Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl (Signet Classics),   ISBN:9780451531469

Customer Rating: 

Purchasing this textbook thru this company saved me about 50.00. It came to me in perfect condition, and I am very thrilled with the amount of information the book has. It's really easy to read and gives lots of examples.

Customer Rating: 

"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.

Customer Rating: 

Wow! Where do I start? This novel is the epitome of a well-rounded slavery novel! The details were nothing short of amazing! At any given moment, I can find myself vividly imagining the scenery and ambience that the novel speaks of! This is one of my favorite pieces of literature and I believe everyone should experience this vivid account of Harriet's difficult ascent from slavery to freedom. I only wish there was something to tell of how Harriet's life progressed where the novel leaves off.

Customer Rating: 

I ordered the Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl as one of two books required for an American History Course in which I am enrolled. The first book (a Pulitzer Prize winner), American Lion, is excellent (I'm 2/3 of the way through it), and based upon the reputation of the Professor teaching the course, I can only guess that the Slave Girl will be equally good. Both books arrived in excellent condition and on time.

Customer Rating: 

I've always been fascinated by slavery in America, and I've read several dozen books on the subject. But "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl" by Harriet Jacobs was a real eye-opener. It's the first narrative I've read by a woman who escaped from slavery, and it has significant differences from male slave narratives. Jacobs talks about the unique misery of being a female slave, writing that "Slavery is terrible for men, but it is far more terrible for women." I always wondered how the wives of slaveholders reacted to the knowledge that their husbands were having sex - and fathering children - with their human property. Jacobs answers that question in full, with chilling details. Instead of blaming their husbands (sons, brothers), female slaveholders often blamed the victims - the female slaves and their children. Female slaveholders often treated their husbands' sex slaves - and the resulting children - with special malice and cruelty. And that's just one of the questions addressed by this observant, emotional and well-written narrative. I recommend this book highly, especially for those who have not considered how slavery turns masters into monsters.