Conversation so far:
Where was William Styron born?
William Styron was born in the Hilton Village historic district of Newport News, Virginia
Where did William Styron grow up?
William Styron grew up in the South and was steeped in its history.
Did William Styron's family own slaves?
William Styron's mother had owned two slaves as a child
Did William Styron have a good childhood?
William Styron's childhood was a difficult one
Why was William Styron's childhood difficult?
William Styron's father, a shipyard engineer, suffered from clinical depression, which Styron himself would later experience.

Question: Was his mother around when he was a child?
Self-contained rewrite: Was William Styron's mother around when he was a child?