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

But for a Mothers Love

Great Book Enjoyed each chapter. Hattie is Moma at her best. Good story telling !

Will listen again.

Sad story but well written, and well read. I like the use to the different readers to give you the feel that you are listening to them themselves.

The Twelve Tribes - An Experience

Ayana Mathis, transports you into the life of Hattie and her families experience.

The storyline was good. Definitely a nice read

Much better then I anticipated!

This was a recommend read and I thought that I was not going to enjoy it, however it was a pretty good read. It starts out a little slow, but it gets a lot better. The narrative of the children and grandchildren lives tell the story of Hattie. Some chapters I went over again because I thought I missed something. Some of the characters just ends and leaves you hanging wondering what happens next with that person.

A MUST READY SHOULD BE ON EVERY ONE BOOK SHELVE

What a page turner with each persons story it draws you in further and further, I grew up with many Hattiesburg and the life lessons they gave us, strengthen us and made us a little more aware or wiser.

Great soul searching read

Would you listen to The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) again? Why?

Yes. It was a beautifully written book and the narration was of the highest quality.

Have you listened to any of the narrators’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Who was the most memorable character of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) and why?

Hattie herself. She was such a proud woman but sometimes our pride can have unintented consequences.

Any additional comments?

This was such a sad story. I think after reading this you can't help but do some soul searching and reflect on how you raise or are raising your children.

Multiple readers with mixed quality

Where does The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The main reader was great. The other readers had really flat intonation

Who was the most memorable character of The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) and why?

Hattie, boy did she evolve, and you knew why she evolved the way she did.

Interesting

The different stories, each written from the perspective of a different character and time period, made for an interesting read. Also, Hattie and her children lived fascinating lives with clear connections to the history and culture of the time. However, the story line did not draw me in sufficiently.

Like the Red Violin, only with humans!

This book takes you up and down, mostly down, but in a good way. Does that make sense? I'm trying to say that while what you are reading is somewhat depressing, mainly because it deals with human suffering and emotion. But the book is so well done and the narration does such a good job of supporting the good writing that you don't mind the depressing parts. Hattie is always there, for good and for bad, just like the red violin as it traveled through history.

I loved this book!

Would you listen to The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) again? Why?

I would listen to it again to understand what I missed the first time.

What other book might you compare The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) to and why?

I would compare this book to Mama Flora's Family by Alex Haley and David Stevens

Which scene was your favorite?

When Hattie was in church with her Granddaughter

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes