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Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Written by Herself
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[The book] is a major work in the canon of writing by Afro-American women...Jacobs's book--reaching across the gulf separating black women from white, slave from free, poor from rich, "bad" women from "good"--represents an early attempt to establish an American sisterhood.--Wayne Lionel Aponte "The Nation "
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
Product Description
Published in 1861, “Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” was one of the first personal narratives by a slave and one of the few written by a woman. Jacobs (1813-97) was a slave in North Carolina and suffered terribly, along with her family, at the hands of a ruthless owner. She made several failed attempts to escape before successfully making her way North, though it took years of hiding and slow progress. Eventually, she was reunited with her children. For all biography and history collections. "Slavery is terrible for men, but it is far more terrible for women," Harriet Jacobs wrote in 1861. At that time she was an escaped slave living in the north, but the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 meant that she could no longer consider being in the northern states a guarantee of freedom or safety. Her book is an eloquent recital of the suffering that is slavery. Families broken apart; promises of freedom made but never kept; whippings, beatings, and burnings; masters selling their own children - all are recounted with precise detail and a blazing indignation. Harriet Jacobs' master started pursuing her when she was fifteen; in disgust she continually refused and avoided him. Her first attempt at revenge and escape failed: she became the lover of a local unmarried white man and had several children, but even then her master refused to sell her. Finally, in desperation, she ran away and hid in an uninsulated garret, three feet high at its tallest point with almost no air or light. She stayed there for seven years, enduring cold, heat, and a crippling lack of movement, always hoping to catch a glimpse of her children through a crack in the walls as they walked by on the road below her. At last she had a chance to escape to the North. Her story is a remarkable testimony to her strength and courage, and an unrelenting attack upon the institution of slavery.
--This text refers to an alternate
Paperback
edition.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
174 of 177 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Although Linda has been treated fairly well, she is still a slave and as such suffers from the degradations and deprivations that all slaves suffered in the southern states of America during the eighteen hundreds. Incidents in the Life of A Slave Girl tells of Linda's struggles and triumphs over her `condition' in her own words, spanning several decades....
Although I love to read this isn't a book that I would have really bought for myself, I much prefer science fiction or horror to biographies. But as the Kindle edition was free to download and I have the Kindle for Android app on my phone I decided to give it a go and found it was quite a revelation. Although the book is in no way graphic, we are left in doubt as to how difficult and humiliating life is for a young woman growing up as the property of another man. As the book progressed, I really found myself sympathising with Linda and rooting for her in her quest for freedom for both herself and her children.
In the main part the language used is easy to read and the conversational style almost makes it feel as if we're sitting next to Linda as she tells us her story. There are a few points in the book where she uses patois, which I found a little harder to follow, and there are also points where the 'N' word is used. Thinking long and hard about it, the fact that this book is a slave girl telling us this story, means that this language is exactly how she would have spoken, and to remove those words because we now find them offensive would have been in fact offensive to her memory. Throughout the whole book you really do get to understand Linda's motivations and empathise with her, as she recounts both her own and the stories of those around her with just the right level detail. Her love and respect for her Grandmother really did show through as did her fear of disappointing those who had given up so much for her.
Due to the subject matter there are obviously some very emotional points in the book, there were a couple of chapters that brought tears to my eyes and the ending was a true depiction of triumph over adversity. Although there are no graphic descriptions of the treatment that Linda and other slaves received, nothing is glossed over. So it's easy to picture the fear that countless thousands of men, women and children lived in and how hard life must have been for them. But this isn't just the story of a slave, it's the story of a grand-daughter, mother, and indeed a whole country.
Unlike other books that I have read that cover the subject of slavery, there's no glossing over of the North's involvement in the vile trade. By the last page we are left in no doubt of the North's complicity in returning those slaves who have escaped persecution back to their masters. All in all this book gives a fascinating insight into the life of slaves, in particular females slaves, their hopes and fears and the attitudes of those around them, all from the view point of a very brave woman, who was willing to lay her life down to secure freedom for herself and her children. While I wouldn't particularly recommend this to the youngest of teenagers, I do think it's a worthwhile read for anyone aged fifteen and up. And I feel this book would probably be of far more interest to female readers than male, only because it is the story of a very strong, inspirational woman. As far as stars out of five go, I've no hesitation in giving Incidents From The Life Of A Slave Girl, five out of five, and there's no doubt that I will at some point be reading it again, as well as encouraging friends and family to give it a try.
Although I love to read this isn't a book that I would have really bought for myself, I much prefer science fiction or horror to biographies. But as the Kindle edition was free to download and I have the Kindle for Android app on my phone I decided to give it a go and found it was quite a revelation. Although the book is in no way graphic, we are left in doubt as to how difficult and humiliating life is for a young woman growing up as the property of another man. As the book progressed, I really found myself sympathising with Linda and rooting for her in her quest for freedom for both herself and her children.
