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My father was charismatic—a man about town, seasoned in Southern politics, the county clerk of court, a mover and a shaker. My mother was a Southern lady—a beautiful woman, the perfect hostess of lovely parties, president of social clubs—proper, compliant, and hopelessly in love. They traveled extensively, hobnobbed among the elite who lived on surrounding plantations, rode horses, shot quail.
Beneath this idyllic setting, another world churned during the 50s and 60s. Amazingly, I grew up in the South without any idea of the deep racial struggles that were going on under my nose. I lived in bubble-wrap—protected by Eva, my family, and Southern protocol. Eventually everything in my airbrushed world slowly, ruinously, unraveled. All I could do, it seemed, was watch the colorful tapestry of our old life come undone one thread at a time. Amidst all the hush—of alcoholism, abuse, infidelity, prejudice—Eva was there.
In the microcosm of my world, I watched Eva’s wisdom and strength. And I learned. I learned not only how to survive but also how to overcome.
My father was charismatic—a man about town, seasoned in Southern politics, the county clerk of court, a mover and a shaker. My mother was a Southern lady—a beautiful woman, the perfect hostess of lovely parties, president of social clubs—proper, compliant, and hopelessly in love. They traveled extensively, hobnobbed among the elite who lived on surrounding plantations, rode horses, shot quail.
Beneath this idyllic setting, another world churned during the 50s and 60s. Amazingly, I grew up in the South without any idea of the deep racial struggles that were going on under my nose. I lived in bubble-wrap—protected by Eva, my family, and Southern protocol. Eventually everything in my airbrushed world slowly, ruinously, unraveled. All I could do, it seemed, was watch the colorful tapestry of our old life come undone one thread at a time. Amidst all the hush—of alcoholism, abuse, infidelity, prejudice—Eva was there.
In the microcosm of my world, I watched Eva’s wisdom and strength. And I learned. I learned not only how to survive but also how to overcome.
For Autographed Copies of Hush Now, Baby
SOUTH CAROLINA LOWCOUNTRY FROM THE EYE OF A YOUNG GIRL
