Ms. American Dream: A Memoir of Making It, No Matter What

From the author of the acclaimed and "riveting" (HuffPost) memoir Rabbit and star of BET's The Ms. Pat Show, a heartfelt, raw, and hilarious new memoir about rising from strife to success, tackling obstacles, and celebrating your wins with a laugh.

"America is supposed to be the land of opportunity--where any poor kid can grow up to become a millionaire. That's the story. But I'ma tell you how it really went down."

Before she was the star of the Emmy-nominated smash sitcom The Ms. Pat Show, before the Netflix specials, sold-out tours, and her critically acclaimed memoir, Rabbit, Ms. Pat was a fifteen-year-old eighth-grade dropout raising two babies in one of Atlanta's poorest neighborhoods. With no mentor, no road map, and no safety net, she wasn't chasing the American Dream. She was told it wasn't meant for people like her.

If you'd seen her back then, you wouldn't have bet on a happy ending.

And yet...look at her now.

In Ms. American Dream, Ms. Pat picks up where Rabbit left off--chronicling the hard-fought climb from food stamps and Section 8 housing to television deals, Hollywood writers' rooms, and a suburban life so comfortable her doghouse has its own built-in washer and dryer.

In a country where the rich get richer and regular folks are told to "work harder," Ms. Pat learned the rules of a system that wasn't built for her to win. She outmaneuvered caseworkers, bill collectors, con artists, and hustlers. She found her place in an industry where she was told she didn't belong.

Raw, fearless, and laugh-out-loud funny, Ms. American Dream is not your average rags-to-riches Hollywood story--it's a sharp, hilarious look at class, strategy, and reinvention.

Author: Patricia Williams-Lee
Publisher: Atria Books
Published: 09/29/2026
Pages: 224
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.85lbs
Size: 9.13h x 6.32w x 0.91d
ISBN: 9781668044216


Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 07/17/2026 pg. 1
Booklist 08/01/2026

About the Author
Patricia "Ms. Pat" Williams-Lee, "the real hero of sitcom TV" (HuffPost), is the creator and star of BET+'s Emmy-nominated The Ms. Pat Show, based on her riveting memoir, Rabbit, the story of an inner-city drug dealer turned suburban mom. One of the country's most exciting stand-ups, Williams-Lee regularly headlines comedy clubs and theaters nationwide. Her signature charisma and candor are featured in Netflix's Ms. Pat: Y'all Wanna Hear Something Crazy? and top-rated comedy podcast The Patdown with Ms. Pat. On her TV court show, Ms. Pat Settles It, she trades her mic for a gavel to referee disputes with hilarious results. In her downtime, Ms. Pat invites guests to teach her culinary skills on Whiskin' It All with Ms. Pat, her delightful YouTube cooking show. Ms. Pat lives in Atlanta with her husband and a house full of dependents.