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

5.0

“Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom” by Ilyon Woo is a compelling and heart-wrenching true story of Ellen and William Craft’s escape from slavery in the pre-Civil War Southern US. The daring journey of this couple is nail-biting. Ellen is disguised as a young white Southern man of wealth, and William, as his enslaved servant. If their ruse is discovered, the punishment will be severe, and their hope of freedom, gone. But freedom in the North is tenuous too. They face the danger of recapture and violence from mobs as they travel the lecture circuit to spread the word on the horrors of slavery and their near-impossible escape. The tinderbox political climate is eerily similar to today’s. This book is a must-read for anyone who seeks to understand this terrifying chapter in American history, and its impacts that continue to the present day. I listened to the Audible Audiobook version, which is given an exceptional narration by Janina Edwards and Leon Nixon.