The Twelve Tribes of Hattie in Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge

Jul 09, 2020 Kristin rated it liked it

Shelves: popsugar2020

I found this book in a Little Free Library a few months ago, and with the recent increase in awareness about diversifying reading lists, I figured it was an appropriate time to read 'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie'. The book begins with the title character, a teenager in the 1920s, welcoming her first two children during the height of the Depression. She has left her home and family in Georgia to come to Philadelphia with her husband, August, and times are particularly hard, such that she cannot ke I found this book in a Little Free Library a few months ago, and with the recent increase in awareness about diversifying reading lists, I figured it was an appropriate time to read 'The Twelve Tribes of Hattie'. The book begins with the title character, a teenager in the 1920s, welcoming her first two children during the height of the Depression. She has left her home and family in Georgia to come to Philadelphia with her husband, August, and times are particularly hard, such that she cannot keep her babies alive in the cold winter. Subsequent chapters provide glimpses into the lives of Hattie's next 9 children plus 1 granddaughter, as time marches on. There is not a lot of happiness to go around, as each child battles his or her own struggles despite the best of intentions of the family matriarch.
The book was very interesting, and a reminder that despite differences in race and culture, the human struggle is real for everyone. I'll admit, I haven't read many books by African American authors, and fewer that feature black characters almost exclusively, so my knowledge is limited. Mathis creates a diverse group that comprises Hattie's family which provides an education into what life was like in certain decades of the 20th century, and while readers were frequently reminded that the skin color, and perception thereof by others, of the characters contributes to the specific events they experience, a lot of times I felt like the stories Mathis was telling could be universal. I was surprised that none of the chapters featured one of Hattie's children during the civil rights era, but in retrospect, it may be cliched to think that a book about an African American family would always have something to say about that specific period of time. Hattie's family members always seemed just barely above the poverty line, so it's reasonable to think that none of them could likely afford to travel to see Dr. King speak or participate in protests at risk of losing what little they have.
What I didn't like about the book was that I felt that limiting the characters to one chapter each minimized the impact each could have and that most of their stories finished unresolved. Even among chapters, other than Hattie, who ties the book together, there are few recurring characters, as if the siblings rarely interacted with each other once they grew up and left the family home. Never did I truly feel like I was reading about a nuclear family, more like spokes on a bicycle wheel or a long, stringy spiderweb where there are minimal connections between strands of silk. I also had trouble aligning them chronologically. After the twins, the next chapter deals with who I assume is Hattie's next oldest, already grown and trying to make a living as a travelling musician, but then in the middle are a couple chapters involving babies before jumping back to grown children again. If I hadn't caught on early that there was no point in doing so because we'd never hear from the character again, I might have found it worthwhile to write down the year each chapter was set and the approximate age of the child in order to figure out the order.
Overall, an OK book and enjoyable to read, just didn't entirely live up to the expectations I had when I chose it from the library. ...more

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Mar 31, 2019 Astrid Lim rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: historical-fiction, dysfunctional-family, america, book-club, african-american, immigrant

I always have this conflicting feeling of Oprah's book club choices. This book is not an exception. I actually wanted to like it more - it's an interesting (and quite uncommon) topic of African American families from the South who moved to the North, only to find out that the challenges were still there, sometimes even worse than their previous lives.

Each chapter of this book told a story of one or two of Hattie's children. It's an interesting concept because Hattie had a lot of kids with their ...more

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Jan 27, 2014 Sarah rated it really liked it

Shelves: historical-fiction, book-club, fiction

I probably wouldn't have read this if I didn't pick it for my book club's February selection. I didn't love it, but thought it was really good technically.
Which makes me think of both quality and appeal. There are books you love - you love the characters, or the plot catches you off guard or the location is perfect. And there are books that are technically good, that are well written and show the craft of writing. Rarely does a book do both. Sadly, this isn't a book that does both. But it does ...more

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Jan 03, 2014 Katrina rated it really liked it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Jun 07, 2020 Eva rated it really liked it

Shelves: personal-library

“Here we are sixty years out Georgia, she thought, a new generation has been born, and there’s still the same wounding and the same pain.”

Beginning with the Great Migration and ending in 1980, Hattie has accomplished some personal freedoms but the financial and emotional ones remain steady. Her husband August is not dependable, having affairs and spending the little bit of money they have on going out to meet women.

The Twelve Tribes of Hattie dedicates chapters to her children, sometimes individ ...more

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Nov 27, 2014 Elizabeth rated it really liked it

This book reads more like a collection of short stories than a novel, which suits me just fine. It is glimpses into the lives of Hattie's 12 children, with themes of race, prejudice, poverty, sorrow, strength and reconciliation. ...more

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Oct 02, 2013 Anastasia rated it really liked it

Shelves: fiction, historical, womens-issues, class-issues, racial-ethnic-experiences, 2013

I finally got around to reading this powerful collection of related vignettes centered around a woman named Hattie and her children. I found the first couple of brief stories a little less interesting, but those that focused on Hattie were beautifully crafted, heart-wrenching, and profound.

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