Hattie Mae Begins Again

By: Sharon G. Flake

Narrated by: Bahni Turpin

From the three-time Coretta Scott King Honor winning author of The Skin I'm In comes a poignant story about a southern girl far from home at an elite girls boarding school in the north, who must find the courage to be herself and to dream of a brighter future, set against the backdrop of the great migration in South Philly.

You can be what you want in life.
Climb as high as you wish.
Nothing can stop you,
not even pedigree.

Hattie Mae is from Seed County, North Carolina. She knows hard work: milking cows, plucking chickens, minding the garden. Her hands are made for manual labor, her feet for dirt—that is, according to Lisa and some of the girls at Miss Abigail’s School for Exceptional Young Ladies in Philadelphia. In their eyes, Hattie Mae will never break into upper society and is unworthy of becoming a doctor or a lawyer.

Though Hattie Mae sticks out like a sore thumb and has more in common with the hundreds of Black folks pouring into the city looking for better opportunities during the Great Migration, she knows that she belongs. She just has to prove it to the rest of the girls—and maybe even to herself.

A moving coming-of-age story about finding the courage to be yourself, chasing your dreams, and lending a hand to others along the way.

Critic reviews

★ "Every poem in this verse novel is a glimmering snapshot that perfectly captures Hattie Mae’s experiences, with deft worldbuilding and historical tidbits." —The Bulletin, starred review

"A compelling coming-of-age story enriched by its historical texture." —Kirkus Reviews

"Flake delivers a layered, authentic, and inspirational story." —Booklist

"Written in verse and featuring snappy chapters that read smoothly, this novel delves deep into historical details and Hattie’s journey of transformation without feeling weighed down." —School Library Journal