscar (for Gone with the Wind) and her struggles with all that systemic racism & the patriarchy threw at her. She also had to fight against “Old Hollywood” and the studio system, colorism, several bad husbands and she also successfully fought LA’s infamous “red-lining” segregation to keep her & her neighbors in their Sugar Hill/West Adams homes. Her drive & perseverance really stand out and this one’s a real eye-opener, even if you think you know her story. more
I received a copy of "The Queen of Sugar Hill" by ReShonda Tate from NetGalley. The author writes this book as fiction but based on the life of Hattie McDaniel. The book is seen through Hattie McDaniel's narrative. Although this book is fiction it includes some real life things that were in the Oscar Winning actresses life. The book starts in 1940. more
I’ve been a fan of Hattie McDaniel since I saw her in “The Little Colonel” , on late-night t. v as a kid. I didn’t know about racism and stereotypes; I just thought she was sweet to Lloyd and funny with Bill Robinson’s character. So, when I saw this book on Netgalley, I was interested, and hoped it would contain information about Hattie’s work with 20th Century Fox, as well as details about her work in “Gone With the Wind. ”It was a bit disappointing. more
I received an advanced copy from Harper Collins in exchange for my review. This is an historical fiction based on Hattie McDaniels life. Hattie was the first black female to win an Academy Award for her role in Gone With the Wind. While the book is beautifully written and extremely hard to put down it still incorporates many important topics, many still seen today. Race, gender roles, the construct of marriage, racism, death and friendship are all themes throughout. more
"The Queen of Sugar Hill" by ReShonda Tate is a mesmerizing journey through the remarkable life of Hattie McDaniel, a name familiar to many but often not fully understood. At the heart of the narrative is Hattie McDaniel's groundbreaking achievement as the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award. Known for her iconic role as Mammy in "Gone with the Wind," McDaniel's victory marked a pivotal moment in the history of cinema. Yet, Tate moves beyond that moment to unveil the layers of Hattie McDaniel's life, painting a vivid portrait of her struggles, triumphs, and the indelible mark she left on the entertainment industry. Readers also come away with a deeper understanding of the challenges Ms. more
I’m a ReShonda Tate (Billingsley) fan, so I’m most always going to give anything she writes a chance. When I read the synopsis I was even more interested in the story because—oddly enough—Gone with the Wind is one of my favorite movies. I have to admit that when I began the story I was a little bit disappointed, as I thought the story would begin with her youth, but it started very much into her adult life. Despite the initial disappointment, I decided to keep reading and I’m very glad that I did. This was such a great weaving of fact and fiction. more
I am a "First Reads" winner. Thank you to the author and publisher. "We reminded them of their mothers and grandmothers. We reminded them of the parts of their lives they'd rather forget. They were ashamed of us. more
Author Reshonda Tate, along with narrator Lynnette R. Freeman made me fall in love with Hattie McDaniel. This was such a good book and I’m in awe of the amount of research that must have been done. if you are a fan of classic cinema, you will love this one. So many many things I didn’t know. more
This Biographical - Historical Fiction is about Hattie McDaniel, the first African American to win an Academy. Once winning the Oscar, Hattie McDaniel thought that her acting career would take-off, but shortly she learned that the very award that heightened her notoriety was the same award that was the catalyst to a lot of struggle, pain, and trauma. Though being a recipient of this award was a major accomplishment, her elation was short lived. Ms. McDaniel quickly realized that winning the Oscar caused much unrest in Hollywood as it related to Black actors, caused strife in her community, and adversely collided with her relational life. more
I felt an overwhelming wave of sadness throughout this book. Not a sadness that made me cry, but one that made me feel empty and upset often at the same time. We all know Miss McDaniel to be the first Black woman to win an Oscar, but what happened to her after that historic moment is a series of events that we unfortunately can relate to in 2024. While several liberties were taken throughout the book, it is quite believable that The Queen of Sugar Hill closely resembles the time period. Being Black (especially dark-skinned), being woman, being overweight, and being outspoken were seen as threats in 1940 and still are to this day. more
A really fascinating, well written historical biography about the life of Hattie McDaniels, the Oscar winning actress who played Mammy in Gone with the wind. I didn't know much about Hattie's life at all and this book was such an interesting look at her love life (she was married four times), her Hollywood career and her tragic death from breast cancer. Great on audio narrated by Lynnette R. Freeman and definitely worth a read for anyone wanting to know more about 1940s and 50s America for Black people and especially Black entertainers. more
