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3.48 AVERAGE
3.48 AVERAGE
I really enjoyed the weaving narrative of this book. I have a penchant for generational storytelling, in which the experiences of the matriarch trickle down through their descendants in ways that only a narrative experience can truly lay out. This book was more like interwoven vignettes than something like Pachinko or One Hundred Years of Solitude, where there is a clear(er) narrative arc. This book has quite distinct chapters where the specific child of Hattie's (and August's lol, he never really seemed like a father) has their own narrative style and their own singular plot device; Six had his various mental and physical ailments, Franklin had his alcoholism and war, Floyd had his sexuality, etc etc. Hattie's presence in each chapter, except perhaps Franklin's, was the backbone of the novel, helped keep these disparate stories chained to one another.
While the structure of the book felt lopsided at times, and some characters were more memorable or engaging than others, especially isolated as they were from one another, I really enjoyed the personal stories of each child which often stood alone, and how they reflected the complicated, fierce, hard loving woman that was their mother.
The Twelve Tribes of Hattie is, overall, a worthwhile read that chronicles the lives and relationships of a working-class African-American family in Philadelphia over the course of roughly 55 years. The family is headed by its stubborn, tough-loving, no-nonsense wife, mother and grandmother, Hattie.
The novel is very intereresting in regards to the way that the story is told. Although Hattie and her relationship with her husband and children remains the overall focus of the story, each chapter also tells a separate story about each of Hattie's children. This way of telling the story is sure to refresh the reader's interest with each new chapter, but the cast of characters can sometimes become a little overwhelming. However, the author does a good job of keeping the focus of the chapter very clear, and the layout of the book is organized. Hattie's older children appear in earlier chapters, and the younger children appear in later chapters.
Overall, the plot of the story is interesting and well constructed, and the characters are well-developed. The ending, however, falls somewhat short of expectations. The ending conveys a powerful message, but never definitively concludes Hattie's story.
The novel is very intereresting in regards to the way that the story is told. Although Hattie and her relationship with her husband and children remains the overall focus of the story, each chapter also tells a separate story about each of Hattie's children. This way of telling the story is sure to refresh the reader's interest with each new chapter, but the cast of characters can sometimes become a little overwhelming. However, the author does a good job of keeping the focus of the chapter very clear, and the layout of the book is organized. Hattie's older children appear in earlier chapters, and the younger children appear in later chapters.
Overall, the plot of the story is interesting and well constructed, and the characters are well-developed. The ending, however, falls somewhat short of expectations. The ending conveys a powerful message, but never definitively concludes Hattie's story.
The novel follows a family, led by matriarch Hattie, through the 11 children and one grandchild. Each chapter delves into the life of one or two individuals and in the process reveals more about Hattie. Hattie's life changes after the death of her twins and hardens her to the world around her. While an intteresting idea, the chapters show only brief glimpses into each life, making you feel like you don't really know them. In addition, none of the children have happy lives except for possibly one. Its more of a look into how a family can get stuck and never recover, that everyone is flawed, and that one event can have lasting consequences for generations. The book ends on a hopeful note, implying that Hattie can do things differently the second time around.
The book started out strong and immediately pulled me in, but reading it was getting a little tedious toward the end. One reason it redeemed itself was the ending which I loved. I did like the book, but it was unsatisfying having the chapter end just as you wanted to know more about each character. Some of the characters are mentioned in the end and we see what happens, but I wondered about the rest of them. I sort of wanted to read about how they ended up as well. That's really what stopped me from giving this book four stars, but I still enjoyed it.
When I got to Hattie's ninth child I was ready to quit this book. I was depressed, anxious and was just not sure I could take any more heartbreak. Mathis has written a tale that had gotten under my skin and I did not want to know anything more about The Twelve Tribes of Hattie. However, I also hate to quit reading any book that I have started.
I am glad I finished this novel, collection of linked stories or whatever it is. The last three children's stories helped me understand all the characters more clearly. Certainly, I had a better picture of Hattie herself.
I give Mathis a lot of credit for writing this. It is her first novel and she says that the structure gave her some issues. I had a few problems with the lack of connections between the stories, but by the end, I found the whole is more than the sum of the parts. I am curious about what will come next from this author.
I had hoped to learn more about the Great Migration from this book. Although that history is important to the beginnings of Hattie's life, it is not as important to the novel as I thought it would be. This novel is more about one family than one culture.
I recommend this novel to book groups, readers of American historical fiction and to those who are willing to visit some very dark places. I know I will be thinking about Hattie for awhile longer.
I am glad I finished this novel, collection of linked stories or whatever it is. The last three children's stories helped me understand all the characters more clearly. Certainly, I had a better picture of Hattie herself.
I give Mathis a lot of credit for writing this. It is her first novel and she says that the structure gave her some issues. I had a few problems with the lack of connections between the stories, but by the end, I found the whole is more than the sum of the parts. I am curious about what will come next from this author.
I had hoped to learn more about the Great Migration from this book. Although that history is important to the beginnings of Hattie's life, it is not as important to the novel as I thought it would be. This novel is more about one family than one culture.
I recommend this novel to book groups, readers of American historical fiction and to those who are willing to visit some very dark places. I know I will be thinking about Hattie for awhile longer.
I really enjoyed this story, and each of the many children that were described. While they didn't give as clear a picture of Hattie as I was expecting, I still appreciated and enjoyed their individual narratives and experiences.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I wanted more from this book. There is a lot of drama without a lot of depth, and many interesting events and characterizations that are left unexplored.
I recommend listening to this book. I think it’s meant to be heard as an spoken story. Moving and powerful!
Listened to this book as a part of #ReadingBlackout for Black History Month.
Listened to this book as a part of #ReadingBlackout for Black History Month.