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Leaving Edgefield: Carrie Butler's Story
Before the world knew the name Essie Mae Washington-Williams, before the headlines, before the truth cracked through the silence—there was Carrie Butler.
In the shadows of early 20th-century Edgefield, South Carolina—a town steeped in tradition, hierarchy, and secrets—young Carrie Butler lived a life both ordinary and extraordinary. Born into a world that barely acknowledged her existence, Carrie was thrust into the domestic service of one of Edgefield’s most powerful families. There, her fate would become entangled with that of Strom Thurmond, a future US Senator and staunch segregationist, in ways history has long ignored.
Leaving Edgefield reclaims the voice of a woman history nearly erased. Based on the real-life mother of Strom Thurmond’s biracial daughter, this sweeping and lyrical work of historical fiction breathes life into the story of a young Black woman whose resilience becomes her legacy. From the rolling fields of Edgefield to the streets of Philadelphia, from whispered betrayals to whispered prayers, Carrie’s journey is one of unyielding spirit in the face of exploitation, loss, and silence.
Carolyn W. Hooker paints a deeply moving portrait of a woman who, though deemed invisible in her own time, now claims her rightful place in the American story. For readers of The Bluest Eye and The Color Purple, Leaving Edgefield is both a vital act of remembrance and a literary triumph—a tale of heartbreak, dignity, and the quiet defiance of survival.
History didn’t tell her story. This novel does.
In the shadows of early 20th-century Edgefield, South Carolina—a town steeped in tradition, hierarchy, and secrets—young Carrie Butler lived a life both ordinary and extraordinary. Born into a world that barely acknowledged her existence, Carrie was thrust into the domestic service of one of Edgefield’s most powerful families. There, her fate would become entangled with that of Strom Thurmond, a future US Senator and staunch segregationist, in ways history has long ignored.
Leaving Edgefield reclaims the voice of a woman history nearly erased. Based on the real-life mother of Strom Thurmond’s biracial daughter, this sweeping and lyrical work of historical fiction breathes life into the story of a young Black woman whose resilience becomes her legacy. From the rolling fields of Edgefield to the streets of Philadelphia, from whispered betrayals to whispered prayers, Carrie’s journey is one of unyielding spirit in the face of exploitation, loss, and silence.
Carolyn W. Hooker paints a deeply moving portrait of a woman who, though deemed invisible in her own time, now claims her rightful place in the American story. For readers of The Bluest Eye and The Color Purple, Leaving Edgefield is both a vital act of remembrance and a literary triumph—a tale of heartbreak, dignity, and the quiet defiance of survival.
History didn’t tell her story. This novel does.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 28, 2025
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March 21, 2026
The works consulted for this novel are excellent!
The novel imagines the life of the Carrie Butler, mother of Essie Mae Washington. She was assaulted by a 21 year old Strom when she was a teen age maid for the Thurmond family in Edgefield, SC during the Jim Crow South.
People in SC know this story well. I recommend reading through the works consulted list if you are interested in life for Blacks in SC during the early to mid 20th century.
The novel imagines the life of the Carrie Butler, mother of Essie Mae Washington. She was assaulted by a 21 year old Strom when she was a teen age maid for the Thurmond family in Edgefield, SC during the Jim Crow South.
People in SC know this story well. I recommend reading through the works consulted list if you are interested in life for Blacks in SC during the early to mid 20th century.
Displaying 1 of 1 review