Yellow Wife
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- Create Date：2021-01-14 04:16:51
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Sadeqa Johnson
- ISBN：9781982149109
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Summary
“A fully immersive， intricately crafted story inspired by the pages of history。 In Pheby， Sadeqa Johnson has created a woman whose struggle to survive and to protect the ones she loves will have readers turning the pages as fast as their fingers can fly。 Simply enthralling。” —Lisa Wingate， #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
Called "wholly engrossing" by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom， this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia。
Born on a plantation in Charles City， Virginia， Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life。 Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister， she is set apart from the others on the plantation， belonging to neither world。
She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday， but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love， Essex Henry， Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known。 She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre， a jail in Richmond， Virginia， where the enslaved are broken， tortured， and sold every day。 There， Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions。 To survive， Pheby will have to outwit him， and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice。
Called "wholly engrossing" by New York Times bestselling author Kathleen Grissom， this harrowing story follows an enslaved woman forced to barter love and freedom while living in the most infamous slave jail in Virginia。
Born on a plantation in Charles City， Virginia， Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life。 Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister， she is set apart from the others on the plantation， belonging to neither world。
She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday， but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love， Essex Henry， Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known。 She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre， a jail in Richmond， Virginia， where the enslaved are broken， tortured， and sold every day。 There， Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions。 To survive， Pheby will have to outwit him， and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice。
Editor Reviews
11/30/2020
Johnson’s rich latest （after And Then There Was Me） follows a mixed-race young woman， enslaved by her father， through a series of betrayals and abuses。 Pheby Brown has been promised her emancipation at 18 by her father， Jacob Bell， the white owner of a plantation in Charles City， Va。 Pheby chooses to remain at the Bell plantation because of Jacob’s promise， even after her lover， Essex， escapes to the north in 1850， when she is 17。 After a carriage accident kills Pheby’s mother and injures Jacob， Pheby is at the mercy of Jacob’s vindictive， mean-spirited wife， Delphina， who sells Pheby to jailer Rubin Lapier。 At the jail， Pheby gives birth to Essex’s son， Monroe， and afterwards Rubin coerces Pheby to sleep with him in exchange for keeping Monroe。 As the years pass， Pheby bears four of Rubin’s daughters。 When Essex is captured and ends up at the jail in 1857， Pheby plots to get him and Monroe to freedom。 While some scenes feel a bit melodramatic， the author brilliantly depicts Pheby’s maternal drive to create a better life for all of her children despite a series of brutally difficult compromises。 Despite the occasional creaky plot turns， Johnson achieves a powerful， unflinching account of determination in the face of oppression。 Agents: Cherise Fisher and Wendy Sherman， Wendy Sherman Asso。 （Jan。）
Reviews
Zoe - WBTB
，
Yellow Wife is a poignant， impactful tale that sweeps you away to Virginia during the mid-1850s and into the life of Pheby Delores Brown， a young woman of mixed race who struggles to survive a life of brutality and protect those she loves while confined within the walls of the Devil’s Half Acre prison and as the mistress of the jailer， Rubin Lapier。 The prose is eloquent and expressive。 The characters are vulnerable， strong， and scarred。 And the plot is an exceptionally enthralling tale about life， love， strength， bravery， hope， survival， savagery， violence， and the unimaginable horrors and injustices of slavery。 Overall， Yellow Wife is a magical blend of historical facts， heart-wrenching emotion， and powerful fiction that does a wonderful job of reminding us that humanity can not only be cruel and barbaric， but also incredibly resilient and kind。
Sandra
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Thank you to Simon and Shuster and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this book。 I throughly enjoyed the story of Pheby and the plight of the mulatto slaves in America。 It is a gripping read。
Ke
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Yellow wife #PubDay review:Yellow wife is a historical fiction novel loosely based on a mulatto slave named Mary who became the wife of a prominent Jailer in Virginia in the mid 1800’s。 Ms。 Johnson did a wonderful job of mixing nonfiction into this fiction novel。 Through the writing you can tell that she did a thorough research of the time period for the setting of this book。 Ms。 Johnson takes us on a Journey of a young mulatto slave who was treated preferentially on her plantation because she w Yellow wife #PubDay review:Yellow wife is a historical fiction novel loosely based on a mulatto slave named Mary who became the wife of a prominent Jailer in Virginia in the mid 1800’s。 Ms。 Johnson did a wonderful job of mixing nonfiction into this fiction novel。 Through the writing you can tell that she did a thorough research of the time period for the setting of this book。 Ms。 Johnson takes us on a Journey of a young mulatto slave who was treated preferentially on her plantation because she was the “masters” child， time passes and circumstances take a turn and the protagonist Pheby is faced with even further struggle than the lot of being born into slavery。 In this novel we are taken through the indignities that occurred and the strength and resilience of Pheby and several of the characters close to her。 Although this novel is fiction， it definitely had a strong ring of truth to it and with that came an overwhelming flow of emotions for Pheby and her friends and family。 。。。more
Tina Wilson
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4。5*‘You may chose to look the other way， but you can never say again that you didn’t know’ William Wilberforce。 With this opening quote the reader should be prepared for a beautifully written and brutal telling of history。 Did I cry， yes， did I love it， YES！
