Oprah's Book Club (Official) discussion

Nadia wrote: "Ms. Mathis, your book was remarkable. It is now one of my favorite reads ever. I wanted to thank you for writing it. And, I wanted to ask you about the character Ella in the book - why did Hatti..."
Hi Nadia! Thank you so much for the compliment!! I am so glad to know that you enjoyed the book.
As for Ella, I think Hattie made that decision because the option was offered. It broke her heart to see her children suffering through the family's economic privations, but there wasn't really a choice, there wasn't anything else she could do. With Ella, though it nearly killed her to give her away, there was another option in the form of Pearl and Benny.

Urenna wrote: "I am speechless. I am enjoying this book. Hattie brings back memories of a bygone era. Yet, what Hattie experienced is nothing new under the sun. I believe the pain of loss and disillusionment has ..."

Thank you so much! It really means a lot to me to hear that the book resonates with you in meaningful ways.

Heidi wrote: "Hello, my name is Heidi Muller and I currently live in West Virginia. I really enjoyed your book. Some of the stories were a little slower than others; however, I thought it was a great book overal..."

Thanks so much, Heidi! I'm glad you liked the book! The characters are entirely imagined. I think it's true that writers use bits of personal experience, etc in their work, but I wouldn't draw a direct parallel. Sala is very much a fictional character.

Tiffany wrote: "Who was your least favorite character, or the hardest one to write about? Was this an emotional book for you to write?"

Great question, Tiffany! I think Alice and Billups were hardest to write. Their relationship is so complicated, and there is a kind of reversal in the reader's understanding of who they are. Also, Alice is, in many ways, sort of unlikeable, poor thing. I still don't know how much I like her, though I empathize with her.

Rosie wrote: "Aside from religious references and overtones, did you include any overt parallels between the twelve tribes of Jacob vs. Hattie? I'm not familiar with the story of Jacob. Is there anything I could..."
Hi Rosie!

The title of the book is a direct reference to the Biblical Twelve Tribes of Israel. Jacob's sons go on to become the twelve tribes, he blesses them in Genesis 49. I was very interested in the metaphor of the movement from bondage to freedom. Moses leads the Biblical Israelites out slavery in Egypt. They manage, after much travail, to get to the Promised Land, only to find that it isn't at all what they expected. I thought it was a pretty apt metaphor for Hattie as an individual, and for the Great Migration in general.

Andre wrote: "Was the drawing of black men characters as scoundrels a conscious decision? And if so why?"

Hi Andre! The men aren't scoundrels at all. They are struggling with displacement and economic hardship in the same way that the women are. Every single one of the characters in this book is flawed, regardless of gender. In many ways, it's a book about people struggling with their burdens- personal burdens, their own psychology, and the larger societal issues that exert such pressure on their lives. And each of the men are fully explored, they are granted a full humanity, flaws and all. August is a good example, he's a cad and falling down on the job financially, but he's also the only source of laughter and affection in his children's lives -- Hattie loves them but she's so tough and stoic that she's kind of incapable of tenderness.

Tara wrote: "Good morning Ayana!
Thank you for taking the time to join us!"

Hi Tara,

It was my pleasure!

Well, thanks for the response and thank you for being available today. I appreciate your time.

Thanks so much to all for participating in the chat! Your questions were just great. And most of all, thanks for reading!