Hello my lovely readers! I'm finally catching up on the books I chose for the 10 Books 10 Decades Challenge. Let's get into it.
SYNOPSIS
This seminal autobiographical novel, originally published in 1859, is believed to have been the first by an African-American woman. Harriet Wilson's compelling story describes the life of a mulatto girl who, after the death of her mother, is exploited first by a terrifying Northern family for whom she worked and then by an opportunistic husband.
A classic of African-American literature, Our Nig has made an enduring contribution to understanding the lives of free blacks in the nineteenth century. A fascinating combination of slave narrative and sentimental novel, the story traces the hardships and suffering of Frado, who grows up as an indentured servant to a white family in Massachusetts and spends much of her destitute life wandering through New England.
A clear and accurate account of race relations and perceptions of race in the antebellum North, Our Nig is essential reading for students of African-American history and culture.
This seminal autobiographical novel, originally published in 1859, is believed to have been the first by an African-American woman. Harriet Wilson's compelling story describes the life of a mulatto girl who, after the death of her mother, is exploited first by a terrifying Northern family for whom she worked and then by an opportunistic husband.
A classic of African-American literature, Our Nig has made an enduring contribution to understanding the lives of free blacks in the nineteenth century. A fascinating combination of slave narrative and sentimental novel, the story traces the hardships and suffering of Frado, who grows up as an indentured servant to a white family in Massachusetts and spends much of her destitute life wandering through New England.
A clear and accurate account of race relations and perceptions of race in the antebellum North, Our Nig is essential reading for students of African-American history and culture.
MY THOUGHTS
This was an absolute tragic but powerful tale of Frado/Wilson. The whole time, I kept rooting her to escape or someone to come to her rescue, but alas, she stuck it out until she was 18! Poor thing. What struck me (although I've always known it) was how cruel the mistress of the house was to Frado versus the actual master of the house. That woman had pure hate in her veins for this poor mulatto girl.
It was an honor to read a book published in 1859 by a Black (biracial) woman. There was some discrepancy about whether this was truly the "first" novel published by a Black woman when compared to Julia Collins' The Curse of the Caste which was published in 1865. Critics say Our Nig was basically an autobiography versus a true fictional tale. None of that mattered to me, I'm happy to read any book by a Black woman from that time period!
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