susanneb01 's review for:

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis

3.0

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Well, this was definitely one of the most depressing novels I have recently read! The book's central character is Hattie, an African American woman who migrated from the South to Philadelphia with her mother and siblings when she was a teenager, then quickly marries a man who turns out to be at best goodhearted, at worst an irresponsible loser. Nevertheless, she sticks it out with him and has twelve children. Each chapter of the book is dedicated to a slice of life from each child - in no particular chronological order, but all sad and depressing. Not one child blossomed under these circumstances, or is very satisfied. I don't think it has anything to do with the migration to the North (as I remember the media explaining about this book), but rather that one mother stretched to the max, emotionally, physically and financially, cannot provide enough love and motivation for her children to overcome the desolute life.