Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?

A multigenerational saga that traverses the glamour of old Hollywood and the seductive draw of modern-day showbiz

When Kitty Karr Tate, a White icon of the silver screen, dies and bequeaths her multimillion-dollar estate to the St. John sisters, three young, wealthy Black women, it prompts questions. Lots of questions.

A celebrity in her own right, Elise St. John would rather focus on sorting out Kitty’s affairs than deal with the press. But what she discovers in one of Kitty’s journals rocks her world harder than any other brewing scandal could―and between a cheating fiancé and the fallout from a controversial social media post, there are plenty.

The truth behind Kitty's ascent to stardom from her beginnings in the segregated South threatens to expose a web of unexpected family ties, debts owed, and debatable crimes that could, with one pull, unravel the all-American fabric of the St. John sisters and those closest to them. As Elise digs deeper into Kitty's past, she must also turn the lens upon herself, confronting the gifts and burdens of her own choices and the power that the secrets of the dead hold over the living.

Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is a sprawling page-turner set against the backdrop of the Hollywood machine, an insightful and nuanced look at the inheritances of family, race, and gender―and the choices some women make to break free of them.

About the Author

Crystal Smith Paul attended Spelman College and UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and received her master’s in journalism from NYU. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Salon, Jezebel, and HuffPost. She currently works in digital marketing for wellness and beauty brands. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is her first novel.

Reviews

“Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is an intoxicating and seductive debut, drawing you into an underground Hollywood world that is as glamorous as it is dangerous. Kitty Karr is an iconoclastic, complicated, and fascinating woman, whose legacy is as relevant as ever today. Crystal Smith Paul is a thrilling new voice in fiction and I cannot wait to see what she does next.” —Taylor Jenkins Reid, bestselling author of The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo and Daisy Jones and the Six

“An ambitious novel, illuminating the complexities of racial identity, particularly what it means to be Black in Hollywood no matter the era. It’s the kind of book that makes you want to know more about Hollywood’s hidden history.” —New York Times Book Review

"An engrossing saga, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? explores the heartbreaking sacrifices that one woman must make in order to succeed in the Golden Age of Hollywood―and the way in which her difficult choices echo throughout later generations. Crystal Smith Paul's debut about family, celebrity, and racism―both historic and modern―captivates." —Marie Benedict, bestselling author of The Mitford Affair and coauthor of The Personal Librarian

Dimensions: 13.72 x 2.67 x 20.96 cm