Monica
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I'd like to thank Netgalley and Simon Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 This is my first 5 star read of the year！！ I loved the cover and that is what drew me to this book in the first place。 This author is new to me and I want more！This is a beautifully written historical fiction set in Virginia of 1850。 This book was so heartbreaking and it was hard to put down。 The story is based on the real life of Mary Lumpkins who was the Yellow wife of notorious owner/jailer I'd like to thank Netgalley and Simon Schuster for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 This is my first 5 star read of the year！！ I loved the cover and that is what drew me to this book in the first place。 This author is new to me and I want more！This is a beautifully written historical fiction set in Virginia of 1850。 This book was so heartbreaking and it was hard to put down。 The story is based on the real life of Mary Lumpkins who was the Yellow wife of notorious owner/jailer of the Devil’s Half Acre jail。 The writing is graphic and doesn't skip the brutality of how slaves were treated。 This book had me from page one and it's a story that sticks with you。 。。。more
Sharonda
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cw: violence in all forms。 These stories are never easy to read but I know they are a necessary must especially in this present time where racial divisions in this Country are continuously being stoked by people in power。 This story is a fictional one based on the life of Biracial slave Mary Lumpkin and her life at the Lumpkin Jail in Virginia。 A jail where slaves were tortured and sold。 Pheby Delores Brown is the mulatto daughter of the master of the plantation she and her mother live on。 She’s cw: violence in all forms。 These stories are never easy to read but I know they are a necessary must especially in this present time where racial divisions in this Country are continuously being stoked by people in power。 This story is a fictional one based on the life of Biracial slave Mary Lumpkin and her life at the Lumpkin Jail in Virginia。 A jail where slaves were tortured and sold。 Pheby Delores Brown is the mulatto daughter of the master of the plantation she and her mother live on。 She’s not in the fields but works in the loom house with her mother。 Their lives aren’t any easier because of the mistress of the plantation and her jealousy of Pheby’s mother who was basically being raped by this man every day of her life。 The treatment Pheby received at the hands of this woman just proves that white women were in constant alignment with white men in the treatment of Black people， they were never innocents。 After losing her mother and her love Essex Henry， Pheby is sold to the jail called the Devil’s Half Acre。 There， she becomes the owner's “wife”。 There she is reunited with her love but can’t be fully him。 There she fights for her life and the lives of her children。 *This is a historical fiction story based on a real life of an enslaved woman。 I finished this book in one sitting。 Sadeqa Johnson did an amazing job of telling this story。 Pheby was no tragic mulatto。 Her constant fight to save the people she loved during constant abuse was heartbreaking。 With her research of the history of the Lumpkin jail at her fingertips， this author crafts a story that will tear at your insides。 Its fully engaging and heartbreakingly sorrowful but necessarily needed。I haven't read a book this moving in a really long time and for that， I take my wig off to Sadeqa Johnson。 She pulled no punches and for that， I can't be mad or upset。 As much as some folk saying they are tired of seeing these stories， I say to them; read this book。 *thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to read。 。。。more
Maralie Toth
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This one is not for the faint of heart， but really shed some light into the what those who are forced into a life of slavery would have to go through。 This was my first really exposure to it and I have to say that it really saddens me， especially knowing that some of this still exists。 I feel that this book really touches on every part of that life， and was very well written and did not shy away from any of the ugliness that one may have to go through。 For anyone who might be curious and likes a This one is not for the faint of heart， but really shed some light into the what those who are forced into a life of slavery would have to go through。 This was my first really exposure to it and I have to say that it really saddens me， especially knowing that some of this still exists。 I feel that this book really touches on every part of that life， and was very well written and did not shy away from any of the ugliness that one may have to go through。 For anyone who might be curious and likes a strong woman character within the a story， Id highly recommend giving this one ago。 5 out of 5 stars for me！！for a more in-depth review of this book， please be sure to read my book blogskysbookblog。wordpress。com 。。。more
Cassandra Haywood
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This was the authors first time writing a historical fiction book and I must say I really enjoyed reading this storyline。 The characters are well developed and you can imagine and feel the different emotions that they are going through。 To be a mother born during slavery times and bear her children too while in slavery。 It can be difficult， especially when your child’s father is your master and slave owner。， so your children are considered mulatto。 A mother will say or do whatever she can to pro This was the authors first time writing a historical fiction book and I must say I really enjoyed reading this storyline。 The characters are well developed and you can imagine and feel the different emotions that they are going through。 To be a mother born during slavery times and bear her children too while in slavery。 It can be difficult， especially when your child’s father is your master and slave owner。， so your children are considered mulatto。 A mother will say or do whatever she can to protect her children and help them to escape to a place up north where they can live free from being a slave。Since the storyline takes place in Richmond Virginia and surrounding areas it was interesting how the author incorporated in the storyline of places and things that happened during the slavery time period because Richmond was one of the main places to buy， sell and trade slaves。 I found this book to be a page turner from the beginning until the end and I still wanted to read more。 Perhaps the author will write a sequel as to what happens with the main character Pheby Delores Brown， her son and four daughters or a prequel as to the backstory of Pheby’s and her mother Ruth。。I highly recommend this book to read。I voluntarily received a ARC from Netgalley and this review is of my honest opinion and thoughts。Cassandra H。 。。。more
