Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat

An Amazon Best Book of August 2017: In many ways Patricia Williams’ has led an extraordinary life. Raised in a family of alcoholics and hustlers, she was at ground zero when the crack epidemic of the 1980s hit the impoverished neighborhoods of inner city Atlanta. Her mother taught her to roll drunks by the time she was eight; if they were hungry enough she and her siblings would go to the ER and wait for the candy stripers to come through with sandwiches for waiting families. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. In the third grade Williams—nicknamed Rabbit—first saw the possibility of a different life, thanks to a teacher who took a sympathetic interest. But the rules and role models in the rest of her world had a stronger pull, and soon enough Williams began to model the success she saw every day—in the drug dealers. As you read Williams’ memoir it’s impossible not to be shocked and bewildered. But you will also feel compassion. And Williams not only allows you to laugh, she makes it damn near impossible not to. Her wit and levity, hand-in-hand with hardship, mistakes, and self-discovery, makes Williams’ memoir, Rabbit, impressive and memorable. --Seira Wilson, Amazon Book Review