Many thanks to the publisher/author via NetGalley for the free copy. This book was wonderful. The last time I read “a novel of *insert historical figure here*,” it had been a regrettable trainwreck. I’m so happy to say this was not the case for The Queen of Sugar Hill. I loved learning so much about the fantastic woman Hattie McDaniel. more
While I have not seen "Gone with the Wind" (I know. ), I knew the character of Mammy. But, wow am I glad to know more about the 1st Black woman to win an Oscar (for that role), Hattie McDaniel. This determined, resilient, and passionate woman never stopped fighting to improve the roles offered to black actors or how they were promoted/portrayed. There is so much I learned while reading this book. more
Phenomenal portrayal and engaging read. Learned so much about Hattie, her life and career. Obviously, bc it's historical fiction, there's some creative license taken, but it really told her life, her triumphs, and her struggles as a Dark skin black actress in Hollywood in the early to mid 1900s. The audiobook especially was great. Felt like Hattie was literally talking to me as the reader. more
Our March 2024 pick. Chosen by Robin (#139). more
The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel by ReShonda Tate15h 28m narrated by Lynnette R. Freeman, 432 pagesGenre: Historical Fiction, African-American Fiction, Fictionalized Biography Featuring: Epigraph, Hattie McDaniel, Hedda Hopper, 1940s, February, Los Angeles, California; Clark Gable, Louise Beavers, Lillian Randolph, Ruby Berkley Goodwin, Ruby Dandridge, Dorothy Dandridge, Bette Davis, Olivia de Havilland, Vivien Leigh, Tallulah Bankhead, Gone With the Wind, Butterfly McQueen, The Academy Awards, Laurence Olivier, Movie Studios, Racism, Dates on Chapters, Blues Singer, Actors, James Lloyd Crawford, Walter White, NAACP, WWII, Lena Horne, Fredi Washington, Colorism, Racial Covenants, Sex, Wonderful Smith, Ethel Waters, Shows, Marital Issues, Historical Note - Creative Liberties, Author's NoteRating as a movie: PG-13/PG-15 Songs for the soundtrack: "I Wish I Had Somebody" by Hattie McDaniel, "In the Mood" by Glenn Miller, "Step It Up and Go" by Blind Boy Fuller, "The Jumpin' Jive" by Cab Calloway, "My Mammy" by Al Jolson, "I Thought I'd Do It" by Hattie McDaniel, "Because" by Enrico Caruso, "Sugar Blues" by Ella Fitzgerald, "Sepia Panorama" by Duke Ellington, "Buds Won't Bud" by Judy Garland, "You Made Me Love You" by Bing Crosby, "Bye Bye Blues" by Cab Calloway, "God Shall Wipe All Tears Away" by Mahalia Jackson, "Stormy Weather" by Ethel Waters, "Lover Man" by Billie Holiday "Just One of Those Things" by The Max Roach Quartet featuring Hank Mobley, "I'm a Shy Guy" by Nat King Cole, "Lullaby of Birdland" by The George Shearing Quintet, "Baby, It's Cold Outside" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan with the Tympany Five, "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole My rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🎞My thoughts:📱7% 1:04:05 Chapter 4 March 1940 - This is good. I'm stopping to research these friends and get back to Mystic Creek. I plan on enjoying this story over the next few days. 📱29% 4:32:55 Chapter 15 June 1941 - I was so disappointed when the story stopped. more
This story is a must read. The author did a fantastic job telling us about the life of the first black woman to win an Academy Award. There was so much more to Hattie McDaniel than her role in Gone With The Wind role. As POC already know, being talented does not open the door to automatic acceptance, wealth and love; and neither does winning an Academy Award. McDaniel life had a life filled with colorism, racism, relationship woes, unsavory characters, and never-ending heartache. more
ReShonda Tate’s Queen of Sugar Hill is teeming with old Hollywood history as she fictionalizes the story of Hattie McDaniel from the evening of her Oscar win - a historical moment - to the death of the legend. I’d heard of Hattie before but I didn’t know much outside of her star in Gone with the Wind and making history as the first Black person to win an Academy Award. While there are moments that are made up, this story sticks to the source material for better (or worse. ) The author set out to highlight Hattie’s life good and bad but in doing so, it sometimes feels like you’re reading her biography and not a historical fiction book. I’m glad this book exists - it’s wonderful - but it feels more historic than fiction. more
I won an advanced reader's edition free from goodreads. This is a fictionalized version of the life of Hattie McDaniel from the night she won the Academy Award to her death. Even though this is fiction it has great basis in fact. Like most people I knew that Hattie McDaniel was the first African American to win an Oscar for her role of Mammy in Gone With The Wind. I also knew by today's standards the role was cringe worthy. more