Kayleigh 2babesandabookshelf
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- Every single character comes to life in this story。 It's an absolutely magical literary experience and while heartbreaking to read about slavery， it's such an important piece of our history。 - Johnson does a fine job of balancing difficult subject matter and vivid imagery to create an immersive experience。 I love that this story is told from Pheby's POV。 It adds so much to the richness and heartbreak of this book。- From page one， this past-faced， beautifully written story will take you on - Every single character comes to life in this story。 It's an absolutely magical literary experience and while heartbreaking to read about slavery， it's such an important piece of our history。 - Johnson does a fine job of balancing difficult subject matter and vivid imagery to create an immersive experience。 I love that this story is told from Pheby's POV。 It adds so much to the richness and heartbreak of this book。- From page one， this past-faced， beautifully written story will take you on a rollercoaster of emotions。 Be prepared to feel anger， frustration， deep sadness， hope and love。 You'll be feeling ALL THE FEELS and those are typically the most rewarding books to read。 。。。more
Tommi Powell
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I love a good historical novel， particularly a well-researched novel that stands out both for its writing style and for a unique story that doesn’t feel regurgitated。 While I admittedly gravitate more toward historical fiction with hints of magical realism （Remembrance and Conjure Women from last year being excellent examples）， Sadeqa Johnson’s Yellow Wife （1/12/2021） was a highly anticipated read for me。 I was absolutely floored when Simon & Schuster sent this gorgeous ARC several months ago， a I love a good historical novel， particularly a well-researched novel that stands out both for its writing style and for a unique story that doesn’t feel regurgitated。 While I admittedly gravitate more toward historical fiction with hints of magical realism （Remembrance and Conjure Women from last year being excellent examples）， Sadeqa Johnson’s Yellow Wife （1/12/2021） was a highly anticipated read for me。 I was absolutely floored when Simon & Schuster sent this gorgeous ARC several months ago， and I’d been waiting for the perfect time to savor it。 And savor it I did。Despite being a slave， Pheby Delores Brown was born into a world that treated her quite a bit differently than it did the darker slaves that called the plantation home。 The cherished mulatto and the daughter of a highly respected medicine woman， she was consistently reminded that she was descended from Cameroon royalty and a slave in name only。 The Master’s sister doted on her， teaching her to play the piano and read – treating her more like a beloved niece than a house slave。 The Master was also a bit smitten with the beautiful girl。 He promised her and her mother that he would give her freedom when she turned eighteen。 Once free， she could go North and further her education。 But the Master’s wife isn’t exactly keen on Pheby or her beautiful mother。 Armed with power and jealousy， Missus Delphina snatches the dream and breaks the promises made by her husband; Pheby is taken to Devil’s Half Acre， a notorious slave jail in Richmond， to be sold。 There， her delicate upbringing and light skin catch the eye of the Jailer and life pivots yet again。 While she is treated much differently than many others who pass through Devil’s Half Acre， Pheby remains a slave and her existence （and happiness） is subject to the whims of a white man known as “Devil” and “Bully。”Based loosely on historical events， Yellow Wife is about the parts of life that are neither black nor white， neither right nor wrong。 It’s about a shared history and the contradictions of human nature。 More importantly， it’s about survival， family， and the choices we make。 Read this book。 。。。more
Nelda Brangwin
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Overall， this was an unflinching account of a woman’s determination as she faced her life in slavery。 Pheby， the mixed-race daughter of her master， is sent to a jail where she is forced to become the bedmate of the jailer。 The man she loved， Essex， managed to escape slavery and when recaptured Pheby is determined to rescue Essex and the son she shares with Essex。 While parts of the book seem a tad overdone， the story is a good one。
Lizzie
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So let me preface this by saying I don't tend to read historical fiction。 I find that most of it is the same sort of story， with the same sort of cover art， and the same heroine （don't throw things its kinda true）。 Also it must be said， I go into almost every book I read completely blind。 Imagine my surprise when I see the author lives in Richmond， VA。 Wow so do I。 I am even more surprised when I see the story takes place here in Richmond as well。 OK now I am all in for this book。 All that out o So let me preface this by saying I don't tend to read historical fiction。 I find that most of it is the same sort of story， with the same sort of cover art， and the same heroine （don't throw things its kinda true）。 Also it must be said， I go into almost every book I read completely blind。 Imagine my surprise when I see the author lives in Richmond， VA。 Wow so do I。 I am even more surprised when I see the story takes place here in Richmond as well。 OK now I am all in for this book。 All that out of the way， I absolutely loved this book。 Yellow Wife was the most captivating historical fiction that I've read in a long time。 I could not put this book down。 The author has written a heart pounding， agonizingly beautiful story that will transport you back in time。 I was pulling for Pheby the moment she was introduced and her story was harrowing， it will stay with me a long time。 High praise for this book and if you love historical fiction you must read this！ Even if historical fiction isn't your thing， please read this。 Thank you for coming to my TED talk on this book。 5 starsThank you to the publisher and author for an advanced copy to read and review。 。。。more
Andrea
