You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I loved the storytelling in this book. The language was so such and vivid. I was sad for the characters.
I really liked the style of the book with each chapter primarily from the point of view of a different child.
Easy to read in a single sitting this novel follows Hattie, who as part of the Great Migration moves from her native Georgia to Pennsylvania and starts her family. The novel progresses through the 20th century and reflects the different challenges faced by her brood as they come of age.
This has some wonderful description and vivid imagery that makes each character seem vividly real and relatable. And yet, there is never enough about each character to make this feel like a cohesive novel. Instead, it reads like a character sketch of various characters all connected by being children of Hattie. It is a story many, many people can tell of migrating from the South to the North and one that is both sad in that it shows the difficulties black people faced and continue to face because of slavery, and is uplifting, in that the characters have hope for a better life beyond their disinterested parents and history of oppression. It shows how it is possible for oppressor to affect more than a single person but a whole culture.
I heard about this book via WHYY's journalist Cherri Gregg and was able to borrow it via my local library as an audiobook. The majority of the story takes place in Philadelphia over the span of the main character's lifetime, and is told through vignettes from a myriad of perspectives. Each chapter takes its time, giving the reader enough insight into each character while holding on to the central theme of the novel.
I don't often rate a book five stars. This one lands solidly at a 4.5 for me, very close to a five. I felt these characters, the descriptions, the connections. (The only time the story disappointed me was during Franklin's chapter. He's a Philly kid, yet he calls soda "pop" multiple times. Nit-picky, I know, but it stuck out.)
I don't often rate a book five stars. This one lands solidly at a 4.5 for me, very close to a five. I felt these characters, the descriptions, the connections. (The only time the story disappointed me was during Franklin's chapter. He's a Philly kid, yet he calls soda "pop" multiple times. Nit-picky, I know, but it stuck out.)
Beautifully written and heartbreaking. The Twelve Tribes of Hattie shows you just how deep a mother’s love is and how trauma can be passed down to the next generation.
Was an interesting read and can't wait to discuss with Brunch & Books!
ARC courtesy of the publisher and Edelweiss, though I didn't read it until after the pushed up publication date.
This was readable, but not worthy of the hype that is currently surrounding it. I'm vacillating between two and three stars, but am feeling generous right now as I reflect on certain chapters. The disjointed narrative of Hattie's family takes place over 40+ years with each chapter focusing on the story of a different son/daughter. Some were sincerely interesting and poetically told. Some were kind of boring, leaving me with a sense of a flat character. The last chapter was a mess.
This was readable, but not worthy of the hype that is currently surrounding it. I'm vacillating between two and three stars, but am feeling generous right now as I reflect on certain chapters. The disjointed narrative of Hattie's family takes place over 40+ years with each chapter focusing on the story of a different son/daughter. Some were sincerely interesting and poetically told. Some were kind of boring, leaving me with a sense of a flat character. The last chapter was a mess.
very good writing-engaged immediately. Lot of characters to keep track of and I wanted different outcomes
I really wanted the stories to somehow connect and was dissapointed a the end of the book when they didn't.