1. What did you think of Hattie McDaniel before you read the book?

[playnotwork]

I wasn't familiar with Hattie, beyond knowing of her role in Gone With the Wind and the subsequent Oscar for her work. Similar to a few others, I had just finished a bio of Geddy Lee, and saw the notification for the Book Club, and thought it may be an interesting distraction from the world for a bit. So far (I just started last night, currently on Ch 8), I'm finding it fascinating and heartbreaking, and enjoying the read. Cheers!

[Smmore]

I knew nothing about Hattie McDaniel before reading this book. I’ve never watched Gone with the Wind or any of her movies.

[bkwrm4]

To be honest I had never heard of her before this book. Her name kind of rings a bell but I wasn't too sure.

[Nic1223]

The only thing I know of Ms Hattie is that she was an actress in Gone With the Wind and won an Academy Award for for her portrayal of Mammie.

[ccreader5683]

I only knew about her winning the academy award. I admit that I did not like her role in gone with the wind.

[Lacez]

I had no knowledge of Hattie McDaniel before I began reading the book. I choose to participate in this bookclub and reading because ironically enough I just recently began listening to the Gone With The Wind audiobook and figured the tie in between the two would be interesting to broden my horizons and knowledge on the topic.

[Lingar]

Her character was always my favorite in GWTW. She is the most remembered and the most quoted. I know that she was an actress playing a character. What makes actors and actresses great is when they are totally believable. It’s sad that people cannot separate the actress from the role that they portray.

[QueenReader73]

I thought she was brave and that because of GWTW, she deserved her Academy Award.

[June]

Hattie McDaniel was unknown to me before reading this novel. Years ago watching Gone With The Wind her role and I didn’t realize how few chances people of color had to appear in films. The novel gave me a new appreciation of how institutionalized racism is in America.

[Calc5]

I knew of her before reading this book and have a lot of respect for her tenacity to follow her dreams in the midst of so much negativity and illogical prejudice. From failed marriages to black-on-black discrimination, life had to be a constant struggle. What I find interesting is how much of that exists today.