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The Sweet Hell Inside: The Rise of an Elite Black Family in the Segregated South
From National Book Award winner Edward Ball comes The Sweet Hell Inside, the story of the fascinating Harleston family of South Carolina, the progeny of a Southern gentleman and his slave, who cast off their blemished roots and prospered despite racial barriers. Enhanced by recollections from the family's archivist, eighty-four-year-old Edwina Harleston Whitlock -- whose bloodline the author shares. The Sweet Hell Inside features a celebrated portrait artist whose subjects included industrialist Pierre du Pont; a black classical composer in the Lost Generation of 1920s Paris; and an orphanage founder who created the famous Jenkins Orphanage Band, a definitive force in the development of ragtime and jazz. With evocative and engrossing storytelling, Edward Ball introduces a cast of historical characters rarely seen cultured, vain, imperfect, rich, and black -- a family of eccentrics who defied social convention and flourished.
432 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2001
8 people are currently reading
470 people want to read
About the author
Edward Ball
39 books98 followersEdward Ball was born in Savannah, Georgia, in 1958, grew up in South Carolina, Florida, and Louisiana. He finished high school in New Orleans and attended Brown University, graduating in 1982 with a B.A. in Semiotics.
He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1984, and afterwards moved to New York City, where he worked as a freelance art critic, writing about film, art, architecture, and books for several magazines. For several years, he wrote for The Village Voice, a weekly with a circulation of 450,000.
In 1993, he began to research his family legacy as slave owners in South Carolina, an investigation that resulted in a half-hour National Public Radio documentary, "The Other History," which was awarded, in 1994, Best Radio Feature by the Society of Professional Journalists. He looked deeper into his family's story, documented in several archives, and, after three years, published his first book, Slaves in the Family, about his family's plantations and his search for black Americans whose ancestors the writer's family had once enslaved. Slaves in the Family was a New York Times bestseller and won the National Book Award for nonfiction.
Edward Ball's other books comprise biography, history, and memoir. He has taught at Yale University, and he lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
He received a Master of Arts degree from the University of Iowa in 1984, and afterwards moved to New York City, where he worked as a freelance art critic, writing about film, art, architecture, and books for several magazines. For several years, he wrote for The Village Voice, a weekly with a circulation of 450,000.
In 1993, he began to research his family legacy as slave owners in South Carolina, an investigation that resulted in a half-hour National Public Radio documentary, "The Other History," which was awarded, in 1994, Best Radio Feature by the Society of Professional Journalists. He looked deeper into his family's story, documented in several archives, and, after three years, published his first book, Slaves in the Family, about his family's plantations and his search for black Americans whose ancestors the writer's family had once enslaved. Slaves in the Family was a New York Times bestseller and won the National Book Award for nonfiction.
Edward Ball's other books comprise biography, history, and memoir. He has taught at Yale University, and he lives in New Haven, Connecticut.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 20, 2018
I like family histories, so I enjoyed this book that tells the story of the descendants of a white man and his black concubine. They were among the elite of black society in Charleston, South Carolina. One of the sons was a talented artist who actually supported himself with his painting for a time, but continued to run the family undertaking business.
Ball was approached by an eighty-something woman who was the caretaker of her family's history, because of his book Slaves in the Family, and he was a good choice. At the end, he describes this woman's comments about white people and how she still doesn't trust them and doesn't know many, which surprised me a bit. But I can't say that she's different from 80-something white women I know, or that I don't have prejudices myself.
Ball was approached by an eighty-something woman who was the caretaker of her family's history, because of his book Slaves in the Family, and he was a good choice. At the end, he describes this woman's comments about white people and how she still doesn't trust them and doesn't know many, which surprised me a bit. But I can't say that she's different from 80-something white women I know, or that I don't have prejudices myself.
June 12, 2021
Ghettostone Publications Company editor/chief Michael R Brown is leader of
"THE BEST SELLER'S BOOK CLUB" reviews the book "The Sweet Hell Inside":
The Rise Of An Elite Black Family In The Segregated South, by author Edward Bell...!
