{"product_id":"9781623658243","title":"America's Mistress: The Life and Times of Miss Eartha Kitt","description":"Strait-laced, pre-civil rights America wasn't ready for Eartha Kitt. Waiting for others to be ready was never her style. in \u003cem\u003eAmerica's Mistress\u003c\/em\u003e John L. Williams captures the person behind the myth in this engaging biography but also race relations in Twentieth-century America.\u003cbr\u003eFrom humble roots on a South Carolina cotton plantation, the multilingual, possibly multi-racial chanteuse emerged seemingly from nowhere to seduce the nation and redefine cosmopolitan glamour. Blending intellect, self-awareness and unprecedented sex appeal, she was a Technicolor presence in a black-and-white world. \u003cbr\u003eBut the key to her allure was always her mystery, and her three not-entirely-consistent autobiographies raise more questions than they answer about who she really was--whether singing, dancing, acting or drawing headlines for her romantic dalliances and political activism. \u003cbr\u003eDrawing on extensive original research and interviews with the people who knew her best, Williams delivers a comprehensive, compassionate and thought-provoking record of a life that defied stereotypes, shattered boundaries, yet seemed to fall short of its potential in the end.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eAmerica's Mistress\u003c\/em\u003e is ultimately a celebration of a remarkable American life that paved the way for black entertainers from Belafonte to Beyoncé. With objectivity and thoroughness, John L. Williams provides sought-after answers to tantalizing and elusive questions.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Quercus","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47130821951728,"sku":"9781623658243","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/9781623658243_p0.jpg?v=1763859211","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/9781623658243","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}