Reviews tagging 'Sexual harassment'

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Ann Jacobs

15 reviews

clarkf87's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense medium-paced

5.0

“Slavery is terrible for men, but it is far more terrible for women.”

This is an autobiography written by Harriet Ann Jacobs documenting her life as a slave in Edenton, North Carolina, and how she attained her freedom. 

Jacobs bravely wrote her story to share the truth about the abuse in slavery. For the record: Black, enslaved women were not sexually aggressive, they were RAPED. Enslaved people did not enjoy being owned by other human beings. 

Notably, this book appealed to abolitionists at the time after its publication and release shortly before the Civil War.

BLESS HARRIET JACOBS! I cannot fathom the strength and courage it took for her to write and publish this in 1861 after all the deceit and abuse she’d been through. 

Also, Mia Ellis was a perfect narrator for this. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Racism, Stalking, Slavery, Hate crime, Grief, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, and Rape

Minor: Sexual harassment

thatone2112's review against another edition

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Racism, Slavery, and Racial slurs

tangleroot_eli's review against another edition

challenging dark informative reflective sad tense slow-paced

An important chronicle of the horrors enslaved people in the US endured and the lengths some of them had to go to to secure the freedom that should have been theirs all along.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Sexual harassment, Confinement, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Child abuse, Death of parent, Death, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Trafficking, Gaslighting, Violence, Torture, Suicidal thoughts, Rape, Child death, Grief, Classism, and Religious bigotry

Minor: Alcohol, Murder, Animal death, Terminal illness, Blood, and Pregnancy

vallenci's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective tense fast-paced

5.0

This title brought me to tears. There were moments when I had to take a mental break due to the description of the atrocities that happened to predominately Black women during this sinful period. Strong emotions held by desperation was expressed in every chapter. Her story thankfully ended on a satisfying note. It left me feeling strong; as in no matter how battling life can get, faith can still be found. (Hope I explained this correctly.) It is extremely advised to want to mentally prepare yourself before reading this book, especially if you identify as a black woman. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Abandonment, Ableism, Abortion, Animal death, Cursing, Death of parent, Deportation, Medical trauma, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Religious bigotry, Sexual violence, Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Gore, Animal cruelty, Colonisation, Confinement, Hate crime, Infertility, Mass/school shootings, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Stalking, Antisemitism, Body horror, Blood, Bullying, Chronic illness, Classism, Cultural appropriation, Emotional abuse, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Racial slurs, Self harm, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Vomit, War, Xenophobia, Child abuse, Child death, Dysphoria, Genocide, Incest, Pedophilia, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Trafficking, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Panic attacks/disorders, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Suicide attempt

Moderate: Abandonment

emilo's review against another edition

dark emotional informative reflective sad tense fast-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racial slurs, and Racism

Moderate: Grief, Child abuse, Sexual harassment, Miscarriage, and Colonisation

emdear's review against another edition

adventurous emotional sad medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Minor: Racism, Violence, Pregnancy, Misogyny, Death, Slavery, Stalking, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual harassment, Murder, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, and Child abuse

monapearl's review against another edition

emotional informative

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Slavery, Racism, and Racial slurs

Moderate: Sexual assault and Sexual harassment

xjr's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

I recommend the Oxford edition for informative annotations, some essays and some writings of Harriet's brother. 

The pace of the book is brisk and easy, unlike its content and my actual reading pace. 

This biographical fiction story contains many slave narrative tropes, but brings new light too. More introspection, a look into the sexual abuse of both men and women, a critical look into religion and the complications of being a mixed black woman with children. In all this darkness we still see hope for Linda doesn't only meet the worst of the worst but also some great people.

I see some claim that her editor L. Maria Child influences the story, but if Jacobs wasn't clever enough to write this I don't think she would have even been able to reach freedom like she did. I think the claim the text is only trimmed by her holds true.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism, Sexism, Racial slurs, Physical abuse, and Slavery

Moderate: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, and Sexual assault

antonique_reads's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Child death, Sexual assault, Miscarriage, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Child abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Racial slurs, Murder, Pregnancy, Slavery, Sexual violence, Rape, Racism, and Trafficking

kathryngardyne's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Death, Sexism, Slavery, Sexual violence, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual harassment, and Violence