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Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson is a book that will stay with me forever。 This story was heart wrenching， detailed， and real。 From the time I picked this book up， I knew I would not put it down till I finished it in one sitting。 Born on a plantation in Charles City， Virginia， Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life。 Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister， she is set apart from the others on the plantation， belonging t Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson is a book that will stay with me forever。 This story was heart wrenching， detailed， and real。 From the time I picked this book up， I knew I would not put it down till I finished it in one sitting。 Born on a plantation in Charles City， Virginia， Pheby Delores Brown has lived a relatively sheltered life。 Shielded by her mother’s position as the estate’s medicine woman and cherished by the Master’s sister， she is set apart from the others on the plantation， belonging to neither world。She’d been promised freedom on her eighteenth birthday， but instead of the idyllic life she imagined with her true love， Essex Henry， Pheby is forced to leave the only home she has ever known。 She unexpectedly finds herself thrust into the bowels of slavery at the infamous Devil’s Half Acre， a jail in Richmond， Virginia， where the enslaved are broken， tortured， and sold every day。 There， Pheby is exposed not just to her Jailer’s cruelty but also to his contradictions。 To survive， Pheby will have to outwit him， and she soon faces the ultimate sacrifice。A remarkably written historical fiction set in the 1850s that was inspired by a real family and a real jail in Virginia rekindles the discussion and study of slavery。 The harsh realities of those dark chapters in American history are presented with brute and graphic bluntness but remain eloquent in their presentation。 It makes for a strange but savory contrast， to read about something so dreadful yet have it conferred with such sophistication。 I felt so many raw emotions ranging from love， hate， fear and gut wrenching sorrow， as I read about families being torn apart without a care。 The characters and situations throughout the book were well developed and I felt for them and cried for them as I would any real person。 Pheby’s story is one that will stay with me。 I’m still speechless and cannot even put into words the courage each woman in this story exhibited。 How they had to live all while trying to protect the ones they loved made them heroic。 The surreal nature of the narrative makes the reality of slavery even more present and vivid。 It is hard to grasp， and yet essential that we do， our recent history and how it continues to shape our present。 Sadeqa Johnson has written a bold novel that will hold you from the opening pages and not release you， even after you come to its end…and maybe even not then。 If you are a fan of The Underground Railroad or Kitchen House， then this book is for you。 I cannot recommend it enough。Thank you NetGalley and Simon & Schuster for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Carol Custer
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This is basically a well-written piece of historical fiction on a sensitive subject。 The characters are believable （Pheby was my favorite） and the story is painful and horrifying。 It's unbelievable that people could treat their fellow human beings with such vicious behavior and disregard - - unbelievable and yet based on true events。 Even though times were different then， it just doesn't seem possible people could believe this behavior was proper。 It's heartbreaking。The story seems to ring true This is basically a well-written piece of historical fiction on a sensitive subject。 The characters are believable （Pheby was my favorite） and the story is painful and horrifying。 It's unbelievable that people could treat their fellow human beings with such vicious behavior and disregard - - unbelievable and yet based on true events。 Even though times were different then， it just doesn't seem possible people could believe this behavior was proper。 It's heartbreaking。The story seems to ring true most of the time but I felt the ending was rather rushed and incomplete。 I wanted to know more about the characters' lives after the escape。 Perhaps another book will be coming？ 。。。more
Ellen
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I was sincerely moved by this book and couldn’t put it down as the story is fast moving and emotional。 Based on a true story of the Devil’s Half Acre， Pheby is born on a plantation but works in the Loom with her mother。 The Master’s wife hates Pheby’s mother and when she gets the first opportunity， has Pheby brought in shackles to be sold。 The story further develops as the owner of the jail takes Pheby on as his yellow wife。 There is so much heartbreak， but Pheby’s strength and resiliency are at I was sincerely moved by this book and couldn’t put it down as the story is fast moving and emotional。 Based on a true story of the Devil’s Half Acre， Pheby is born on a plantation but works in the Loom with her mother。 The Master’s wife hates Pheby’s mother and when she gets the first opportunity， has Pheby brought in shackles to be sold。 The story further develops as the owner of the jail takes Pheby on as his yellow wife。 There is so much heartbreak， but Pheby’s strength and resiliency are at the heart of the story。 Timely in the current discussions of systemic racism， I recommend this book highly and hope it is read widely。 Thanks to Edelweiss for the ARC。 。。。more
Denise
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Sadeqa Johnson packes a serious punch in this book！ The story of Pheby Delores Brown （aka the Yellow Wife） is complex， captivating， heartbreaking， and inspiring， all at the same time。 The story is like no other slavery story that I have read， and I have read many。 One of my most memorable experiences was visiting the Whitney Plantation in New Orleans and purchasing several books which told of the heartbreaking stories of those once enslaved there; but even those didn't prepare me for the emotion Sadeqa Johnson packes a serious punch in this book！ The story of Pheby Delores Brown （aka the Yellow Wife） is complex， captivating， heartbreaking， and inspiring， all at the same time。 The story is like no other slavery story that I have read， and I have read many。 One of my most memorable experiences was visiting the Whitney Plantation in New Orleans and purchasing several books which told of the heartbreaking stories of those once enslaved there; but even those didn't prepare me for the emotions I felt reading this story。 It is so achingly well-told and researched， inspired by historic "yellow wives" of infamous Virginia jails。 Apparently jailers were looked down upon for their occupation and not deemed worthy of "proper" marriages， so they often took bi-racial women as wives。 Pheby was born to a slave mother and a plantation owner father。 Because of her father， she was treated differently and sheltered from much of the harshness of slavery， even being taught to read and write， and play the piano。 