Incidents in the life of a slave girl.

This book was published in 1861, and chronicles the life of Harriet Jacobs, a slave girl from Edenton, North Carolina. It is one of the few existing slave narratives written by a woman, ten years after the author managed to gain her freedom. Jacobs was able to write this narrative as her first owner (whom she was very fond of), taught her to read and write. In order to protect herself and others, the book was originally published using the pseudonym Linda Brent.

The book is morbidly fascinating, offering many insights into her life as a female slave. It details the difficulties that Harriet had to face and overcome, including constant sexual harassment from her master, Dr Flint. This drove her into a relationship with a free white man, Samuel Sawyer, which resulted in two children, who, following the status of their mother, were born slaves.

There are many descriptions of the various cruel practices suffered by slaves, including over-work, starvation and whipping. The heartbreak caused when slaves, including young children, were separated from their families and were sold off at the whim of their masters is described.

The author shows great determination and resilience in her bid to gain freedom. An incident which stood out for me was when she finally ran away. Fearing for the fate of her children, Harriet spent seven years hiding in her grandmothers attic, (approximately 6ft by 3ft, forcing her to lay down to fit), before successfully escaping to New York city.

The book is well written, in an easy, if quite flowery style. It is a unique primary source enabling readers to understand the plight of women slaves in 19th century America. I would recommend it to anyone interested in learning more about this period of history and would also suggest it to book groups, as there is plenty of material to provoke thoughtful discussion.

Incidents in the life of a slave girl.