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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: Violence, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Misogyny, Murder, Racism, Rape, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Body horror, Infertility, Sexism, Excrement, Grief, Sexual assault, Blood, Child abuse, Miscarriage, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Trafficking, Physical abuse, and Torture
klutzykara'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
Graphic: Sexual violence, Miscarriage, Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Torture, Racism, Rape, Slavery, Physical abuse, Vomit, and Violence
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: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Murder, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Blood, Classism, Death, Trafficking, Racism, Slavery, Vomit, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Torture, Violence, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Rape, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Grief, Child abuse, Child death, Miscarriage, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Sexual content, Death of parent, and Medical content
colorism, drowning,drnaynay'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
2.0
Graphic: Bullying, Sexual content, Violence, Child abuse, Torture, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Racism, Rape, Adult/minor relationship, Pregnancy, Blood, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual violence, Slavery, Trafficking, and Vomit
corriejn's review against another edition
5.0
Graphic: Trafficking, Pregnancy, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Racism, Racial slurs, Excrement, Emotional abuse, Confinement, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Child death, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual assault, Physical abuse, and Blood
Moderate: Death of parent and Vomit
sleeson'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? Yes
5.0
Sadeqa Johnson's characterization for the role of each person is gracefully and carefully thought out. Her story will have you latching on to each moment Pheby's journey.
Our hero Pheby is unquestionably the strongest figure in the novel. The sacrifices she makes for everyone she meets, is due to her unconditional love for others. Strong language and Graphic sexual content alluded.
Graphic: Abortion, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Infidelity, Pregnancy, Alcohol, Excrement, Grief, Sexual assault, Vomit, Child death, Emotional abuse, Bullying, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Slavery, Classism, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Misogyny, and Rape
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, Physical abuse, Gore, Violence, Rape, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Miscarriage, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Death, Murder, and Racial slurs
Moderate: Blood, Emotional abuse, Excrement, Injury/Injury detail, Alcoholism, and Vomit
readwithsabs'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? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Racial slurs, Violence, Hate crime, Torture, Racism, and Slavery
nrogers_1030'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
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Racism, Trafficking, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Slavery, Confinement, Racial slurs, Rape, Sexual violence, Violence, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Alcohol, Excrement, Infidelity, Blood, Body horror, Child death, Classism, Misogyny, Physical abuse, and Pregnancy
kibbles15'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: Vomit, Rape, Excrement, Slavery, Torture, Sexual content, Racism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Miscarriage
Moderate: Pregnancy, Racial slurs, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Child death, Trafficking, Physical abuse, Injury/Injury detail, and Medical content
Intense detail about the horrors of slavery and the experiences of a female slave.