Rabbit: The Autobiography of Ms. Pat

Patricia Williams · Jeannine Amber

Aug 2017 · HarperAudio · Narrated by Patricia Williams

About this audiobook

Nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literature

""An absolute must-read"" – Shondaland

“[Rabbit] tells how it went down with brutal honesty and outrageous humor” – New York Times

They called her Rabbit.

Patricia Williams (aka Ms. Pat) was born and raised in Atlanta at the height of the crack epidemic. One of five children, Pat watched as her mother struggled to get by on charity, cons, and petty crimes. At age seven, Pat was taught to roll drunks for money. At twelve, she was targeted for sex by a man eight years her senior. By thirteen, she was pregnant. By fifteen, Pat was a mother of two.

Alone at sixteen, Pat was determined to make a better life for her children. But with no job skills and an eighth-grade education, her options were limited. She learned quickly that hustling and humor were the only tools she had to survive. Rabbit is an unflinching memoir of cinematic scope and unexpected humor. With wisdom and humor, Pat gives us a rare glimpse of what it’s really like to be a black mom in America.

Ratings and reviews

This was hands down the best audiobook I have ever listened to. I love that Ms.Pat reads it herself, you can feel the time effort and emotion in the reading. She also has a podcast called The Patdown and it is funny as hell. I can't wait to see what's next for her.

I first learned about Ms. Pat after watching her show. After listening to this audiobook, I'm a fan! She has a great story to tell! Thanks for sharing Ms. Pat.

I couldn't stop listening to this! It's amazing how you have gone through so much and still able to not only talk about it but to laugh about it also!

About the author

Patricia Williams, the fifth child of an alcoholic single mother, came of age in Atlanta at the height of the crack epidemic. At 12, she had her first boyfriend; by 15 she was a mother of two. Williams wanted to give her children the kind of life she’d always dreamed of, but with no education or job skills her options were slim. Thus began Williams’ lucrative career as a drug dealer. After numerous run-ins with the law and a stint behind bars, Williams decided to turn her life around. She now goes by the stage name Ms. Pat and enjoys a successful career as a comedian. Williams lives in Indianapolis with her husband and three children.

Award-winning journalist Jeannine Amber lives in Brooklyn with her daughter, Niko.