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The Bondwoman's Narrative Paperback | Pages: 464 pages
Rating: 3.85 | 1630 Users | 178 Reviews

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Title:The Bondwoman's Narrative
Author:Hannah Crafts
Book Format:Paperback
Book Edition:Special Edition
Pages:Pages: 464 pages
Published:April 1st 2003 by Grand Central Publishing (first published 2002)
Categories:Historical. Historical Fiction. Fiction. Cultural. African American

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Through a sequence of fortuitous events detailed in the introduction, noted scholar and author Henry Louis Gates Jr. has discovered what he and others believe may be the first novel written by an African-American woman -- a discovery made even more monumental by the fact that it was found in its original manuscript form, completely unedited. Extensive scientific testing has been completed to authenticate the manuscript and ascertain its origins, and experts agree that it was written between 1853 and 1859, by an African-American woman who had previously been enslaved. Gates has painstakingly sought to identify the author, Hannah Crafts, through historical research, and although he has been unsuccessful in determining her true identity, he has found that many of the places, dates, and characters in the novel can be linked reliably to real events and people.

A riveting story about a young slave woman on a Southern plantation, The Bondwoman's Narrative follows the title character as she escapes and makes her way to freedom. As a novel, it possesses all the charms and devices of popular mid-19th-century fiction, and the influences of gothic and romantic writers popular in the day are apparent throughout the text. But Crafts accomplishes more than mere mimicry in her book, adding her own voice to established traditions to create a unique style.

Throughout the 19th century, many slave narratives -- most notably The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass -- detailed the daily horrors of slavery. In choosing to write a novel rather than an autobiographical narrative, however, Crafts expresses the complete psychological and emotional breadth of the experience, transcending personal, private tortures to illuminate the inhumanity of "the peculiar institution." Her characters reflect upon and feel the experience of enslavement -- and because they are wholly rounded and fully developed, they also express the intellect and insight present in the best writings of Dickens, Poe, or Thoreau.

Discovered dallying in her master's portrait gallery by a white housekeeper, who comments that she is "[l]ooking at the pictures...as if such an ignorant thing as you would know any thing about them," the title character poignantly counters to herself, "Ignorance, forsooth. Can ignorance quench the immortal mind or prevent its feeling at times the indications of its heavenly origins? Can it destroy that deep abiding appreciation of the beautiful that seems inherent to the human soul? Can it seal up the fountains of truth and all intuitive perception of life, death, and eternity? I think not. Those to whom man teaches little, nature like a wise and prudent mother teaches much."

Regardless of its historical importance -- and the unavoidable questions and controversies about its authenticity -- the literary merits of The Bondwoman's Narrative are clear. A deeply engaging novel told with the clarity of a woman who has endured slavery's sorrows and the creativity of one who, at her core, was a gifted artist, it is a powerful story that leaves the reader simultaneously bereft and exhilarated, one that bears witness to the transcendent power of art. (Ann Kashickey)

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Original Title: The Bondwoman's Narrative
ISBN: 0446690295 (ISBN13: 9780446690294)
Edition Language: English

Rating Of Books The Bondwoman's Narrative
Ratings: 3.85 From 1630 Users | 178 Reviews

Judgment Of Books The Bondwoman's Narrative
A fascinating account of life as a slave written by a female African-American around 1855, making it possibly the first novel by a black woman. I found the distinctions even among the slaves to be rather intriguing; it is clear that the author considers herself, as a light-skinned, educated and well-read slave, above the "degraded" fieldhands, who are much darker in skin tone and who appear to her to be far more vulgar. This novel makes it so very clear why slavery is such a terrible thing, for

I was actually expecting a more non-fiction analysis by Gates, but the book truely is the novel Crafts set to paper. For an unpublished work, the story is surprisingly good and there is a decent amount of action and suspense mixed with the trials of slavery. I can see this novel used in the classroom (probably for high school as there is a lot of material concerning sex) as Crafts touches upon many of the trials of slavery - from the withholding of education (and even religion) to the separation

This is a novel likely based on the author's life. The manuscript was found at auction and was the subject of a thesis. It was written by a slave woman who escaped slavery in the 1850's.

An autobiographical novel discovered as a handwritten manuscript in the early 20th century and acquired at auction by Gates in 2001. There had been suspicions that this was a novel written by an escaped female slave and Gates' investigation seems to confirm that, including an analysis he had done by Dr. Joe Nickell, an investigator and historical-document examiner, which confirmed that the document had most likely been written in the late 1850s by a young African woman intimately familiar with

Five stars for the stellar research and detail of authenticating the book.Three stars for the story itself, as far as stories go.Yes, this book should be judged not on the story's face value, but rather what this book represents, as a fictionalized account, written by what is more than likely a former slave that escaped from her bondage. I realize this, and appreciate what this book means in terms of history and what this book can tell us. There were some truly, truly heartbreakingly honest and

This book is amazing simply for what it is; possibly the first and only narrative written by a female African American slave. The literary analysis and discussion at the beginning is fascinating. Very interesting.

Besides being historically significant, it is also a captivating story, providing perhaps the first inside look of slavery, recorded in the 1850's, by a female slave. This subject has always fascinated me, and I have read many books about slavery and the segregation of people in the South. But I have been waiting to read this account, and even the first quarter of the book, documenting the research and background was exciting...like the discovery of an unknown artifact.The co-author/publisher