Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? by Crystal Smith Paul

Kitty Karr is old Hollywood royalty so when she dies and leaves her entire estate to the black family next door it is a complete mystery to all of them. Elise is baffled by why this lonely woman that they knew but not that well would do such a thing and searches for answers in Kitty's journal and papers left for her to find. The height of Hollywood glamour was very pale as in the only roles for people of color (especially women) were as maids or extras. Kitty came to Hollywood as many did choosing to start over and she did it as a white woman born of mixed blood. She was not alone but this was a secret that many would take to the grave. Her light skin gave her access to much more and with the money she made was able to secretly fund the NAACP and other black causes. Forced to live a double life the cost was much greater for those who wanted children and most couldn't risk a dark skin baby supposedly born to white parents. This riveting historical debut that exposes the many prejudices anyone of color faced in supposedly enlightened California and not just in the Jim Crow south.
4 stars