Angela W. Williams - Hush Now, Baby

Hush Now, Baby is not only a portrait of the astonishing strength and beauty of a Southern black woman, but it also brings a focus to the history so many Southerners only dimly grasp: the ongoing evolution of their society. And all this is accomplished within a gripping novel-like family narrative.

Rosa Shand, author of The Gravity of Light

Hush Now, Baby is the moving, insightful story of stalwart caregiver Eva and the stability, love and example she brought to the life of her charge, Angela, during a tumultuous time in the American South. This is a tale of transcendence, love, and devotion, of a family and a people tattered with strife. Angela Williams writes with grace and bravery, and with a seasoned storytellers pacing and command of figurative language. A captivating memoir, Hush Now, Baby will leave you loving and admiring Eva, and cheering for her and Angela all the way.

Michel Stone, author of The Iguana Tree

Angelas memoir belongs right next to Rick Braggs All Over but the Shoutin and James McBrides The Color of Water. It is truly wonderful on any level you measure it.

Mary B. Johnston, Editor, Word Works Stories

Angelas prose plunges us back in time when a generation of white children were raised by the calloused hands of slaves who, despite being freed by Lincoln, remained chained to a stubborn way of life. Instead of killing us in our sleep, they became our guardian angels, for reasons still mysteriously misunderstood.

Ken Burger, author of Swallow Savannah

Hush Now, Baby is a moving and unforgettable memoir which explores the complexity of race, family, love, loyalty, self-awareness and forgiveness with rare courage and honesty. This is a book youll want to give everyone you know!

Cassandra King, author of Moonrise

If you liked The Help, youll love Hush Now, Baby.

Steve Ferber, journalist & author of 21 Rules to Live By

Youll not put this aside until youve read it cover to cover. When a rich little white girl, newly born, is placed into the arms of a poor and uneducated black woman, its a beginning to last a lifetime. Angela Williams is audacious. In this true, brave tale she honors the woman who became, in essence, her mother, while in so doing, she unveils the secrets of her influential white family. All this, with the backdrop of a confused and racially changing south. Just when I thought I understood the South, here came Angie and Eva.

Ceille Baird Welch, playwright

As the cocoon unraveled around Angela, we see her spirit awakening and a deep resolve to speak out for the African-American voices often hushed in the 40s and 50s. Her account of Southern life provides a thought-provoking, realistic view of those turbulent decades. While slowly grasping how injustices permeated Southern culture, she faced her own familys struggles with abuse, alcoholism, and philanderingEva the steady core through it all.

Dr. Patricia Williams, Professor Emerita
Sam Houston State University

Angela Williams has an amazing story to tell about her life growing up in South Carolina. Angela (now 73 years old) was raised by an African American woman in her parents household. The story is not about her black mamie but a story of the extraordinary bond she shared with a woman that she identifies as her mother. Angelas, Hush Now, Baby has tremendous potential to highlight race relations, the civil rights movement, and southern life from the perspective of a white female growing up in a chaotic period in American history.

Dr. Marcus W. Cox, author of Segregated Soldiers

Angela W. Williams

Texas Review Press

Huntsville, Texas