Eartha & Kitt

A Daughter's Love Story in Black and White

Kitt Shapiro, Patricia Levy

• Publisher: Pegasus Books
• Year: 2021
• Topic: Social Sciences
• eBook ISBN:
  9781643137551
• Subtopic: Social Science Biographies
• Index: Social Sciences

A luminous and inspiring portrait of a Black pioneer and artistic force—Eartha Kitt—and one of the most moving mother/daughter stories in Hollywood history. In this unique combination of memoir and cultural history, we come to know one of the greatest stars the world has ever seen—Eartha Kitt—as revealed by the person who knew her best: her daughter. Eartha, who was a mix of Black, Cherokee, and white, is viewed by the world as Black. Kitt, her biological daughter, is blonde and light skinned. This is the story of a young girl being raised by her mother, who happened to be one of the most famous celebrities in the world. For three decades, they traveled the world together as mother and daughter. Even after Kitt got married and started a family of her own, she and Eartha were never far from each other's sides Eartha had a very difficult childhood growing up in extreme poverty in South Carolina. She described herself as being "just a poor cotton picker from the South." She did not have her own familial ties to lean on after being abandoned by her own mother as a toddler and having never known who her father was. She and Kitt were each other's whole world. Eartha's legacy is still felt today. Not only do we still listen to "Santa Baby" every Christmas, but many of today's most influential artists con­sistently mention Eartha, paying tribute to her groundbreaking stances on social issues such as racial equality and women's and LGBTQ rights. And she is still widely remembered for her defin­itive portrayal of Catwoman in the classic Batman television series, voicing the character Yzma in Disney's The Emperor's New Groove, and her many other movie and Broadway roles. In these pages, Kitt brings her mother to life so vividly, you will feel as if you'd met her. You'll embrace her love of nature, exercise, simple food, and independence, along with her lessons on the importance of treating people kindly and always being true to yourself. Filled with love, life lessons, and poignant laughter, Eartha & Kitt captures the passion and energy of two remarkable women.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Dedication
• Chapter 1: The Most Exciting Woman in the World
• Chapter 2: Not a Walk in the Park
• Chapter 3: No Ordinary Life
• Chapter 4: Southern Hell
• Chapter 5: Life Up North
• Chapter 6: Love Not for Sale
• Chapter 7: Father Doesn’t Know Best
• Chapter 8: Scenes from a Marriage
• Chapter 9: Second Thoughts
• Chapter 10: Our Race—The Human One
• Chapter 11: Born to Run
• Chapter 12: No Ums, Uhs, or “Likes”
• Chapter 13: Life Lessons
• Chapter 14: Flower Child
• Chapter 15: Miss Kitt Goes to Washington
• Chapter 16: Travels with my Mother
• Chapter 17: A Fox in the Kitt House
• Chapter 18: Growing Pains
• Chapter 19: Ms. Manners
• Chapter 20: R-E-S-P-E-C-T
• Chapter 21: Fit for Life
• Chapter 22: Never Say Diet
• Chapter 23: Pride and Prejudice
• Chapter 24: A Star with Stage Fright
• Chapter 25: An Unwelcome Blast from the Past
• Chapter 26: Go East, Young Woman
• Chapter 27: Workouts and Wedding Bells
• Chapter 28: The “Nana” Diaries
• Chapter 29: The New Brady Bunch
• Chapter 30: Purrfectly Happy on her Own
• Chapter 31: Eartha’s Earthly Possessions
• Chapter 32: On the Road Again
• Chapter 33: God Only Knows
• Chapter 34: A Hard Act to Follow
• Chapter 35: My Mother’s Keeper
• Chapter 36: Curtain Call
• Chapter 37: Ashes to Ashes
• Epilogue
• Photographs
• Acknowledgments
• About the Authors
• Copyright