When my dear friends and I met for our last book club meeting, I was selected, at random, to be responsible for choosing the next book we would read and discuss. I had been eyeing a text on Goodreads for a while, and because it sounded incredibly interesting, I opted for ‘Yellow Wife’ by Sadeqa Johnson. I had no familiarity with Johnson prior to picking up this text, and I was aware that the book addressed the very heavy issue of black slavery in America in the 1850s.
I was not aware, however, of how absolutely harrowing this text is, and the emotional impact it would have on me as a reader.
‘Yellow Wife’ tells the story of a young woman named Pheby who was born and raised on a plantation in Virginia. I won’t spoil anything major, but Pheby has a unique relationship with the Master of the plantation, and because of this, her work as a slave is not as appalling as what most slaves were forced to endure during this time. She is forced to leave the plantation after a series of tragic events, and upon arriving at a prison, she finds herself alone, terrified and helpless, and decides that she must do what is necessary to secure her own freedom, and the freedom of those she loves, in the absence of the Master aiding her.
This book was extremely difficult to digest at times, but I believe that’s Johnson’s aim – this book is intended to make readers uncomfortable because it provides a graphic portrayal of what life was like for black slaves who were forced to endure atrocities beyond comprehension.
I don’t know if I will read this book again, but it is one that everyone should read to educate ourselves and pay respect to the victims of an inhumane period in history. It is absolutely a read and not a rid.
Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash
ontheedgeofeverything 