The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Watkins, LaToya. Holler, Child. Tiny Reparations Books, 2023.

Holler, Child is a collection of 11 short stories, each of which is about the experience of its Black protagonists in Texas.

"The Mother" is about Ms. Hawkins, a woman whose son ended up fronting a cult and leading his adherents to a ritual suicide. Reporters visit Ms. Hawkins to find out about who her son's father was to determine if he was actually a messiah of sorts. Hawk, her son, was taken away from her at a young age because of her struggles with drugs, and at the end of his life he was sentenced to decades in prison for allegedly touching a young girl's genitals. One of Joshua's daughters comes to visit Ms. Hawkins after his death asking about who his father was, and Ms. Hawkins capitulates and claims that he was born of immaculate conception, even though that is not true.

"Cutting Horse" concerns a man named Ridley who is being hunted by the police for allegedly stealing a horse. In reality, the horse just found its way into his backyard, where he lives because he and his wife are in a rocky patch after he hit her when she called him uneducated. The police close in and Ridley hops on the horse and rides away.

"Tipping" concerns main character Lettie whose husband has just died. Her mother comes over and tries to help her in the immediate aftermath. Chuck, Lettie's husband, was unfaithful and occasionally abusive, but it sounds like the two had rejuvenated a spark in their marriage that same morning. Chuck had a child with another woman while married to Lettie. Lettie's mother was abusive toward her siblings when Lettie was younger, and she laments that Lettie remains alive but Chuck does not.

"Moving the Animal" is about Opal, a woman whose husband, Nate, has had a stroke and can no longer help out around the house. Opal wants to put their dog, Chumley, on Craigslist because he is Nate's dog and he cannot do anything to take care of him. Chumley eventually dies before she can sell him, and Nate takes care of Opal.

"Vigil" is about a woman named Nicki comforting her friend, Thala, after her brother, Elvis, has died. Nicki observes how Thala is treated as inferior to the men at the funeral at the mosque. Nicki wants to help Thala because of how the latter helped Nicki when her husband was cheating on her, but Thala reveals that she thinks Nicki is to blame for their divorce. Thala's husband, Wale, hates Thala.

"Dog Person" concerns a couple, Keith and Phoenicia, who have been separated for six months. Their infant son, Miles, died recently out of the blue. Keith had a vasectomy to prevent him from impregnating Phoenicia, who somehow became pregnant -- he suspects she slept with someone else. As they are about to confess to one another, Keith's dog kills a neighborhood cat.

"Holler, Child" is about a 15-year-old named Quinten who has just raped his boss's daughter. He confesses to his mother, who was a victim of rape herself -- that is how Quinten was conceived. She sees Quinten's father in him, but tells him to maintain his innocence to the boss.

"Sweat" concerns Lotrece, a woman married to Clayton; he has been cheating on her for years. Lotrece once poisoned one of Clayton's mistress's cats. In the story, she holds a gun to Clayton's head to exert her power over him, but does not do anything.

"Paternal" is about a young woman whose boyfriend, the father of her child, left her for a stripper when she was in labor. The baby dies, and the husband does not even come to the hospital in time to see him when he is sick.

"Everything's Fine" begins with Ben addressing his wife, Resha, about how she let herself go after having their child and should not take on any more foster children because she cannot treat them with love. Resha resents her husband because she became pregnant with Emagine, her daughter, when he was at the height of his gambling addiction and they were running out of money. She resolves to prove Ben wrong and take better care of the children.

"Time After" is about Mary, a woman in her seventies, looking for her homeless brother, Tenchie, with her sister, Bobbi Jean. Tenchie was rejected by the family (including Mary) for being gay, but he continued to help Mary out financially and helped her break up with her physically abusive husband. The two sisters find Tenchie and tearfully reunite.