The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0)

Oprah's Book Club 2.0

By: Ayana Mathis

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

The newest Oprah’s Book Club 2.0 selection.

The arrival of a major new voice in contemporary fiction.

A debut of extraordinary distinction: Ayana Mathis tells the story of the children of the Great Migration through the trials of one unforgettable family.

In 1923, fifteen-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, a world that will not be kind. Captured here in twelve 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 wondrous from first to last—glorious, harrowing, unexpectedly uplifting, and blazing with life. An emotionally transfixing novel, a searing portrait of striving in the face of insurmountable adversity, an indelible encounter with the resilience of the human spirit and the driving force of the American dream.

Hattie and her Family Tragically Flawed

Hattie bore eleven children. In the death of her first two, twins, Hattie becomes a shell of a woman. She is a victim of circumstance, from the times, from her relationships and from herself. Her husband August can't or won't be the man she needs yet he was the one person who shined with love, passion and tenderness toward the children.
The writing was superb; the twining of the twelve tales worked. I felt the ending abrupt and a bit disappointing.And I am so glad to have experienced this book.

Beautiful Reading

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

Engaging Beautiful Sad

What does the narrators bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

I loved hearing the narrator read the accents that sound like home (I live far away now). Her voice is beautiful and easy to listen to.

Any additional comments?

Recommend

Truly a Joy

The book made me feel warm like hot tea and cool like cool glass of water all at the same time. The writing kept me engaged, very visual writing. I definitely recommend giving it a chance.

Great Narration, Good Story

What made the experience of listening to The Twelve Tribes of Hattie (Oprah's Book Club 2.0) the most enjoyable?

The narration was on point. I could really get into the story and loved the way the narrator was able to move in and out of the period dialect and tone.

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

No. I actually liked the way it was broken up into short stories that were eventually strung together

Any additional comments?

The book did not leave me completely satisfied in the end. I felt the last quarter of the book were a bit rush and maybe not as well laid out as others.

amazing tale of transformation

such a lovely tale of how one mom is transformed through her children. must read