"Stirring!" "An Epic Tell Of American History!" "The Rumors I Was Told As A Child Are True!"
"The Sweet Hell Inside" is the historical accounting of an American family that reveals both the
bold triumphs made by Black People in racist America and the "Fact" that there are un-told millions of mixed race people in America who live on both sides of the color line. The under-belly
of America's "peculiar institution" exposed to the light of truth! The "Truth?" "Yes!"
"The Truth..!" "On, no, Mike not that...!" Yes my book lovers and life long learners. "The truth." The truth is census data and studies suggest that at least 25% of all White Americans
have African American heritage in their genetic background. A subject not discussed as a point
in the book, but a fact I'm happy to share in this review of "The Sweet Hell Inside".
The Book's historical accounting of a "High Yellow" family includes the leap to define these folks as
"Elite" a artificial double standard created by the racist White society based the so-called "one-drop rule" meaning if you had just a drop of African American blood you were put into racist categories such as mulotto, or quadroon, or octoroon. During this period in American History the Census Reports listed all these terms as catagories for African Americans. But the author of the book does incorporate educational values, entrepreneurial endeavours, a strong work ethic and traditional family values as an underlying formulas for these families successes.
In spite of the historical limitations for these African American families of "mixed -race" they seem to have capitalized on opportunities and innovations that would lead to financial success and would help shape the culture of a nation especially in the Fine Arts, Photography, Music, Literature, the formation of Jazz and Blues and the push for Civil Rights!
The book describes some African American families as never being enslaved, with many other having bought their own freedom, and still others ("light-skinned" families) being freed as a result of one of their parents being from the slave owning family. The social distinctions between different classes of African Americans was established in the culture of Southern life and still continues to this day, most having come from this period in time.
Edward Bell's "The Sweet Hell Inside" describes one family in particular called the "Harlston family" who were both free before the Civil War and whose patriarchy was the slave owner who had a long term relationship with a African American woman over many years and their eight children who lived outside the traditional Southern slave culture who thrived after the Civil War.
Because of the heavy burdens of racism, the expectations of light skinned families and the strange outcomes of the "one drop rule" some families would cross over the color barrier passing in to the white society, suddenly disappearing from their former neighborhoods over-night. The Harlston Family lived in the segregated South where they created a successful business which united their family and established family wealth that opened many doors for their descendants.
This generational wealth created by these individuals and families helped spawned the term the "Talented Tenth" created by W. E. B. Duboise. Many of these upper class African Americans
became pioneers in new industries like "hair-care" created by Madame C.J. Walker. The Harlston family pioneered the funeral business which supported their family and kept them together in tight knit groups, only marrying like minded people with similar color. So in essence successful families sought after liked minded individuals who were educated and highly skilled and who had a recognizable family name.
The amazing and shocking points in this historical accounting was the far reaching impact that these descendants had on this emerging segment of American life helping to create a sophisticated Black culture that influenced the Arts, Music, Business and the Civil Rights Movement. The Black Community's Self-Determination benefitted all Americans, but White Americans still failed to recognize these people as equals and instead brutalized and terrorized their every movement.
If it had not been for these great contributions to American Culture, America would still be considered a limited nation in the eyes of the world. America is one big family, but one side is wicked to the other even though they share the same parental beginnings. I was told about these families when I was young, buts it's hard to imagine the color lines among light skinned African Americans and dark skinned African American used to divide a race in two socially, distant classes with color used to limit access to opportunities. The book lists many examples of how they would discover those differences without pointing them out in your face such as the yellow pillars outside church buildings in which you needed to match your color with before entry. Another tactic used to determine if you were light skinned enough occurred with a straight comb hanging from the door by a string for those to use before entry to see if the comb could pass through your hair without difficulty before you were allowed entry. Additionally during this period in history there came into being the emergence of secret organizations in which light-skinned Blacks would need to show their lighter skin color and expose the view of there "blue veins" before being allowed to join. Strangely enough these social clubs became wide spread while at the same time White America segregated itself away from both "light" and "dark" African American communities.