In the main part the language used is easy to read and the conversational style almost makes it feel as if we're sitting next to Linda as she tells us her story. There are a few points in the book where she uses patois, which I found a little harder to follow, and there are also points where the 'N' word is used. Thinking long and hard about it, the fact that this book is a slave girl telling us this story, means that this language is exactly how she would have spoken, and to remove those words because we now find them offensive would have been in fact offensive to her memory. Throughout the whole book you really do get to understand Linda's motivations and empathise with her, as she recounts both her own and the stories of those around her with just the right level detail. Her love and respect for her Grandmother really did show through as did her fear of disappointing those who had given up so much for her.
Due to the subject matter there are obviously some very emotional points in the book, there were a couple of chapters that brought tears to my eyes and the ending was a true depiction of triumph over adversity. Although there are no graphic descriptions of the treatment that Linda and other slaves received, nothing is glossed over. So it's easy to picture the fear that countless thousands of men, women and children lived in and how hard life must have been for them. But this isn't just the story of a slave, it's the story of a grand-daughter, mother, and indeed a whole country.
Unlike other books that I have read that cover the subject of slavery, there's no glossing over of the North's involvement in the vile trade. By the last page we are left in no doubt of the North's complicity in returning those slaves who have escaped persecution back to their masters. All in all this book gives a fascinating insight into the life of slaves, in particular females slaves, their hopes and fears and the attitudes of those around them, all from the view point of a very brave woman, who was willing to lay her life down to secure freedom for herself and her children. While I wouldn't particularly recommend this to the youngest of teenagers, I do think it's a worthwhile read for anyone aged fifteen and up. And I feel this book would probably be of far more interest to female readers than male, only because it is the story of a very strong, inspirational woman. As far as stars out of five go, I've no hesitation in giving Incidents From The Life Of A Slave Girl, five out of five, and there's no doubt that I will at some point be reading it again, as well as encouraging friends and family to give it a try.
168 of 172 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition
Beautifully written, sometimes a harrowing read this book deals at first hand of the traumars that slaves - especially female slaves endured. Most people will be aware of the physical horrors that slaves endured; and these are not glossed over; but this book majors on the emotional cruelty that female slaves had to live with. 'How could they?' is the natural reaction to indignity and cruelty meeted out by the slave owners and traders. Be prepared for a heart jerker of a true story, but above all, read it
58 of 59 people found the following review helpful
Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase
Even though this is a very tragic story you can't change history.It's good to keep alive the past so this never happens again.Did enjoy this book(in a sad way).If you are of a sensative nature this may be upsetting that people could treat a fellow human this way.I was amazed that the writer had to go through such hardship in her life before finding peace and semi freedom.Written at a time when slavery was still rife but no mention of dates when all this occured.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
incidents in the life of a slave girl
Sorry did not like this and never finished it, the expanations relating to incidents were to long, page after page before you get sight of what is trying to be explained
Published 3 days ago by nadger
incidents in the life of a slave girl
this was one of the first books i downloaded for my kindle and the first one i read. i was really surprised at how much i enjoyed reading it and couldnt put it down, and it was... Read more
Published 4 days ago by sarah85
Worthy read
Having read the reviews before downloading, I had an idea of what to expect from this book and it didn't disappoint. Read more
Published 7 days ago by gemlady
challenging insights
I felt compelled to read this book having finished Allen Applen's "Beautiful Simone", and finding the assumptions and attitudes of the time of which he writes so disturbing. Read more
Published 20 days ago by GrannyM
Slave Girl
I really enjoyed this book, definately worth a read if you're interested in the terrible times of slavery. Just so glad that times have changed, well ok mostly changed.
Published 24 days ago by KarenL
Brilliant read!
I don't need to describe the contents of this book as others already have, I just want to say that I read this over a year ago and have read many books since, but this one has... Read more
Published 25 days ago by Ceria
excellent insight to slavery and all its cruelty.
WOW!! nothing else say other than yet another well written book exposing the cruelty of slavery. This is book that once started you will find hard to put down.
Published 1 month ago by kate of highbridge
LIFE OF A SLAVE GIRL
THIS EBOOK WAS GREAT FUN AS EXPECTED GIVING US HOURS OF GREAT FUN, WOULD USE THIS SELLER AGAIN AS SERVICE WAS VERY FAST
Published 1 month ago by S. Hawley
Mr Gardener
This was an enjoyable book it was quite interesting to read history as experienced by an actual person although they lived through an awful period.
Published 1 month ago by Mr Gardener
incidents in the life of a slave girl
knowing it happened and reading personal accounts are two different things. this is grafic enough for you to appreciate her struggles but not so much you cant read it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by poisonivy
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