"Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl..."

Harriet Jacobs

Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is a book that was published in 1861 by Harriet Jacobs using the pen name "Linda Brent" which tells the story of her real life as a slave and how she ultimately removed herself from it's grip.  This brilliant narrative was a life-changing read.  I am absolutely baffled as to how it was not required reading in high school.

In high school, we were required to read "Beloved" by Toni Morrison.  Beloved is also a story of a slave.  However, it is a fictional story and it is literature as opposed to documentation.  Toni Morrison's writing is very sophisticated and is quite in accessible, especially for high school students.  I was one of the few students who actually finished the book, let alone got something from it.

Ms. Jacobs writing, however, is undeniable.  It is written as if she is conversing with the reader - trying to get them to understand what she went through.  Her words are so sincere and vulnerable that you forget that she published the book in 1861. 

I cannot do her story justice here in a few paragraphs of summary.  I write this for two reasons.  The first is to implore you to locate this book and read it for yourself.  It is a free book on e-readers which is how I came across mine. 

The second is to express how moved I was by the story and how remarkably close it is to us all.  1861 was not that long ago.  There are not that many generations between the slave owners of then.  The slaves of then.  And the "us"'s of today.  Not that many at all.  Two, three, maybe four.  And it is such a comment on the human condition....

And it speaks volumes about how we interact with one another today.  And it is incomprehensible that any of should be walking around, American citizens, without knowing this woman's story.