Yellow Wife
By Sadeqa Johnson
- Release Date: 2021-01-12
- Genre: Historical Fiction
Description
From the New York Times bestselling author of House of Eve—a 2023 Reese’s Book Club Pick!
*A Best Book of the Year by NPR and Christian Science Monitor*
Called “wholly engrossing” by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom, this “fully immersive” (Lisa Wingate, #1 bestselling author of Before We Were Yours) story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia.
Born on a plantation in Charles City, Virginia, Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life. Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister, she is set apart from the others on the plantation, belonging to neither world.
She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday, but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love, Essex Henry, Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known. She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre, a jail in Richmond, Virginia, where the enslaved are broken, tortured, and sold every day. There, Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions. To survive, Pheby will have to outwit him, and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice.
Reviews
Great read
5By bella8894Compelling story finished in one day.amazing read
5By cammillleeeheartbreaking honestly, ending had me in tears very well writtenWhat a read!
5By bjcpepperThis book was sooooo heartbreaking. I cried and mourned over the senseless experiences of enslaved people. The author researched the experiences very well.Sexual Assault (trigger warning)
2By MilquizThe mishandling of the male slave Essex being raped by the mistress in this book really killed the story. Female slave Pheby is secretly dating Essex. Essex is threatened and forced to have sex with the white mistress. He painfully confesses the string of sexual assaults to his girlfriend Pheby and she responds with rage, shaming, and blame toward him. It was a disgusting scene. Especially when the female main character Pheby should have known better: she had seen her mother being raped by the master and later her mother explained she had no choices but that everything she does is for her. Logically, that would give Pheby an understanding of how coercion and rape works on a plantation. Still, she had zero sympathy for Essex and narcissistically made herself the “betrayed” victim of the situation with zero consideration as he repeatedly explained how he was threatened. She says he’s dropped a lot on her and needs time then leaves him there. As the “heroine” of our story, it was very uninspiring and honestly unforgivable. Writing is decent but that scene was detrimental. It makes you not care for the main character at all which disconnects you from the story. Also, if you’re going to have sexual assault in your book, be careful what message you’re putting out and ask yourself: is this helpful to existing issues of today?Great Easy Read
4By ItzcecebbyI thought this was a great book. I loved how it flowed. It was a great easy read that kept my attention.Well Written
5By Grateful524Well written historical fiction novel. This is the second book I’ve read from this author and she is very talented.Powerful! Gripping & Touching Story!
5By Sweetlips329Wow! I could not put this book down! Empowering and uplifting to hear the struggles and treatments and still she rose!Could NOT put it down!
5By frenchy0674Absolutely riveting, but such sadness and suffering.Incredible
5By lo mcclearyTruly heartbreakingExcellent Read
5By A Blast!!!!A rollercoaster ride of emotions, anxiousness, anger, disgust, and hope of freedom at any cost.
