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A review by richardbakare
Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo
5.0
Ilyon Woo brings into the spotlight the most remarkable slavery to freedom journey. She does so with painstaking attention to detail. She navigates us through the harrowing journey of the crafts on one level. While, on another level, unearthing the political, moral, gender, and cultural conventions of the time . Woo reveals that the Crafts were not only escaping slavery but also the limitations placed upon them by arbitrary social mores.
For me, it is the revisiting of America’s history, with no parts left out, that particularly stands out. Woo exposes the reality of America as seen from the perspective of the Craft’s 1,000 mile journey and from various contributing and contrasting characters. It is a clear enough picture of slavery’s grip on the country that it could stand as the prescribed history textbook in schools. Specifically, in how it recasts the strength, resolve, and failings of the abolitionist movement.
This is a fresh contribution to the critical rethinking and telling of America’s history that will sit neatly on your bookshelf alongside “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson, “The Sum of Us” by Heather McGee, and “The 1619 Project” By Nikole Hannah-Jones. Each of these works asks the essential question that the idealistic vision of America was tainted from the beginning by not ending slavery immediately. As well as, can that vision be fulfilled by owning our sins and making right the wrongs. Each book impeccably thorough in its academic rigor and citations. Each likely to be banned by those fearful of looking the truth squarely in its face.
This is no light read, coming in at a solid 416 pages. The chapters are laden with imagery of the raw violence of the period, that will leave you distraught and mentally fatigued at times. Yet, there are moments of hope and inspiration as well. A complete book for me is one where you experience a mix of emotions while pushing your perspective forward. This book met that bar in spades.
Woo’s narrative style and careful use of perspective between the principal figures is a welcome approach. Especially, in the already crowded field of historical books. At times you will forget that what you are reading is the unequivocal truth for a remarkable couple and the accounting of the failings of a nation. Woo delivery on this challenge is a reminder that truth can be stranger than fiction. Along with the acknowledgment that respecting the lived experiences of others is a form of healing in itself.
One presidential candidate in the 2024 race failed to name slavery as a principal reason for the Civil War when asked. Woo demonstrates that slavery and its commodification of human beings was unquestionably the spark that ignited the powder keg. For that reason and the fact that knowledge is a freedom in itself, I highly recommend this book to everyone. When we can speak honestly from a shared truth, then maybe we can propose real solutions that can make America the shining beacon on the hill that some imagine it to be.
For me, it is the revisiting of America’s history, with no parts left out, that particularly stands out. Woo exposes the reality of America as seen from the perspective of the Craft’s 1,000 mile journey and from various contributing and contrasting characters. It is a clear enough picture of slavery’s grip on the country that it could stand as the prescribed history textbook in schools. Specifically, in how it recasts the strength, resolve, and failings of the abolitionist movement.
This is a fresh contribution to the critical rethinking and telling of America’s history that will sit neatly on your bookshelf alongside “Caste” by Isabel Wilkerson, “The Sum of Us” by Heather McGee, and “The 1619 Project” By Nikole Hannah-Jones. Each of these works asks the essential question that the idealistic vision of America was tainted from the beginning by not ending slavery immediately. As well as, can that vision be fulfilled by owning our sins and making right the wrongs. Each book impeccably thorough in its academic rigor and citations. Each likely to be banned by those fearful of looking the truth squarely in its face.
This is no light read, coming in at a solid 416 pages. The chapters are laden with imagery of the raw violence of the period, that will leave you distraught and mentally fatigued at times. Yet, there are moments of hope and inspiration as well. A complete book for me is one where you experience a mix of emotions while pushing your perspective forward. This book met that bar in spades.
Woo’s narrative style and careful use of perspective between the principal figures is a welcome approach. Especially, in the already crowded field of historical books. At times you will forget that what you are reading is the unequivocal truth for a remarkable couple and the accounting of the failings of a nation. Woo delivery on this challenge is a reminder that truth can be stranger than fiction. Along with the acknowledgment that respecting the lived experiences of others is a form of healing in itself.
One presidential candidate in the 2024 race failed to name slavery as a principal reason for the Civil War when asked. Woo demonstrates that slavery and its commodification of human beings was unquestionably the spark that ignited the powder keg. For that reason and the fact that knowledge is a freedom in itself, I highly recommend this book to everyone. When we can speak honestly from a shared truth, then maybe we can propose real solutions that can make America the shining beacon on the hill that some imagine it to be.