The Oscars just wrapped up, with millions tuning in to watch Hollywood’s brightest stars claim the awards they’ve spent a lifetime chasing. But what happens after the red carpet is rolled up?

Bestselling author ReShonda Tate imagines exactly that in The Queen of Sugar Hill (2024), a fascinating fictional portrait of Hattie McDaniel, one of Hollywood’s most prolific but woefully underappreciated stars—and the first Black person ever to win an Oscar for her role as Mammy in the critically acclaimed film Gone With the Wind. Hattie’s Oscar win marked a historic triumph, but she’s soon faced with rejection from both the Black and White communities, and must navigate personal struggles while fighting for equality.

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About the book

It was supposed to be the highlight of her career, the pinnacle for which she’d worked all her life. And as Hattie McDaniel took the stage in 1940 to claim an honor that would make her the first African-American woman to win an Academy Award, she tearfully took her place in history. Between personal triumphs and tragedies, heartbreaking losses, and severe setbacks, this historic night of winning best supporting actress for her role as the sassy Mammy in the controversial movie Gone With the Wind was going to be life-changing. Or so she thought.

Months after winning the award, not only did the Oscar curse set in where Hattie couldn’t find work, but she found herself thrust in the middle of two worlds—Black and White—and not being welcomed in either. Whites only saw her as Mammy and Blacks detested the demeaning portrayal. As the NAACP waged an all-out war against Hattie and actors like her, the emotionally conflicted actor found herself struggling daily.

Through it all, Hattie continued her fight to pave a path for other Black actors, while focusing on war efforts, fighting housing discrimination, and navigating four failed marriages. Luckily, she had a core group of friends to help her out—from Clark Gable to Louise Beavers to Ruby Berkley Goodwin and Dorothy Dandridge.

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Read these next

If you’re looking for more, try a read-alike! The following stories about perseverance, racial identity, and inspiring women in the spotlight are sure to be moving reads.

Sing Her Name by Rosalyn Story
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A compelling dual-timeline novel that traces the journey of Eden Malveaux, a talented but struggling singer, who uncovers the forgotten legacy of 19th-century opera star Celia DeMille, while grappling with her own dreams, family burdens, and the sacrifices needed to secure her future.

The Brightest Star by Gail Tsukiyama
🎧 Audiobook

A magnificent historical novel based on the life of the luminous, groundbreaking actress Anna May Wong, the first and only Asian American woman to gain movie stardom in the early days of Hollywood.

Libertie by Kaitlyn Greenidge
🎧 Audiobook

A poignant coming-of-age novel that explores the complexities of freedom, identity, and womanhood for a young Black woman navigating Reconstruction-era America and beyond.

Can’t We Be Friends by Eliza Knight & Denny S. Bryce
🎧 Audiobook

A brilliant novel that uncovers the boundary-breaking, genuine friendship between Ella Fitzgerald, the Queen of Jazz, and iconic movie star Marilyn Monroe.

*Title availability may vary.

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