Daddy’s House is Mildred J. Mills’ gripping memoir of growing up poor and abused in the Jim Crow South.

Mills was the third of 17 children living in a two-bedroom cinderblock house in Wetumpka Alabama, “the butt end of the world.” God’s presence was so keenly felt in the household that Mildred grew up believing “Mama had a direct line to God.” Yet while her mother was loving, Abraham Billups ruled his home like a tyrant, beating his children for the smallest infractions and using them as the unpaid labor on his 60-acre farm.

Steeped in poverty, Mildred used newsprint for toilet paper, Tide for shampoo, and fear of the devil for behavioral guidance. Along with farm work, she tended the babies at night, rose at 5 a.m. to cook elaborate breakfasts for the ever-expanding family, and served as her father’s bookkeeper—all while aiming to “get the hell out of Alabama, and make my own way.”

She finally did so, yet still faced tremendous obstacles, including having two babies out of wedlock and suffering a gang rape. While she eventually found lasting love and a series of successful careers, she also experienced heartache with her firstborn, a chronic thief and runaway.

Mills is most lyrical writing about her relationship with her parents and the rhythms of farm life. “I couldn’t decide whether to love its beauty or hate its stench,” she notes. “Every time I stepped outside the house onto the little porch, the smell of chicken shit, hog pens and the maggoty red outhouse spread its arms like a greeting committee. Yet, beyond the pigpen, where the soil was rich and black, the sweet smell of honeysuckles and cultivated fields eased into my bloodstream.” Her account, peopled with indelible characters and character-building obstacles, is told with honesty and heart.

In short, this is a riveting read sure to appeal to fans of memoirs about difficult childhoods, such as Jeannette Walls’ The Glass Castle.

Also available in paperback and ebook.