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Eartha & Kitt by Kitt Shapiro & Patricia Weiss Levy

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Eartha & Kitt

A Daughter's Love Story in Black and White

by Kitt Shapiro & Patricia Weiss Levy

Narrator Karen Chilton

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Length 8 hours 9 minutes

Language English

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Summary
About the authors
About the narrator

In this unique combination of African-American, music, 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, identified as Black, but Kitt, her biological daughter by a white man, is blonde and pale. This is the story of a little white girl raised by her natural mother, who was the biggest Black celebrity in the world. For three decades before Kitt married, they traveled the world together, mother and daughter. Eartha came from a hard background (she was born on a cotton plantation) and did not have her own familial ties to lean on—she and Kitt were each other’s whole world. Eartha’s legacy is still felt today: we still listen to “Santa Baby” every Christmas, she starred as Helen of Troy opposite Orson Welles in Dr. Faustus, and she stole the show as Yzma in The Emperor's New Groove. Lupita Nyong'o was recently asked to name the two people she admired most. She chose Eartha Kitt and Katherine Hepburn. In these pages, Eartha Kitt comes to life so vividly you’ll feel as if you'd met her. Filled with love and poignant laughter, Eartha & Kitt captures the passion and energy of two remarkable women.

Biography & Memoir Nonfiction

Kitt Shapiro is the only child of legendary entertainer Eartha Kitt. She managed her mother’s performances and recording career for many years and now manages her estate. She is the founder and owner of Simply Eartha, a line of jewelry, clothing, and home furnishings that honor the beauty and wisdom of her late mother. She is also an inspirational speaker who does frequent speaking engagements for the Colon Cancer Alliance and other organizations.

Patricia Weiss Levy is an award-winning writer and journalist who has been nominated twice for a Pulitzer Prize. The author of the memoir The Adulterer’s Daughter, she has had her work featured in The New York Times, New York Magazine, USA Today, The Hartford Courant, and Good Housekeeping. She spent twelve years as a staff writer at the Sunday magazine of The Hartford Courant, where she penned more than fifty stories. Her personal blog, NiceJewishMom.com, is read worldwide.

Karen Chilton is an actor and author based in New York. A two-time Earphones award winner, she has narrated dozens of audiobooks, including the critically-acclaimed biography she authored, Hazel Scott: The Pioneering Journey of a Jazz Pianist. A SAG/AFTRA member, her voice can also be heard on numerous national network television, radio, and internet advertising campaigns. For more information, visit www.karen-chilton.com.