What an astounding life—so vibrantly portrayed in this biographical novel of Hattie McDaniel. While it was hard to learn of the battering she took from so many quarters, I can’t help but think that Hattie would be pleased to see her story so well told, to know that we understand so much more, at last, to see herself in all her glory, triumphant to the end. RaSHONDA Tate has written a stellar novel; I won’t be forgetting this story. Well done. Narration is equally masterful. more
Recently, I came across a deeply moving story that I believe you would find intriguing. It is about a woman whose life unfolded unexpectedly, a woman who chose to live life on her terms, regardless of what others thought. The story revolves around Hattie McDaniel, the first Black woman to win an Oscar for her role in "Gone With The Wind". While one might expect such an achievement to propel one's career, Hattie's journey took a different turn. Her award seemed to open the floodgates for criticism of all aspects of her life - from her craft and character to her physical appearance and skin color. more
I've never been particularly interested in Hattie McDaniel, but I love old Hollywood and have read a number of fiction (and non fiction) books about actors during that era, so I had to give this one a shot. I really enjoyed it. Which seems strange, since her life had so many sad moments. But, it was well written and I was engaged the whole time. And, I guess I shouldn't look at her life as just sad, since she made a point to try and enjoy life. more
This historical fiction novel is based on the life of Hattie McDaniel. McDaniel was the first Black woman to win an Academy Award for her role in "Gone With The Wind". And while she thought the award would open doors for her, she spent the rest of her life fighting and being disrespected by people of all colors. From the people who ran Hollywood and typecast her in roles, to people in the Black community who chastised her for taking certain roles, McDaniel had to fight for respect from them all. This is a very well written account of her life. more
I really enjoyed the intentional work it took to research and weave together this beautiful and poignant story of Ms. McDaniel’s life. I felt like I got to know just who she was. Thank you Reshonda Tate for the hard work that you put into this brilliant work. more
EnjoyableI really enjoyed reading about the life of Hattie McDaniel. The story flowed quickly and kept my interest. It is my hope that her history will not be erased. It is sad that there is such an effort to erase history rather than to do better. ReShonda Tate has done a great work in sharing the story of Hattie McDaniel. more
I am speechless. How do you put into words what this work of fiction means. I have read several books by ReShonda Tate and I must say this is her best work yet. Queen of Sugar Hill is completely different from what I’m used to reading from this author and it is definitely next level. ReShonda took us on a much needed journey into the life of Hattie McDaniel. more
(From my review on NetGalley. Thank you to them for the advanced reader copy. )This well researched book exhibits a strong sense of place and time. Hattie McDaniel comes alive in these pages and her struggle as a person of color struggling with the prejudices of Hollywood, criticism from others in the Black community for her roles, and her struggles in her personal life were hugely felt by this reader. I thought it was wise of Tate to start the book post production and release of “Gone with the Wind” and rather start with McDaniel’s Academy Award win. more
This is an absolutely amazing book that brings Hattie McDaniel vividly to life. ReShonda Tate has captured Hattie's spirit, her courage and tenacity, and her exceptional talent in this book. Hattie was the first black woman to win an Academy Award (for her portrayal of Mammy in Gone With The Wind), yet she was relegated with the other black actors in the film to a table at the back of the event and was denied entrance to the after party that was held in a white's only restaurant. The book tells Hattie's story from her Academy Award win through the rest of her adult life. That may have been her highest film award, but it was far from her only award or achievement. more
Thank you, Partner bibliolifestyle williammorrowbooks for the gifted copy of THE QUEEN OF SUGAR HILL by ReShonda Tate. This novel is a blend of historical, biographical and contemporary fiction and recently released on January 30, 2024. Taken from the synopsis, this novel "presents a fascinating fictional portrait of Hattie McDaniel, one of Hollywood’s most prolific but woefully underappreciated stars. " Tate expertly wove together major historical events, the struggles of African-American women in the film industry and the pressures and prejudices from multiple sides I would not have considered. This deep fictional representation of McDaniel's life highlights her Oscar winning role and shows the darker issues that shadowed such a pivotal moment. more
The story flowed well and the characters were well developed. I recommend this book and look forward to more from this author. ****Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review****. more