Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Dover Thrift Editions)

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Dover Thrift Editions) Review

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"Incidents in the life of a Slave Girl" is the incredible life journey of Harriet Jacobs (a.k.a., Linda Brent) from oppression to freedom. One could scarcely believe the lengths a human soul would suffer to attain it.

I was engulfed in Harriet's story. There were things I never put much thought to, like the lives of the slaves of kind masters were held so delicately in balance, for when they die, life can change so quickly; and even the granting of freedom upon death can be no guarantee of freedom. Harriet makes a passionate argument for why slaves, even under kind masters, should be set free.

Harriet describes things so hard to believe, I did find myself doubting, like hiding in quarters so cramped, she could not stand up . . . for seven years. It's not that a person wouldn't want to do that given the alternative of slavery and she didn't know initially how long she would be there. It's implausible because this storage shed was on her grandmother's property and that property was under suspicion so that it was searched inside and out and no one thought to search the shed just because no one ever went in there? The attic of that shed would have been the first place I'd have looked, even if it didn't look like it had a door. Her children weren't supposed to know she was there but her son figured it out, because he heard her cough. Well, he was just a little boy and he figured it out. Surely, others heard noises, as well.

Secondly, her master sought her as he would try to woo a girlfriend. When she ran away, he searched for her and offered rewards, as would be expected of slave owners. However, after seven years, neigh even more, he continued to travel north in search of her. Even if he were smitten with her, I wouldn't have expected it to last that long. Considering she was his slave, I would think he would have thought her forever lost property; and she'd been replaced, except for maybe outstanding reward money. Harriet said slaves were treated like dogs, and people don't usually travel the states for seven years looking for lost dogs.

Overlooking those details, I was able to enjoy the book. Harriet Jacobs was a talented writer. I lived her life through her words. Though it sometimes read like fiction, it could not have been better told.

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Dover Thrift Editions) Feature

• ISBN13: 9780486419312
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

This autobiographical account by a former slave is one of the few extant narratives written by a woman. Written and published in 1861, it delivers a powerful, unflinching portrayal of the brutality of slave life. Jacobs speaks frankly of her master's abuse and her eventual escape, in an amazing and inspirational account of one woman's dauntless spirit and faith.

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Customer Reviews

SHOCKING - D. Meyers - Grand Rapis, MI
This memoire of a woman born to slavery was shocking as well as eye-opening. The author brings to light practices not reported in other accounts of the same genre such as holiday traditions, religious services, and how freed slaves might buy their own family members. There were descriptions of a life so horrible one would rather die or be locked in an attic for years rather than be subjected to a master. The mean-ness of the times seems to be a judgment of society, as only the guilty become paranoid and defensive to the point of abuse.

A detractor from the content for me was the style of writing. At times the book became tedious and repititious. The editing also felt stilted as some very elegant Victorian passages were interjected among other simple phrases that seemed to be taken from a primer reader. The "preachy" quality also lost its impact. The events themselves were powerful enough to carry the intended message.

Insightful, gripping, wrentching - Crystal - Australia
What a journey Linda takes us on. These accounts have certainly opened my eyes to the confusion and fear felt at the hands of slaveholders. How blessed we are to read these words of courage and determination.


Jul 07, 2010 23:52:08