Leaving Edgefield (2025) by Carolyn W. Hooker is a compelling work of historical fiction centered on the life of Carrie Butler, a Black teen from Edgefield, South Carolina, who went to work as a domestic servant in the Thurmond house in 1924.
The story is told through Carrie’s richly imagined voice as she lies on her death bed, speaking to Mrs. Sadie Alexander. Each chapter is another interview as Carrie relates the events of her life to Mrs. Alexander, a Philadelphia attorney and member of an illustrious family of Black doctors, lawyers, and educators. Carrie had met Mrs. Alexander through her work as a seamstress. With Mrs. Alexander’s help, Carrie hopes to ensure her daughter’s education would continue after her death.
Hooker begins Carrie’s story when she is eight years old and is forced to leave her parents’ farm to live with an aunt. Although she is reluctant to leave, it turns out to be one of the best things to happen to her. Not only is it the first time she has enough to eat, but also because her aunt is a teacher, Carrie is able to attend school. She learns to read and write. At fourteen after her father dies and her mother becomes ill, Carrie must return to the family farm to care for her sisters. The remaining family has even less to eat. Carrie’s sister Mary works as a domestic in the Thurmond household and is able to obtain a position for Carrie there to supplement their income. The Thurmonds were a prominent, wealthy White family. Meanwhile, Mary gets married and moves to Philadelphia.
It is in the Thurmond home that Carrie’s life is forever changed. One of the Thurmond sons—Strom—rapes Carrie. Since a pregnancy results, Carrie loses her job. After the baby’s birth, the Thurmonds force Carrie to give her biracial child to her sister Mary to raise. They hope once the child is out of sight, the rumors of Strom’s indiscretion will be quelled. And Edgefield citizens—those who will eventually vote for Strom—will forget about it. Carrie’s story reminds readers of how little power women had over their own lives in the early 1900’s, especially Black women during the Jim Crow era.
Even after Carrie is married to a good man and has another child, she can’t forget Essie Mae, the daughter she gave away. Women who have been separated from their children for any reason will certainly relate to the pain Carrie experiences. Thirteen years later, Carrie leaves her husband and goes to reclaim her daughter. While she is happy to be reunited, nothing can bring back the missing years. Still, she makes a good life for herself as a seamstress. She is only thirty-eight when she died in 1948, the year Strom Thurmond ran for President of the United States. Carrie dies with assurances from Mrs. Alexander that Essie Mae will be educated. Historical documents do indicate Senator Thurmond paid for Essie Mae’s tuition to South Carolina State College.
With her thorough research, the author has made a significant contribution to the preservation of the history of a largely forgotten woman whose story deserves to be remembered. She can be admired for her courage in standing up to a powerful man to obtain the education she knows will shape her child’s life.
Carolyn Hooker
Carolyn W. Hooker is a South Carolina-based writer and educator whose work explores the intersections of history, identity, and resilience. She has a B.S. in Education and an M.A. degree in English from the University of South Carolina.
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