Reviews tagging 'Racial slurs'

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo

8 reviews

yoursisterscanary's review

dark emotional informative inspiring sad tense medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, and Trafficking

lucyatoz's review against another edition

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

4.0

Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo tells the incredible story of William and Ellen Craft, as they go from bondage in Macon, Georgia to sharing the lecturing circuit with William Wells Brown in the Northern free states. 

For their journey across the United States of America, they travelled in plain sight as a disabled young gentleman and his black slave on steamships, trains and carriages, all the while managing to evade the people and authorities who would want them returned to slavery. Their own self-belief and skills, William as a woodworker and Ellen as a seamstress and favourite house slave to her owner, enable them to escape, although not without danger to themselves and those they loved. 

Even in the free Northern states, they are not out of danger, they are not truly free, and have to journey onwards to England, where although free, they encounter a different set of challenges. 

It is an amazing story of self-emancipation and gives a great insight into their story. It also gives space for the political and societal landscape of the time, which was, at times, quite dry, but did help with understanding of the context of William and Ellen's escape.   

I borrowed a copy of this book from my local library and listened to it on cloudLibrary. I read this for prompt "never gonna give you up" for the 52 Book Club mini challenge April 2024.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Child death, Miscarriage, Rape, and Violence

flygonjinn's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful informative inspiring sad slow-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

aggressive_nostalgia's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs and Slavery

Moderate: Trafficking

lexcellent's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional informative reflective sad tense medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racism and Slavery

Moderate: Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

juliana18's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Racial slurs, Racism, and Slavery

Moderate: Sexism

metawish's review against another edition

adventurous emotional informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

This book is a fantastic read for those who know little about American slavery prior to the civil war, and those who know a lot about it. I would also say, this book is an excellent example of creative nonfiction, somehow having the flow and pacing of a fictional tale without ever straying beyond the scope of reality. The descriptions of some of the most challenging moments of seperation really hit home knowing these are real lives that are documented elsewhere. I just can't believe this story isn't more wildly known considering their association with major historical figures. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Racism, Slavery, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

Minor: Miscarriage, Racial slurs, and Torture

dionne's review against another edition

4.0

Great true story - I hope it becomes a movie or a series, so it's a little more accessible to a general audience.

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Content Warnings

Minor: Child death, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Slavery, Pregnancy, and Colonisation