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readtomea97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child death, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Murder, and Classism
mjlease08's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
mavemarie's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Infertility, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
kelly_e's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Author: Sadeqa Johnson
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 5.00
Pub Date: January 12, 2021
T H R E E • W O R D S
Harrowing • Graphic • Impactful
📖 S Y N O P S I S
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.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I quickly moved this to the top of my TBR after reading The House of Eve in 2023. Much has already been said (all well deserved) about Yellow Wife, so I don't know that there is much that I can add that hasn't already been said. Inspired by the story of Mary Lumpkin and the Lumpkin's jail in Richmond, Virgina, Sadeqa Johnson has delivered one for the ages.
What a roller coaster of emotions! A story of survival, this narrative delves deeply into the sickening realities of the slavery experience in the 1850s. More specifically, it examines the biracial experience. I was angry. I was heartbroken. I was unsettled. I was ashamed. Yet, there is also a thread of hope.
Pheby is one of those characters I will never forget. She is so fierce and loyal. It is through her sacrifice that the reader is privy to the depths of a mother's love. Despite being enslaved, the characters demonstrate unconditional love, how they bond together in community, and how they create moments of joy with their families.
The writing is absolutely phenomenal even if there was room for more character development. It sure packs a lot into its 275 pages. It's evident Johnson has done her research and proceeds to pay homage in a realistic and compassionate manner.
Yellow Wife is one of the best historical fiction novels I have ever read and it is a story I won't soon forget. It's a book that deserves a place in classrooms across North America. It is deeply unsettling, yet a realistic depiction of the times. Do yourself a favour and read this book!
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• historical fiction
• stories inspired by real people and events
• learning
⚠️ CW: slavery, racism, racial slurs, rape, sexual assault, sexual violence, hate crime, violence, physical abuse, emotional abuse, domestic abuse, child abuse, murder, death, child death, death of parent, grief, confinement, torture, blood, injury/injury detail, excrement, vomit, misogyny, trafficking, pregnancy, miscarriage, sexual content, classism, colorism, kidnapping
🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S
"To survive this, I could not let my mind succumb to the misery that threatened to strangle me."
"You may choose to look the other way, but you can never say again that you didn’t know."
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Sexual content, Medical content, and Death of parent
colorism, drowning,catwomano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Excrement, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
bambicat234's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Trafficking, Grief, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
txsweetheart's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Graphic: Death, Miscarriage, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Excrement, Murder, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
melissa_h's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Graphic: Alcoholism, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
kendramekalle's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.75
Graphic: Child abuse, Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
butle2em's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, and Injury/Injury detail