Her father has promised her freedom at the age of eighteen， and she cannot wait to be free and marry her love， fellow slave， Essex Henry。 Her father's wife deeply resents her though， and when he is away， she suspects that Pheby helped Essex escape and as such， sells Pheby to a slave trader。 Pheby endures a brutal journey to the "Devil's Acre" jail， where on arrival， the jailer， Rubin Lapier， spots her and because of her light-skinned beauty， claims her as his own。Pheby is unaware at the time that she is pregnant with Essex's baby， and she resists Lapier's advances。 After her son is born though， she realizes she must keep him safe， and she agrees to become Lapier's “yellow wife，” in exchange that he will never sell her son。 She finds herself running his household and bearing him four daughters。 As time passes， she realizes just how much Lapier detests her firstborn， and she knows that she must find a way to send him to freedom before Lapier breaks his word and sells him - or worse。 When a chance meeting with Essex sets a course in motion， her plan becomes much more dangerous and heartbreaking （I read those chapters with my heart in my throat！）。 The story is told in first-person narration， which I loved， as it opened a window into the unbearable burden of the double life Pheby endured - she had to constantly submit herself in every way to a wretched man in order to keep herself and her children safe。 I loved how she outwitted Lapier at nearly every step though， and where her journey ultimately took her。 There could not be a happy ending， per se， but Johnson's conclusion was both satisfying and poignant。 An emotional tale of promise， hope， despair， heartache， and love that is a must-read for historical fiction fans in 2021。 I hope Sadequa Johnson is already working on her next book， because I am already impatiently waiting for it！ All the stars。 。。。more
the。unexpected。reader
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Virginia 1850。 In a time when enslave people were punished for reading and writing， Pheby Delores Brown was taught just that plus arithmetic， geography， and piano。 In fact Pheby， who’s the daughter of a slave mother and a plantation owner， was promised she’d be safely sent up north to receive a proper education。 Although the daughter of a white man has gained her some privilege， she is still a slave working at a plantation with a promise she’d see freedom one day。She finds love with a fellow sla Virginia 1850。 In a time when enslave people were punished for reading and writing， Pheby Delores Brown was taught just that plus arithmetic， geography， and piano。 In fact Pheby， who’s the daughter of a slave mother and a plantation owner， was promised she’d be safely sent up north to receive a proper education。 Although the daughter of a white man has gained her some privilege， she is still a slave working at a plantation with a promise she’d see freedom one day。She finds love with a fellow slave and together plan ways for him to escape to the north。 But when her mother unexpectedly dies， and her father becomes seriously ill， the Master’s jealous white wife sends her off to a slavers jail。As a slave who’s fair skinned and beautiful， Pheby is almost immediately snatched up by the Jailer himself – a disgustingly cruel and sadistic man， and becomes his mistress at the jail know by others as the Devil’s Half Acre。 Allowed very little freedom， every day is a test for her， and everyday a struggle for survival。 She is forced to bear his children and entertain his like-minded guests。 Forbidden to read or write， she hides a journal in her dress， and writes the stories of all the slaves who are sent and sold at the jail。 Pheby Delores Brown is now woman who must make the best of a situation in order to protect her children。 She must stay a step ahead of the Jailer and keep his moods calm and sedated， as his cruel tendencies could lash out at everyone she loves。 When a shackled slave from the old plantation arrives at the jail， Pheby must make heartbreaking decisions that affect all that she loves。 Although Yellow Wife is 288 pages， it reads like an epic story。 This book will have your turning page after page with your heart beating out of your body。 It is tragic， heartbreaking， and shockingly inspired by real individuals in 1850’s Virginia。 A big thanks to Netgalley and Simon & Schuster for sending me this advanced copy。5 STARS 。。。more
Annette Wadowski-Licata
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Well written story of a history that is hard to admit is in our country's past。 Well written story of a history that is hard to admit is in our country's past。 。。。more
Shirley McAllister
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We Are Never Slaves In Our MindsWow！ This is a powerful story。 I read on this book almost all day， couldn't put it down。 It is difficult to understand how people can go through so much cruelty and still go on with life。 How Some people could be so cruel and think it was okay to do so。 It was a different time in history， and thought processes were very different。 Although there were cruel people there were also compassionate people。 Had that not been so there would have never been a civil war to We Are Never Slaves In Our MindsWow！ This is a powerful story。 I read on this book almost all day， couldn't put it down。 It is difficult to understand how people can go through so much cruelty and still go on with life。 How Some people could be so cruel and think it was okay to do so。 It was a different time in history， and thought processes were very different。 Although there were cruel people there were also compassionate people。 Had that not been so there would have never been a civil war to abolish slavery。 Not all white people were cruel slave owners and not all black people were slaves。 It was a sad story of the lives of Pheby ， probably sadder than the other slaves。 She was half black and half white and didn't feel like she totally belonged。 She was taught to read and write and play the piano。 Because of this when the mistress sent her away to be sold and she ended up in the Devil's Acre she was not prepared for what she found there。 She was still treated better than most and tried to help those less fortunate with danger and consequences to her own safety。 It was interesting to read the ending， different that what I expected 。 In history we often hear about the cruelty of slavery in the physical sense with beatings and floggings。 From reading this story there were so much heartache in the mental cruelty with punishment to those that disobeyed by selling family members。 I enjoyed reading about some of the fashions of the day and how the plantations were set up with the main house， the laundry house， the kitchen house and the slave quarters all separate。 That the slaves that worked in the big house were considered uppity by the other slaves。 How they all came together at a funeral and at church。 I enjoyed reading about his era in history。 I would recommend this book。 Thanks to Sadequa Johnson， Simon and Schuster， and NetGalley for allowing me to read a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shone
