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The Bondwoman's Narrative (Virago modern classics)
 
 
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The Bondwoman's Narrative (Virago modern classics) (Paperback)

by Hannah Crafts (Author)
5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
RRP: £10.99
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Product details

  • Paperback: 400 pages
  • Publisher: Virago Press Ltd (23 May 2002)
  • Language English
  • ISBN-10: 1860490131
  • ISBN-13: 978-1860490132
  • Product Dimensions: 21.2 x 13.6 x 3.2 cm
  • Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 551,572 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Product Description

Review
'THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is an extraordinary literary event.' SCOTSMAN 'Extraordinarily interesting and valuable.' THE TIMES 'Its pages are full of telling observations of the peculiar psychological effects of slavery.' SUNDAY TIMES 'Remarkable for its revelations of the day-to-day life of a house slave shortly before the Civil War outlawed such an existence.' IRISH EXAMINER 'The novel is luminous in its authoritive insight.' SPECTATOR 'THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a compelling amalgam of Gothic, sentimental and slave narratives. The plot moves quickly, and Crafts eloquently tells a ghost story, various tales of passing and cross-dressing, and describes chilling scenes of cruelty.' TLS 'A fascinating read, and an even more fascinating literary and historical puzzle.' HISTORICAL NOVELS REVIEW

Product Description
When her master is betrothed to a woman who conceals a tragic secret, Hannah Crafts, a young slave on a wealthy North Carolina plantation, runs away in a bid for her freedom up North. Pursued by slave hunters, imprisoned by a mysterious and cruel captor, held by sympathetic strangers, and forced to serve a demanding new mistress, she finally makes her way to freedom in New Jersey. Her compelling story provides a fascinating view of American life in the mid-1800s and the literary conventions of the time. Written in the 1850s by a runaway slave, THE BONDSWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a provocative literary landmark and a significant historical even that will captivate a diverse audience. It provides a window into the psychology and perspective of a slave woman. David Brion Davis, a Yale professor and historican of slavery, said, 'We have relatively few authentic slave narratives, and certainly a novel written by a black woman and former slave is almost sensational.'

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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Stars are not appropriate for judging this book.,, 20 Oct 2002
By Mary Whipple (New England) - See all my reviews
(TOP 10 REVIEWER)   
The Bondwoman's Narrative is an historical artifact, a significant contribution to the literature of the pre-Civil War United States and, most especially, to African-American history and culture. Rating such a relic as if it were a modern publication denies it the accord it deserves as a newly discovered record of the misery endured by humans who were bought and sold in the last years of slavery.

Telling the story of Hannah Crafts, a literate house slave, the author, convincingly identified by editor Gates as a black woman, pens a sentimental melodrama, a genre popular at the time, to describe in detail the life of a slave. Leading a somewhat less miserable life than a field hand, Hannah reveals her never-ending duties, her treatment and mistreatment by wives of the owners, her observations on the sexual abuse of women by owners, and her firsthand knowledge of venal slave traders and unscrupulous lawyers. These accounts are remarkable for their immediacy and human drama.

The novel's narrative flow, as one traumatic episode after another builds to a climax, is clearly planned. Characters from one part of the novel appear and reappear in other parts, and sentimental motifs, common to the genre, repeat--the personification of a linden tree which affects several generations, curses visited on people and carried out over time, coincidences which strain credibility, and the hand of providence helping the pious Hannah.

Although Gates's arguments for black authorship are convincing, he does not address some intriguing European references here. Fresh linens look like "an alpine snowdrift," Mr. Wheeler is noted by Hannah as having "the attitude of a Frenchman," Mrs. Wheeler says she will not accept Hannah's "blarney," Hannah refers to the poetry of Lord Byron, and she describes Mrs. Wheeler in one scene as having "the rage of Orestes." These struck me as unusual metaphors and references, and I'd be intrigued to learn how common they were to the day and how and why Hannah came to employ them. Mary Whipple

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4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars A Beautiful Learning Experience, 5 Mar 2003
By Caroline P. Hampton (Columbus, Ohio USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This review is from: The Bondwoman's Narrative (Hardcover)
I couldn't have been more moved or impressed with a work of literature than I was with "The Bondwoman's Narrative" by Hannah Crafts and Henry Louis Gates Jr (Editor). Sadly, this is a part of history and literature that I am not that familiar with so I was eager to read this and expand my horizons and knowledge base. WOW! I was taken back in time to a world that I can hardly imagine. As a 27 year old white woman living in 2002 I can't even begin to truly understand what it meant to be a black slave in the South. It is a completely different world and existence that I will never comprehend. The mere fact that she was a self-educated woman who survived to reach freedom should be enough to make this a wonderful work but, it's so much more. It's the human condition and spirit that takes the reader on an adventure with Ms. Crafts. I was charmed.
I found the Introduction by Mr. Gates particularly informative and was entranced by his ease and clear explanations. It is truly amazing how he found this unknown jewel. I am so glad that he did, because it provided me with knowledge that I desperately needed. Thank you!
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