The Bondwoman's Narrative

by Hannah Crafts

Hardcover, 2002

Status

Available

Publication

Warner Books (2002), Edition: First Edition, 416 pages

Description

Possibly the first novel written by a black woman slave, this work is both a historically important literary event and a gripping autobiographical story in its own right.

Rating

½ (95 ratings; 3.7)

User reviews

LibraryThing member timspalding
I bought this in a fit of interest. It didn't hold up. Somethings are better in theory than in fact.
LibraryThing member ValerieMWilhiteR
This was an absolutely phenomenal text. It was terribly fun to trace the seams of the patchwork of themes and influences and commentary and ideology.
LibraryThing member dulcibelle
I enjoyed this book, but would have edited/arranged it differently. Gates left in Crafts' strikeouts, misspellings, and grammar errors (for historical reasons). I understand his reasoning, and it was interesting to see some of the thought processes that went into the book, but it took a while to
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get used to. I'd read the strike outs in a sentence, then read the sentence as intended, then think about the differences that made in the meaning of the sentence - then I'd forget where I was and have to do it all over again. I would have preferred the novel to be presented first, in a polished form, with the historical notes and information about the edits following.

I did enjoy reading how the manuscript was discovered and the things Gates did to try and find the author. It's really a neat story - and a historically important work. The podcast of Gates that I found was more about identifying the author of this book. Gates is a captivating speaker; I'd have loved having him for my history professor in college.
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LibraryThing member JuneBug1
Professor Gates relates how he came to have the manuscript of this novel , how he traced the possible authors of the manuscript and notes show the historians efforts to validate the time and place of the writing.Analysis of the type of paper and ink, style of handwriting and the authors rather
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romantic, effusive style (reminds one of Dickens) also place the novel in the attested time period. Gates' end notes are quite interestiing.

The plot which involves the story of a young slave girl, her mistress and the difficulties encountered in being sold, escape to freedom and the stories of the unfortunate fate of children of white owners and black servants.
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LibraryThing member sadiekaycarver
This book is the first book written by an ex-slave. It gives an inside view to the nasty institution of slavery. The book is very interesting and very sad. It makes your heart wrench thinking of the hopelessness of Hannah's situation. It also sheds light on a woman who was of mixed race and raised
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white, who had no idea of her origin of birth. When a nasty man finds out and blackmails her, it drives her mad. The thinking of the day was one drop of Black blood made you Black. It made no difference how you looked or if your father was white. It is a really amazing book. Hannah Crafts was a self taught read er and writer and she did an amazing job getting her story across.
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Language

Original language

English

ISBN

0446530085 / 9780446530088
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