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HEARTBREAKINGYellow Wife by Sadeqa JohnsonYellow Wife is a Historical Fiction that reads as if it is going on today。 A distressing emotional story， showing a mother's unconditional love for her children。 Well written this book is one that will stay within your spirit。 Thank you， NetGalley for allowing me to read and give an honest review。#Netgalley #Cillasbookmaniacs #Mamatoni HEARTBREAKINGYellow Wife by Sadeqa JohnsonYellow Wife is a Historical Fiction that reads as if it is going on today。 A distressing emotional story， showing a mother's unconditional love for her children。 Well written this book is one that will stay within your spirit。 Thank you， NetGalley for allowing me to read and give an honest review。#Netgalley #Cillasbookmaniacs #Mamatoni 。。。more
Margaret
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New to me author Sadeqa Johnson packs a lot of punch in these 277 pages of Yellow Wife。 This is my first time in what feels like ages to be reading US historical fiction about slavery and what those of color endured。Just shy of her 18 years， Pheby has been promised her freedom papers but then everything changes and not in a good way。 Pheby told her story beginning with promise， love and hope that changed to despair and heartache。 Needless to say it was a emotional read and honesty given the time New to me author Sadeqa Johnson packs a lot of punch in these 277 pages of Yellow Wife。 This is my first time in what feels like ages to be reading US historical fiction about slavery and what those of color endured。Just shy of her 18 years， Pheby has been promised her freedom papers but then everything changes and not in a good way。 Pheby told her story beginning with promise， love and hope that changed to despair and heartache。 Needless to say it was a emotional read and honesty given the time period how could it not be。 It was a horrible time in history。The last few pages of this book contained author notes （a must for HF imho） where the author talked of her inspiration and research。 While the characters were fictional they do revolve around a real jail set on 1/2 an acre where the circumstances were drawn from。 Sometimes hard to read the author didn't always hold back it to what took place。 The characters were authentic and it wasn't hard to feel for them。I liked the ending but I did crave for more。 I would have loved for the story to have continued for a little bit longer。 All in all a great read by an author that I will be on the lookout for her backlist。My thanks to Simon & Schuster Canada for a print ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Shone
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HEARTBREAKINGYellow Wife by Sadeqa JohnsonYellow Wife is a Historical Fiction that reads as if it is going on today。 A distressing emotional story， showing a mother's unconditional love for her children。 Well written this book is one that will stay within your spirit。 Thank you， NetGalley for allowing me to read and give an honest review。#Netgalley #Cillasbookmaniacs #Mamatoni HEARTBREAKINGYellow Wife by Sadeqa JohnsonYellow Wife is a Historical Fiction that reads as if it is going on today。 A distressing emotional story， showing a mother's unconditional love for her children。 Well written this book is one that will stay within your spirit。 Thank you， NetGalley for allowing me to read and give an honest review。#Netgalley #Cillasbookmaniacs #Mamatoni 。。。more
Nicole Reyes
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Yellow Wife is about Pheby Delores Brown， a young enslaved woman， who had been promised freedom on her 18th birthday。 However， she is sold beforehand due to a dispute and finds herself at a jail in Virginia， known as Devil’s Half Acre， possibly the cruelest place slaves are tortured and sold。 The Jailer is intrigued by Pheby， for her looks and her will to fight。 What follows is Pheby’s journey with sacrifice， loss， and her determination for a better life， for herself and those she holds dearest。 Yellow Wife is about Pheby Delores Brown， a young enslaved woman， who had been promised freedom on her 18th birthday。 However， she is sold beforehand due to a dispute and finds herself at a jail in Virginia， known as Devil’s Half Acre， possibly the cruelest place slaves are tortured and sold。 The Jailer is intrigued by Pheby， for her looks and her will to fight。 What follows is Pheby’s journey with sacrifice， loss， and her determination for a better life， for herself and those she holds dearest。Overall， I give this book 4。5 stars out of 5。 This was a great read and the emotions reading this were unreal。 I couldn’t put this down。 That’s a lie actually。。I HAD to put this down to ponder certain events because of the seriousness of them。 My only issue with it was how quick the resolution felt， especially since the subject matter is so heavy。 I believe this will be a top historical fiction book for 2021！While this book is a piece of historical fiction， it is inspired by the true story of Mary Lumpkin and of Lumpkin’s jail in Virginia。 There are scenes that may be triggering to many， but I believe give great depth to the story being told。 The Author’s Note at the end gives great insight into how this book came to be and the research that went into it。 As a historian， I really appreciate when writers do this so I can reference and further research a subject as interesting as this。Thank you to @sadeqasays， @netgalley， and @simonandschuster for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Laurie • The Baking Bookworm