Still these were in my opinion a national shame. And the book was a very heavy subject for our book club, but I was encouraged by the thoughtfulness of our members and the great interest they showed in the emotionally charged subject matter. Many admitted their own family's historys in passing judgement on America's racist past. Today I can say I'm encouraged by the fading color lines in America. And I can only hope for a future in which all citizens will come closer together as a result of the ending of racial discrimination.
I appreciate the valued members of THE BEST SELLER'S BOOK CLUB and their shared wisdom, thank you to each of you. And I can say that our entire group fully recommends this most worthy title to life long learners and book lovers of all ages...!
Thank you and best regards,
Michael R. Brown, Editor/Chief
Ghettostone Publications Company
@ghettostone/facebook
Leader of The BEST SELLER'S BOOK CLUB
"THE BEST SELLER'S BOOK CLUB" reviews the book "The Sweet Hell Inside":
The Rise Of An Elite Black Family In The Segregated South, by author Edward Bell...!
"Stirring!" "An Epic Tell Of American History!" "The Rumors I Was Told As A Child Are True!"
"The Sweet Hell Inside" is the historical accounting of an American family that reveals both the
bold triumphs made by Black People in racist America and the "Fact" that there are un-told millions of mixed race people in America who live on both sides of the color line. The under-belly
of America's "peculiar institution" exposed to the light of truth! The "Truth?" "Yes!"
"The Truth..!" "On, no, Mike not that...!" Yes my book lovers and life long learners. "The truth." The truth is census data and studies suggest that at least 25% of all White Americans
have African American heritage in their genetic background. A subject not discussed as a point
in the book, but a fact I'm happy to share in this review of "The Sweet Hell Inside".
The Book's historical accounting of a "High Yellow" family includes the leap to define these folks as
"Elite" a artificial double standard created by the racist White society based the so-called "one-drop rule" meaning if you had just a drop of African American blood you were put into racist categories such as mulotto, or quadroon, or octoroon. During this period in American History the Census Reports listed all these terms as catagories for African Americans. But the author of the book does incorporate educational values, entrepreneurial endeavours, a strong work ethic and traditional family values as an underlying formulas for these families successes.
In spite of the historical limitations for these African American families of "mixed -race" they seem to have capitalized on opportunities and innovations that would lead to financial success and would help shape the culture of a nation especially in the Fine Arts, Photography, Music, Literature, the formation of Jazz and Blues and the push for Civil Rights!
The book describes some African American families as never being enslaved, with many other having bought their own freedom, and still others ("light-skinned" families) being freed as a result of one of their parents being from the slave owning family. The social distinctions between different classes of African Americans was established in the culture of Southern life and still continues to this day, most having come from this period in time.
Edward Bell's "The Sweet Hell Inside" describes one family in particular called the "Harlston family" who were both free before the Civil War and whose patriarchy was the slave owner who had a long term relationship with a African American woman over many years and their eight children who lived outside the traditional Southern slave culture who thrived after the Civil War.
Because of the heavy burdens of racism, the expectations of light skinned families and the strange outcomes of the "one drop rule" some families would cross over the color barrier passing in to the white society, suddenly disappearing from their former neighborhoods over-night. The Harlston Family lived in the segregated South where they created a successful business which united their family and established family wealth that opened many doors for their descendants.
This generational wealth created by these individuals and families helped spawned the term the "Talented Tenth" created by W. E. B. Duboise. Many of these upper class African Americans
became pioneers in new industries like "hair-care" created by Madame C.J. Walker. The Harlston family pioneered the funeral business which supported their family and kept them together in tight knit groups, only marrying like minded people with similar color. So in essence successful families sought after liked minded individuals who were educated and highly skilled and who had a recognizable family name.
