#29 in History
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl
- 238
- Pages
- about 4.5 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl” is a harrowing first-hand account of American slavery by a woman who escaped it. Writing as Linda Brent, Harriet Jacobs describes the sexual abuse enslaved women endured, her fight to protect her children, and how she won freedom for them and herself. She borrows the methods of the sentimental novel to speak about race and gender. Some readers feel it belongs in every history class.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself is an autobiography by Harriet Jacobs, a mother and fugitive slave, published in 1861 by L. Maria Child, who edited the book for its author. Jacobs used the pseudonym Linda Brent. The book documents Jacobs' life as a slave and how she gained freedom for herself and for her children. Jacobs contributed to the genre of slave narrative by using the techniques of sentimental novels "to address race and gender issues." She explores the struggles and sexual abuse that female slaves faced as well as their efforts to practice motherhood and protect their children when their children might be sold away.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 8.2 across 67 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 31% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the History average of 8.0. That is how 7.9 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 7.8 | 9 | 13% |
| Hardcover | 8.3 | 58 | 87% |
Frequently asked
How long is Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl?
It has 238 pages — shorter than 62% of the ranked books in History.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — History — with scores between 7.6 and 8.4, closest to this book.