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3。5 STARS - Yellow Wife is a powerful and unflinching Historical Fiction novel that vividly depicts the violent and inhumane treatment of Black slaves in 1850's America。 While the story begins on a southern plantation， author Sadeqa Johnson focuses her story on a lesser known aspect of the era - the slave trade and slave jailers。As as an avid reader of Historical Fiction， I have read many books set in this era， some written by a few of my favourite authors - Kathleen Grissom （The Kitchen House）， 3。5 STARS - Yellow Wife is a powerful and unflinching Historical Fiction novel that vividly depicts the violent and inhumane treatment of Black slaves in 1850's America。 While the story begins on a southern plantation， author Sadeqa Johnson focuses her story on a lesser known aspect of the era - the slave trade and slave jailers。As as an avid reader of Historical Fiction， I have read many books set in this era， some written by a few of my favourite authors - Kathleen Grissom （The Kitchen House）， Lawrence Hill （The Book of Negroes） and Alex Haley （Roots）。 Those are HUGE shoes to fill， but Johnson holds her own and gives readers a well-researched story based on the real life of Mary Lumpkin， a mulatto woman who was born a slave and became the mistress of Devil's Half Acre， a notorious jail that dealt with the punishment and sale of slaves in Richmond， Virginia。Johnson does not shy away from the brutality of the time， but she also focuses on the complicated relationships in families and those connections that are formed and maintained in order to survive。 The story centres around Pheby whose decisions （and inaction） were sometimes hard to get behind but will give readers much to discuss。The story has a bit of an insular feel once Pheby begins living at the jail and focus shifts to her roles at the jail， the protection of her children and the Jailer's changing whims。 Life at the jail - the sounds， smells， living conditions and violent punishments - are vividly described and are not for the faint of heart。 I enjoyed this book and always love learning about new aspects of history， but I found the ending too rushed and although an epilogue gives more detail， I would have appreciated more closure。 I was also surprised at how certain situations （childbirth， romance in horrific conditions） felt glossed over and less realistically described compared to other aspects of the story。 Overall， this was an impressive and well-researched novel based on a part of American history I knew little about。 It is a hard-hitting， emotional， and eye-opening story about family， loss， humanity and endurance。 Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to the publisher for providing me a complimentary digital copy of this title in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Jenny Waterman
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The Yellow Wife by Sadequa Johnson is a historical fiction story of a young mixed race slave girl， Pheby， who is kept as a mistress to the brutal jailer at the Devil's Half Acre。 This story is representative of the life narratives of the thousands of slaves who passed through Jailer Jacob Lapier's slave trade often being abused， beaten and sold。 I am having trouble describing this book as some of the adjectives of praise for the writing seem to distract attention from the harrowing， absolute evi The Yellow Wife by Sadequa Johnson is a historical fiction story of a young mixed race slave girl， Pheby， who is kept as a mistress to the brutal jailer at the Devil's Half Acre。 This story is representative of the life narratives of the thousands of slaves who passed through Jailer Jacob Lapier's slave trade often being abused， beaten and sold。 I am having trouble describing this book as some of the adjectives of praise for the writing seem to distract attention from the harrowing， absolute evil that is endured in its pages。 I highly recommend this story and feel that Johnson's research was strong and the situation Pheby finds herself in is historically accurate。 The characters are memorable and I will continue to think of them and this beautifully written， heart-wrenching story often。 。。。more
Megan
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The Yellow Wife was everything I had expected and more。 This book is a gut punch。 The story is rich in detail and doesn't hold back。 There is no sugarcoating the horrors experienced by slaves。 The hope I wanted to feel never quite blossomed and I believe that was because I know how the story ends。 This didn't feel like a book where creative liberties were taken。 It felt like a history lesson given from the perspective of one woman。 Pheby Delores Brown is taught from a young age that she is bound The Yellow Wife was everything I had expected and more。 This book is a gut punch。 The story is rich in detail and doesn't hold back。 There is no sugarcoating the horrors experienced by slaves。 The hope I wanted to feel never quite blossomed and I believe that was because I know how the story ends。 This didn't feel like a book where creative liberties were taken。 It felt like a history lesson given from the perspective of one woman。 Pheby Delores Brown is taught from a young age that she is bound for greater things and that she came from greatness。 And while things don't go as planned she manages to make a life for herself by living for others。 She's an inspiration。 The horrors she must survive are unimaginable and they are horrors I haven't spent nearly enough time learning about。 The Yellow Wife is an extraordinary work of historical fiction that is a must read。 Sadeqa Johnson's research woven within her prose is so powerful that it is impossible to walk away from this book unchanged。 Thank you so much to Simon & Schuster Canada for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review。TW - beatings， assault， rape， human trafficking， death of a parent， death of a baby， slavery， racism 。。。more
Joyce
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Vivid Chronicle of American SlaveryAfter the hundreds of books， I have read， there are two types of historical novels that crush me。 Although fiction， they are factually based in terms of geography， settings and the sufferings of men， women and children。 One type of novel involves the Holocaust， the other concerns slavery in America。 America has a long history of racism from the American Indian to present day。Sadeqa Johnson has written a riveting novel， narrated by Pheby Delores Brown。 She is mu Vivid Chronicle of American SlaveryAfter the hundreds of books， I have read， there are two types of historical novels that crush me。 Although fiction， they are factually based in terms of geography， settings and the sufferings of men， women and children。 One type of novel involves the Holocaust， the other concerns slavery in America。 America has a long history of racism from the American Indian to present day。Sadeqa Johnson has written a riveting novel， narrated by Pheby Delores Brown。 She is mulatto， literate and raised by a mother who has taught her to believe in freedom and education。 She is the daughter of Jacob Bell， a Virginia plantation owner who promises to free her when she is eighteen。 However， when Jacob is away， Delphina， Jacob’s wife， sells Pheby to a slave trader。Pheby tells the reader about her journey。 She is part of a coffle （a new word I learned） which is a line of slaves fastened or driven along together。 When Pheby is brought to a slave trade center， Devil’s Half Acre， in Richmond， she is claimed by the owner， Rubin Lapier。 Although White men became rich as slaveowners， Rubin is considered too disreputable; White women will not marry him。 Pheby becomes his “wife，” bearing him five children; she had one son fathered previously by a black man she loves。In the meantime， Pheby paints a merciless description of physical （beatings and rape） and emotional damage doled out to the slaves。 It was interesting， if you can call it interesting， how the slaves knew their roles to their Masters and to each other。 There was a small hierarchy among the slaves but no one was safe from being whipped or sold。 Pheby used all her womanly wiles， when needed， and she did anything to protect her children。 She was always desperate for her freedom。 It is all dehumanizing and I found it difficult to absorb many of the disconcerting scenes， but it is our history， after all。 Johnson wrote a moving， complex page-turner， whose subject， unfortunately， seems timely。 。。。more
