The Best Historical Fiction Books For Summer

Book Gang

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Debut novelist Crystal Smith Paul joins the podcast to discuss her historical fiction book, Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?, and her top historical fiction book recommendations for your summer.

Historical fiction lovers, you do not want to miss this fascinating discussion about some of your favorite books and some details on upcoming 2023 historical fiction book releases.

Today's interview with Crystal Smith Paul offers a peek behind the curtains at the creation of the riveting debut novel, "Did You Hear About Kitty Karr?”, soon to hit store shelves on May 2nd from Henry Holt & Company.

The novel explores impactful themes such as colorism and the generational trauma of racism in the U.S. In the interview, Crystal will discuss her research on these themes and what message she hopes readers take away from Kitty's fictional story. The true story that inspired many of these fictional characters should not be missed today.

Learn about Paul's rich background that lent itself well to Kitty's Hollywood backstory, how she approached this dual-timeline narrative, and the most significant challenges she faced with writing and publishing.

Editor's Note: Since recording this interview, Crystal Smith Paul was selected as the May Reese's Book Club Pick and a May BOTM selection. Congratulations to our guest!

Don’t miss Crystal’s favorite books in today's bonus book list with the best historical fiction books for your summer that include some of the most anticipated books of the summer season! I round out our discussion with some intriguing trivia about these incredible selections featured today.

Meet Crystal Smith Paul

Crystal Smith Paul attended Spelman College and UCLA’s School of Theater, Film and Television and received her master’s in journalism from NYU. Her nonfiction writing has appeared in Salon, Jezebel, and HuffPost. She currently works in digital marketing for wellness and beauty brands. Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? is her first novel.

Mentioned in this episode:

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Did You Hear About Kitty Karr? By Crystal Smith Paul

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