The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

By: Ayana Mathis

Narrated by: Adenrele Ojo, Bahni Turpin, Adam Lazarre-White

Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's summary

A debut of extraordinary distinction: through the trials of one unforgettable family, Ayana Mathis tells the story of the children of the Great Migration, a story of love and bitterness and the promise of a new America.

In 1923, 15-year-old Hattie Shepherd flees Georgia and settles in Philadelphia, hoping for a chance at a better life. Instead, she marries a man who will bring her nothing but disappointment and watches helplessly as her firstborn twins succumb to an illness a few pennies could have prevented. Hattie gives birth to nine more children, whom she raises with grit and mettle and not an ounce of the tenderness they crave. She vows to prepare them for the calamitous difficulty they are sure to face in their later lives, to meet a world that will not love them.

Captured here in 12 luminous narrative threads, their lives tell the story of a mother’s monumental courage and the journey of a nation. Beautiful and devastating, Ayana Mathis’s The Twelve Tribes of Hattie is glorious, harrowing, unexpectedly uplifting, and blazing with life.

©2013 Ayana Mathis (P)2013 Random House Audio

Great book

I enjoyed this but where is the second book... I enjoyed working out to this book.

Interesting

What did you like best about The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0)? What did you like least?

I liked how the story spanned many decades, it made you see the changes of time.
I did not like the fact that each character was introduced, but then you never find out what happens to them later in their life. I also didn't like how the story had no beginning, middle and end. It was just a story about a bitter woman's sad life that never changed for the good or the bad.

What was the most interesting aspect of this story? The least interesting?

The most interesting aspect was learning about Jim Crow laws and the role of Philadelphia as an opportunity for southern African Americans. The least interesting was Hattie's life.

Which scene was your favorite?

When Bell (I think) goes to the medicine woman's house for juju

Did The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) inspire you to do anything?

no

Any additional comments?

Disappointed in the story. It only gave a glimpse into the lives of her children and Hattie never grew as a person. Life doesn't always have happy endings but that's why I read books. If I wanted to witness a sad story about someone who never grew, I could just look around me.

Touching, tragic, hit me at my core

Any additional comments?

I really salute Ayana Mathis for creating this world of Hattie's that not only kept me wanting to read more, but beautifully weaved and intertwined each story, while maintaining the unique voice to each chapter.

There were so many moments in this book that lingered with me, and had me imagining life as Hattie or one of her children and the defining moments of their lives. And the narrators did a fantastic job in further sinking me into the story. Mathis was very convincing in creating so many emotionally real and sadly tragic characters I will not soon forget.

well written but only fairly interesting

Would you try another book from Ayana Mathis and/or the narrators?

Yes, she is a good writer and the narrators were excellent

Would you be willing to try another book from Ayana Mathis? Why or why not?

Yes, but I hope she writes a better story. Some parts of the book were interesting; others were just boring. I did not like Hattie and found very little growth in her maturity level.

What about the narrators’s performance did you like?

The narrator's performance kept the book moving along, even the boring parts.

Could you see The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) being made into a movie or a TV series? Who should the stars be?

No, because there were no likable characters in the book.

This is my family and yours.

If you could sum up The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) in three words, what would they be?

Authentic, Tragedy, Uplifting

What did you like best about this story?

That it is true that children experiencing the same environment can respond differently and be responded to in ways that will mold their behaviors and self esteem. I also liked the fact that siblings will always know how to reach each other.

Which scene was your favorite?

Can't tell will give away too much.

If you could take any character from The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) out to dinner, who would it be and why?

Hattie. Strong Black women have always made choices and had to live with and through the consequences, without others ever realizing the anguish that went into the decision.

Any additional comments?

A most read for all women of color!!!

Great Book!!

Excellent book!! I appreciated the complexities of the characters, especially the matriarch of the story Hattie. The author introduced many issues plaguing this family. Issues of love, lost, and abandonment was woven throughout. At various points of the story the author reminded you of the time period of the story and shared how issues of race, class, gender, and religion were interconnected amongst the members of the family and the community in which they lived. I did not particularly like the ending. The author left many questions unanswered. Overall I enjoyed the book a great deal!!

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie

This book was revititing and deep. It demonstrated the faith of a woman and the struggles she faced raising her children. She was resilient and showed strength throughout her life.:

Hattie was an amazingly strong Woman!

In the beginning I had trouble following but once I understood how the story was being told I was able to follow along effortlessly...you must pay attention. What a rollercoaster ride of a journey...Beautiful story.

Amazing! So complex!

What did you love best about The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0)?

This book was so complex, following Hattie's life and her children's lives. What an effort for a first time author! Truly enjoyed listening to this book!

Almost, but not quite

Lots of potential here, but somehow never quite came together. Hattie's character is never fully developed as she threads through the stories from her children's lives. I was left with too many disconnects even though it was apparent that the author attempted a ribbon of connection through the individual stories. Putting all I learned about Hattie throughout the book together still left me with an incomplete character who never became real or sympathetic. The first chapter was the closest it got and from then on I lost sight of the real Hattie a little at a time. Overall I found the book frustrating, individual stories were well written, but they were way too loosely held together to be a coherent novel. I'll be anxious to watch this author grow and mature, she definately has the talent to become something amazing.