Alexandria Gunn
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Thanks to Netgalley for an ADR copy in return for an honest review。Full review coming soon。
Jennifer Blankfein
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Visit https://booknationbyjen。com for Q & A with Sadeqa Johnson。 With tears in my eyes， I’m recommending everyone read Yellow Wife， an engrossing， compelling， and beautifully written story。 Pheby is a born into slavery on a Virginia plantation; the white man who fathered her was the master， and her slave mother is the medicine woman for the community。 Often getting special treatment， Pheby is expecting to be freed when she turns eighteen; she is looking forward to getting an education， but thing Visit https://booknationbyjen。com for Q & A with Sadeqa Johnson。 With tears in my eyes， I’m recommending everyone read Yellow Wife， an engrossing， compelling， and beautifully written story。 Pheby is a born into slavery on a Virginia plantation; the white man who fathered her was the master， and her slave mother is the medicine woman for the community。 Often getting special treatment， Pheby is expecting to be freed when she turns eighteen; she is looking forward to getting an education， but things do not go as planned。After getting into trouble with her boyfriend who worked in the barn， Pheby， heartbroken， must run。 She ends up at Devil’s Half Acre， a hell-like place where slaves are dragged in， brutally tortured， and then cleaned up， dressed up and sold。 Her forced relationship with her jailer has her doing things that go against everything she believes and all that she is。 This cruel and horrible man repeatedly saves her and breaks her as she sacrifices her freedom to protect the ones she cares for。“Whenever I started feeling as if I could endure this place， thee was always a reminder that I could not。 “Author Sadeqa Johnson tells this incredible story based on the past with grit and vivid description that will bring you to tears， yet is most important to recognize。 The love and tenderness between some of these brave characters will keep you turning those pages with the hope that you will witness a worthy outcome。 Yellow Wife， a fictional story based on a shameful part of our history， is a must read。 Great for book club discussion。 Visit Book Nation by Jen https://booknationbyjen。com for Q & A with author Sadeqa Johnson。 。。。more
Zoe
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Gritty， haunting， and extremely moving！Yellow Wife is a poignant， impactful tale that sweeps you away to Virginia during the mid-1850s and into the life of Pheby Delores Brown， a young woman of mixed race who struggles to survive a life of brutality and protect those she loves while confined within the walls of the Devil’s Half Acre prison and as the mistress of the jailer， Rubin Lapier。The prose is eloquent and expressive。 The characters are vulnerable， strong， and scarred。 And the plot is an e Gritty， haunting， and extremely moving！Yellow Wife is a poignant， impactful tale that sweeps you away to Virginia during the mid-1850s and into the life of Pheby Delores Brown， a young woman of mixed race who struggles to survive a life of brutality and protect those she loves while confined within the walls of the Devil’s Half Acre prison and as the mistress of the jailer， Rubin Lapier。The prose is eloquent and expressive。 The characters are vulnerable， strong， and scarred。 And the plot is an exceptionally enthralling tale about life， love， strength， bravery， hope， survival， savagery， violence， and the unimaginable horrors and injustices of slavery。Overall， Yellow Wife is a magical blend of historical facts， heart-wrenching emotion， and powerful fiction that does a wonderful job of reminding us that humanity can not only be cruel and barbaric， but also incredibly resilient and kind。Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for providing me with a copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Dana
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My first 5 star read of 2021！ Yellow Wife is beautifully written， absolutely heartbreaking and will stay with me for a very long time。 I was completely captivated by the first page and couldn't put this book down。 Pheby Delores Brown， such a strong willed and truly incredible woman。 The life she was promised on her 18th birthday， being freed from slavery was anything but now her life played out。 When thrown into horrible circumstances she managed to stay strong and adapt to her environment。 Thro My first 5 star read of 2021！ Yellow Wife is beautifully written， absolutely heartbreaking and will stay with me for a very long time。 I was completely captivated by the first page and couldn't put this book down。 Pheby Delores Brown， such a strong willed and truly incredible woman。 The life she was promised on her 18th birthday， being freed from slavery was anything but now her life played out。 When thrown into horrible circumstances she managed to stay strong and adapt to her environment。 Throughout the horror she was faced with she was forever thinking of those close to her heart。 Even when that put her own life at risk。 Yellow Wife is a heavy read。 The horrifying treatment inflicted by white slave traders was really hard to stomach。 The descriptions are very graphic。 I can honestly say I had never read anything like this before。 Inspired by the story of Mary Lumpkin and the Lumpkin's jail in Richmond， Virgina。 This is a must read for historical fiction lovers！ Thank you so much Simon and Schuster Canada for my review copy！ 。。。more
Reference
google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=Yellow Wife
hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=Yellow Wife&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft
The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,Yellow Wife&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0