The true story of an individual's struggle for self-identity?? self-preservation?? and freedom?? Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl remains among the few extant slave narratives written by a woman. This autobiographical account chronicles the remarkable odyssey of Harriet Jacobs (1813?1897) whose dauntless spirit and faith carried her from a life of servitude and degradation in North Carolina to liberty and reunion with her children in the North.
Written and published in 1861 after Jacobs' harrowing escape from a vile and predatory master?? the memoir delivers a powerful and unflinching portrayal of the abuses and hypocrisy of the master-slave relationship. Jacobs writes frankly of the horrors she suffered as a slave?? her eventual escape after several unsuccessful attempts?? and her seven years in self-imposed exile?? hiding in a coffin-like " attached to her grandmother's porch.
A rare firsthand account of a courageous woman's determination and endurance?? this inspirational story also represents a valuable historical record of the continuing battle for freedom and the preservation of family.