I went to the library yesterday with my wife, Karen G Clemenson. I really hadn’t intended to pick up any books for myself because I have a huge to-read pile at home but, of course I found 3 books that caught my eye and Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson was one of them. I had seen it on Amazon and Goodreads and I wanted to read it and was excited to find it on the New Books pile. I started reading it before I even checked it out because, in the past, new books had shorter check out times but I guess that has changed, but since I read it all day and into the early morning, they can have it back tomorrow anyway…Yes. This book was a page turner! The characters were really believable and the author kept the story moving so it was hard to put the book down.
The story starts out on the Bell Plantation in Charles City, Virginia in 1850. The main character is a young girl, nearing the age of 18, named Pheby. She is the daughter of a slave and the Massa. When his sister was alive Pheby had been taught to read and to do math, play the piano and loved like a daughter; Pheby had been promised that when she was 18, the Massa would take her to a girl’s school in Massachusetts for a grand education and set free.
“White folks’ promises ain’t but dust. Specially the white folks called Massa,” she stood up and hissed over her shoulder, “The blood ones hurt you most.” Chapter 6; Aunt Hope to Pheby
Aunt Hope is the cook on the plantation; just one of the many colorful characters. Unfortunately the Missus knows that Pheby is the Massa’a child and she hates her. When her personal slave dies, she makes Pheby her personal servant and treats her unfavorably. As Massa takes Pheby’s mother with him on a trip to trade farm goods where there is a terrible accident that leads to both of their deaths, this is a turning point for Pheby that leads to her being sold off the plantation.
“I curse you and all of you unborn children in the name of my grandmother, Queen Vinnie Brown. May all your worst fears come to pass, and all the evil you do come back on your tenfold. This plantation will be your living hell. Mark my words.” I spit on the ground, bracing myself for her to march down the stairs and slap me. But she stood as if stunned. Chapter 9, Pheby to Missus Dephina
Although Pheby has been protected and hasn’t worked as hard as other slaves, she has been educated and she is able think and make decisions that help her in the next part of her life. She was brought to The Lapier Jail in Richmond, Virginia, otherwise known as The Devil’s Half Acre, where she was purchased by the owner, Rubin Lapier, to be his mistriss. He was an evil man and Pheby had to always keep her whits about her and make hard choices in order to keep herself and her children safe.
That is what this book is about; survival. Not just about personal survival but history. One thing that Pheby’s mother had passed onto her, that she passed onto her children, and to other slaves was that they were only slaves in their body but not their mind. In their mind they were free. In actuality Pheby was the descendant of Queen Vinnie Brown and she shared this with her children as a point of pride. I myself don’t know if I am a descendant of royalty but I do believe that no matter what can be done to my body, I agree, my mind is as free as I let it be, so this message was very empowering for me.
There was a lot of graphic violence in this book, as would be expected in a book that was focused on slavery. Sadeqa Johnson does an amazing job using words to describe beautiful things and then change over to horrifying scenes. I would not hand this book to my 13-year-old without careful consideration and a conversation, but it is a powerful book and I appreciate the time she put into researching for her novel.
I checked my book out at The Longview Public Library. Buy your own copy of Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson on Amazon.
Read My Review on GoodReads:
Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Great characters, very believable! Couldn’t put it down…I read it from the time I got it from the library until the wee hours of the morning. Such strength and courage! Very graphic but very powerful.
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My name is Summer. That is how you can call me. I hope that I am a blessing to you. I am not perfect. I will fall again. But I am forgiven.
For anyone reading this that isn’t a Christian, unapologetically, I am a Christian, but I believe there is room for lots of beliefs and religions in the world. It is not my intent to offend people with different beliefs than I have and I would be open to open-minded conversations with no goals of changing anyone’s mind, but sharing information.
If you are interested in becoming a Christian…Do you know Jesus? Do want the Holy Spirit to fill you and give you understanding and salvation? Ask Him. Want someone to pray with you? Contact me.
If you would like to know Jesus as your friend, but want to make this amazing commitment by yourself please pray something like this:
Thank you Jesus that You are the Son of God, the God that created heaven and earth. Thank you Jesus that You came to earth in the form of a man so that You would be able to empathize with my humanity. Thank You that You did this in order to fulfill the promises You made at the foundation of the world.
I realize that I am a sinner and do things that hurt myself and keep myself away from you. Thank You that You died for my sins so that You could defeat death and bring me into Your life. Please forgive me.
I ask You to be Lord of my life. I ask you to heal my hurts and show me what my new life, empowered by You looks like. Thank You for Your mercy.
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