Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush by Virgina Hamilton is not your typical ghost story. Rather, it is a novel preoccupied with the impact the past has on our lives, especially past hurts involved in our personal histories. However, Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush doesn’t stop there. The novel allows us to contemplate the challenge of our personal growth as it relates to others. Sweet Whispers, Brother Rush suggests that the past must be dealt with, integrated, in fact, suggesting it is the only was toward healing. Quite simply, unless we are willing to visit our past, our future will be one of shrinking horizons.