51 pages • 1 hour read
Hannah Crafts, Henry Louis Gates Jr., ed.The Bondwoman's Narrative
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2002A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read
Super Short Summary
The Bondwoman’s Narrative by Hannah Crafts, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr., follows the harrowing journey of Hannah, an enslaved woman in Virginia and North Carolina, who escapes to New Jersey to seek freedom. She faces numerous obstacles, including betrayal, wrongful imprisonment, and the constant threat of being captured. The book is considered to be the first novel written by an African American female slave in the United States.
Reviews & Readership
Review Roundup
The Bondwoman's Narrative, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr., fascinates with its unprecedented glimpse into the 19th-century African-American woman's life. Readers praise its historical significance and narrative richness. However, some critique the editing and occasional repetitiveness. Overall, it’s an essential read for historical and literary insight.
Who Should Read The Bondwoman's Narrative?
A reader who enjoys The Bondwoman's Narrative by Hannah Crafts, edited by Henry Louis Gates Jr., would be captivated by historical novels and narratives of slavery. Fans of Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl and Solomon Northup's Twelve Years a Slave will find this autobiographical novel compelling, enriched by Gates's scholarly insights.