The amazing and shocking points in this historical accounting was the far reaching impact that these descendants had on this emerging segment of American life helping to create a sophisticated Black culture that influenced the Arts, Music, Business and the Civil Rights Movement. The Black Community's Self-Determination benefitted all Americans, but White Americans still failed to recognize these people as equals and instead brutalized and terrorized their every movement.
If it had not been for these great contributions to American Culture, America would still be considered a limited nation in the eyes of the world. America is one big family, but one side is wicked to the other even though they share the same parental beginnings. I was told about these families when I was young, buts it's hard to imagine the color lines among light skinned African Americans and dark skinned African American used to divide a race in two socially, distant classes with color used to limit access to opportunities. The book lists many examples of how they would discover those differences without pointing them out in your face such as the yellow pillars outside church buildings in which you needed to match your color with before entry. Another tactic used to determine if you were light skinned enough occurred with a straight comb hanging from the door by a string for those to use before entry to see if the comb could pass through your hair without difficulty before you were allowed entry. Additionally during this period in history there came into being the emergence of secret organizations in which light-skinned Blacks would need to show their lighter skin color and expose the view of there "blue veins" before being allowed to join. Strangely enough these social clubs became wide spread while at the same time White America segregated itself away from both "light" and "dark" African American communities.
Still these were in my opinion a national shame. And the book was a very heavy subject for our book club, but I was encouraged by the thoughtfulness of our members and the great interest they showed in the emotionally charged subject matter. Many admitted their own family's historys in passing judgement on America's racist past. Today I can say I'm encouraged by the fading color lines in America. And I can only hope for a future in which all citizens will come closer together as a result of the ending of racial discrimination.
I appreciate the valued members of THE BEST SELLER'S BOOK CLUB and their shared wisdom, thank you to each of you. And I can say that our entire group fully recommends this most worthy title to life long learners and book lovers of all ages...!
Thank you and best regards,
Michael R. Brown, Editor/Chief
Ghettostone Publications Company
@ghettostone/facebook
Leader of The BEST SELLER'S BOOK CLUB
July 1, 2010
So thoroughly well written and researched! Highly recommended if you are interested in this genre.
February 9, 2020
This is the second book by Edward Ball that I've read and I have found him to be amazingly thorough in his research and able to show you the good, the bad, and the ugly (even as it related to his own family in the previous book, "Slaves in the Family").
In this book, we follow the lives of the Harleston family, begun from a white plantation owner and his slave mistress. They had, if I remember correctly, 8 children who became part of the "colored elite" in the south. I was completely pulled in, following along as this family lived their lives. Certainly their lives were not easy, but they truly embodied the human spirit of perseverance and they were able to create a level of success for themselves that not many African Americans were able to obtain in those days.
Written with personal recollections by descendant, Edwina Harleston Whitlock, this book was amazingly detailed. Ms. Edwina was in possession of what sounded like a cornucopia of old family photos and documents. It makes the genealogist in me quite envious. Together, Ms. Edwina and Mr. Ball have spun a beautiful story. The reader can easily step right back in time, as if we are peeking in windows, watching the action happen in real time. This is the type of book that all families want to be able to write and hand down from generation to generation. It is a book about living life to your best ability, no matter the circumstances. You must know the bad to appreciate the good ~ which is true of all history.
In this book, we follow the lives of the Harleston family, begun from a white plantation owner and his slave mistress. They had, if I remember correctly, 8 children who became part of the "colored elite" in the south. I was completely pulled in, following along as this family lived their lives. Certainly their lives were not easy, but they truly embodied the human spirit of perseverance and they were able to create a level of success for themselves that not many African Americans were able to obtain in those days.
Written with personal recollections by descendant, Edwina Harleston Whitlock, this book was amazingly detailed. Ms. Edwina was in possession of what sounded like a cornucopia of old family photos and documents. It makes the genealogist in me quite envious. Together, Ms. Edwina and Mr. Ball have spun a beautiful story. The reader can easily step right back in time, as if we are peeking in windows, watching the action happen in real time. This is the type of book that all families want to be able to write and hand down from generation to generation. It is a book about living life to your best ability, no matter the circumstances. You must know the bad to appreciate the good ~ which is true of all history.
