Sweettea_and_a_Book's Reviews > The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel―The Untold Story of Hattie McDaniel's Life and Legacy
The Queen of Sugar Hill: A Novel of Hattie McDaniel―The Untold Story of Hattie McDaniel's Life and Legacy
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I read QOSH with some book friends last month and it was pretty eye opening. The book details the life of Hattie McDaniel, a Black actress and the first Black actress to win an Oscar Award back for her role in Gone With The Wind.
Honestly, I hadn’t heard much about Hattie before reading the book, but her story and legacy were quite interesting. What I found alarming is that the very struggles she faced as a Black actress back in the 𝟏𝟗𝟑𝟎𝐬-𝟏𝟗𝟓𝟎𝐬 are 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 being fought in present day Hollyweird(i.e. Angela Bassett, Taraji Henson, +++). It is an absolute disgrace!
She had so many obstacles in her path, making the road bumpy, and destined for failure, but she persevered and reached many goals. I love learning about courageous women like Hattie who overcome all of the odds.
Some things that mystified me was Hattie’s inability to find work AFTER winning an Oscar, the pressure that she faced trying to balance being “safe� for popular audiences, while facing backlash from her own community for the “mammy� roles she took on. She took the jobs she could get, even though the stereotypical roles often made her feel like a mockery. I cannot even imagine the immense pressure this woman faced trying to be everything to everyone, while still dealing with romantic woes.
Reshonda is one of my favorite authors and this book is very different from her traditional works. I am glad that she stepped outside her box and tried something new, giving life and awareness to Hattie’s life, success and legacy.
Honestly, I hadn’t heard much about Hattie before reading the book, but her story and legacy were quite interesting. What I found alarming is that the very struggles she faced as a Black actress back in the 𝟏𝟗𝟑𝟎𝐬-𝟏𝟗𝟓𝟎𝐬 are 𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐋 being fought in present day Hollyweird(i.e. Angela Bassett, Taraji Henson, +++). It is an absolute disgrace!
She had so many obstacles in her path, making the road bumpy, and destined for failure, but she persevered and reached many goals. I love learning about courageous women like Hattie who overcome all of the odds.
Some things that mystified me was Hattie’s inability to find work AFTER winning an Oscar, the pressure that she faced trying to balance being “safe� for popular audiences, while facing backlash from her own community for the “mammy� roles she took on. She took the jobs she could get, even though the stereotypical roles often made her feel like a mockery. I cannot even imagine the immense pressure this woman faced trying to be everything to everyone, while still dealing with romantic woes.
Reshonda is one of my favorite authors and this book is very different from her traditional works. I am glad that she stepped outside her box and tried something new, giving life and awareness to Hattie’s life, success and legacy.
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Reading Progress
February 1, 2024
– Shelved
February 1, 2024
– Shelved as:
to-read
March 12, 2024
–
Started Reading
March 27, 2024
–
Finished Reading
April 3, 2024
– Shelved as:
african-american
April 3, 2024
– Shelved as:
historical-fiction