Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson

Historical Fiction – Book

 

Novel Details

Author: Sadeqa Johnson

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Paperbacks

Number of pages: 272

Year of publication: 2021

Novel Characteristics

Authored by a woman

Written by an author with an underrepresented identity

Features a main character with an underrepresented identity

Published after 2000

Brief Response

This novel takes readers to Antebellum period Virginia to witness the unmistakable brutality of slaves in the 1850s. The protagonist’s journey from the only home she had ever known on a plantation with her slave mother, respected and cherished by her owners, to the infamous prison known as Devil’s Half Acre. This hard-to-stomach story sheds light onto the plight of light-skinned slaves, especially women, and their feeling of not belonging. Sadeqa Johnson does not mince words; readers should be aware of this but not be deterred. Recommended for fans of Lisa Wingate, as both authors shed light on harder-to-touch moments of history.