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A review by alexatthelake
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
- 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
5.0
Thank you to Tandem Collective and Simon and Schuster for my copy of this incredible historical fiction novel. I have struggled for days to find the words to describe how this book made me feel and what I thought of it. Simply: incredible and heartbreaking. While Yellow Wife is a fiction novel, the author Sadeqa Johnson describes the real events and people who inspired her while writing this book. Yellow Wife will absolutely break your heart and question humanity, but also fill you with every other emotion.
Pheby is an incredible, stubborn, strong character who will make you feel every single emotion possible. Your heart will ache, break and piece back together and she describes the journey she goes through in her life. She was fierce, determined and incredibly loyal - all characteristics I love in my female characters. As for some other characters in this book, they will immediately become your most hated ones every written. It is hard to believe that people like this ever (and still do) exist, but that is another part of how well written this novel was, to open our eyes to that.
I read this book along with some wonderful fellow bookstagrammers, and we had chapters to read each day. I quickly found myself flying past the assigned reading chapters because I couldn't put the book down. I needed to know the outcome and what would happen to the characters lives. The chapters were on the shorter side, but they were filled with action, to keep the reader on their toes without feeling like it was rushed.
Hands down, this will be one of my favourite books of 2021, no doubt. It may even make it to the pile of favourite books of all time. I don't suggest, I demand you pick this book up and give it a read - but do be aware going into it that there are many trigger warnings including rape, slavery, child death, serious physical abuse and so much racism, among others.
Pheby is an incredible, stubborn, strong character who will make you feel every single emotion possible. Your heart will ache, break and piece back together and she describes the journey she goes through in her life. She was fierce, determined and incredibly loyal - all characteristics I love in my female characters. As for some other characters in this book, they will immediately become your most hated ones every written. It is hard to believe that people like this ever (and still do) exist, but that is another part of how well written this novel was, to open our eyes to that.
I read this book along with some wonderful fellow bookstagrammers, and we had chapters to read each day. I quickly found myself flying past the assigned reading chapters because I couldn't put the book down. I needed to know the outcome and what would happen to the characters lives. The chapters were on the shorter side, but they were filled with action, to keep the reader on their toes without feeling like it was rushed.
Hands down, this will be one of my favourite books of 2021, no doubt. It may even make it to the pile of favourite books of all time. I don't suggest, I demand you pick this book up and give it a read - but do be aware going into it that there are many trigger warnings including rape, slavery, child death, serious physical abuse and so much racism, among others.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape, Racism, Racial slurs, Child death, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Slavery