Dear Willie Rudd

In this thoughtful epistolary picture book, a white woman fondly remembers the black housekeeper who raised her in the time of segregation and reflects on how the world has changed.

Fifty years have passed since Miss Elizabeth was a girl, but she still remembers Willie Rudd, the black housekeeper who helped raise her. She remembers the feel of sitting in Willie Rudd’s lap while the housekeeper sang to her. And she remembers how Willie Rudd scrubbed the floor on her hands and knees.

What would Miss Elizabeth say to Willie Rudd if she were alive today? She decides to write her a letter telling her how things would be different. Now Willie Rudd would come in the front door—not the back. She would ride in the front of the bus with Miss Elizabeth, and they could sit together at the movies. The two of them would have a wonderful time.

And in her heartfelt letter, Miss Elizabeth has the chance to tell Willie Rudd something she never told her while she was alive—that she loved her.