Hi everyone! I hope you have a lovely weekend. I can't believe how quick this week has gone already. What have you been up to this week? If you haven't read this weeks other new blog posts, you can find them here and here.
For todays blog post, I am really excited to share with you today, Rabbit* by Patricia Williams aka Ms. Pat. This book is an autobiography and it has been a while since I have read an autobiography, but I absolutely love them.
"Patricia started life on the lowest rung of society: poor, black, and female. With an alcoholic for a mother and four siblings, she was raised on a steady diet of welfare, food stamps and cigarette smoke. By the age of 15 she had two children, and by the age of 16 she was dealing drugs to support her young family. Growing up in a family that had been stuck in the ghetto for generations, it seemed impossible Patricia would ever escape.
But when she was shot be a rival drug dealer in front her own children, Patricia made the life-changing decision to turn it all around. With a combination of grit, stubbornness, anger and love – and the kindness of others – she fought to break the cycle of poverty for the next generation. Now a stand-up comedian performing as Ms. Pat, she lives the maxim that the best healing comes through humour."
"You want to know about the struggle of growing up poor, black, and female? Ask any girl from any 'hood. You want to know what it takes to rise above your circumstances when all the cards are stacked against you? Ask me." - Patricia Williams, aka Ms. Pat.
Patricia Williams was born in Atlanta and grew up with a family that had been in the ghetto for generations. By the age of 15, Patricia was a single teen mum to two babies under the age of two. She had no money and no job skills. Patricia has been shot two times and raised her sisters children. She has learned that laughing at her pain helps to heal. Patricia now has a successful comedy career and is a podcast celebrity, also appearing on TV and radio. Patricia lives with her husband and four children.
Rabbit by Patricia Williams, is a very powerful and honest read. I felt so many different emotions whilst reading, I laughed and cried. It is definitely a book that I wont forget. Some of the memories in which Patricia talks about within this book is heartbreaking. It's so hard to imagine what Patricia and her family went through and the scary situations that she found herself in. It shows a side of growing up that many face and have been through, that we may not know about ourselves. This book is brilliantly written and I just could not put it down. Patricia is an amazing, very inspiring and brave woman. To have been what she went through growing up, to what she has achieved now is incredible. This book is to inspire, not once does Patricia want you to feel pity for her, but to inspire you to keep on laughing through the hard times and to go out and achieve your dreams. To inspire you to do something that you may have always wanted to do, but haven't done so yet.
I love how honest Patricia is within this book. Sometimes when reading autobiographies there maybe some parts that the author may miss, but with this book, Patricia is very open and honest to everything that has happened, every little detail, throughout her life and tells it exactly how it is, throughout this book. Her memoirs in this book help to show that it doesn't matter where you come from, if you really want to do something then you can do it no matter what. I have watched some of Patricia's stand-up comedy and I am a huge fan. It is honest, raw and funny and her comedy features many memories from her childhood and things that happened whilst growing up and has included this within her comedy. Patricia has also appeared in many podcasts.
Patricia says in her book, "When I started comedy, back in 2004, all I wanted was to make folks laugh. Then I noticed something strange. After almost every show somebody would come up to me and ask the same question, 'How did you turn your life around?' It felt like they wanted me to give them some kind of secret tip." Patricia then goes on to explain that the only way to answer this was by telling her story. Some of the stories within this book she hasn't told anyone, not even her husband. There is also one piece of advice that Patricia has always kept with her, which was from her third-grade teacher. "I want you to always remember, you can do anything and be anything. All you have to do is dream."
I highly recommend reading Rabbit. This is definitely a book that I wont forget. I love Patricia Williams so much and I am so pleased that I read this book.
This is a sponsored post, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.