August 3, 2020
After reading about the Jefferson/Hemmings relationship I was curious if other documented cases of master slave relations survived to this day. This story tells of the Harleston family and the generations of mixed race children that resulted from a master slave relationship. A fantastic way to jump into black history of a different era and how people and their children have delt with racism through generations.
December 22, 2017
Very interesting reading, continually saddened by how little our society has advanced in "liberty and justice for all."
Read
July 26, 2024Didn’t finish. ?
April 1, 2013
It's really a 4. something kind of book. I previously read another Edward Ball book, "Slaves in the Family" and liked it as well.
A substantial amount of research went into this book as well as a genuine affection for the subject. The multi-generational story of this family contains all the elements of good fiction --- outsized characters, love and betrayal, honesty and subterfuge, struggle and victory. It encapsulates the history of the country, not just the south, as members of the family spread from their beginnings in Charleston, SC to other parts of the country. There are plenty of tangential tributaries, particularly in the world of the arts, especially early jazz.
I learned many pieces of history that I'd not encountered before, which is something that always excites me. If you have an interest in African American and Southern history, don't miss this book.
A substantial amount of research went into this book as well as a genuine affection for the subject. The multi-generational story of this family contains all the elements of good fiction --- outsized characters, love and betrayal, honesty and subterfuge, struggle and victory. It encapsulates the history of the country, not just the south, as members of the family spread from their beginnings in Charleston, SC to other parts of the country. There are plenty of tangential tributaries, particularly in the world of the arts, especially early jazz.
I learned many pieces of history that I'd not encountered before, which is something that always excites me. If you have an interest in African American and Southern history, don't miss this book.
October 26, 2015
More of a 3.5 stars for writing and a 5 for level of research. There is something to being a legally disenfranchised group of people in a "wealthy" nation largely built on the sweat of said group. It makes for an odd family history such as this one. Like "Warmth of Other Suns" (4.5 stars), must be challenging to neatly weave together so many threads without being repetitive (and he could have dropped the term "colored" when the times did). VERY informative about black, and thus American, history. Hope he paid her/her estate.
May 1, 2016
Ball has written a detailed and fascinating account of the Harleston-Jenkins families of Charleston, South Carolina, from their beginning with eight offspring of white planter William Harleston and his black slave Kate to the present, basing much of the narrative on the oral history shared with him by Edwina Harleston Whitlock, the last living descendent who actually knew “Kate’s eight,” and also a distant cousin of Ball’s, one he discovered while researching his earlier book, Slaves in the Family.
May 18, 2008
Great true story about the most powerful American family you never heard of. Still around today and still very influential. Gives you another perspective about some important American political events and insight into how the country has been divided much more along class than race for longer than we think.
June 27, 2015
Mostly about the early history of African American art and music, through the lens of the Harlestons and their family and associates who were involved. If I were more interested in art and/or jazz, I'm sure I'd have been fascinated.
September 5, 2009
absolutely amazing!
highly recommended
highly recommended
August 22, 2010
This book was okay, but it's not nearly as good as Ball's "Slaves in the Family." :( I had such high hopes.
September 11, 2012
As well-written and interesting as Slaves in the Family. Not a source book for white pride, for sure. Remarkable family, not always in positive ways. But remarkable just the same.
June 17, 2015
It is historical non fiction but it read like fiction,if that makes any sense. I really enjoyed and will probably read another book by Edward Ball.
December 11, 2016
my low rating is more reflective of my reading interest rather than the book itself.
October 29, 2019
I so love this book. Time to read it again.
Want to read
June 22, 20101st edition signed by author
October 17, 2017
The title of the book is misleading to me. This family was well off and had opportunities most blacks of their time could only dream of. The story is disjointedly written, just painful to read. I give one star for research and another for information on coffins, funerals, and embalming during the Jim Crowe era.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews