Great read by author Sadeqa Johnson. I featured Yellow a wife as book of the day across all my Black Fiction Addiction social media channels and interviewed the author for my Black Fiction Addiction blog.

This is an amazing story that you'll think about long after you've finished. I stayed up way too late to read, then laid awake thinking about it! This is THE book recommendation I'll be giving everyone for quite a while.

Ms Johnson has crafted a wonderful heart felt and heart BREAKING novel of the spirit of America at its core. This was not a book that I would normally pick up but I had to read it once I saw the cover and the description and I am so glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone!

I feel rather embarrassed to admit I had never heard of Mary Lumpkin or Robert Lumpkin for that matter and the notorious Lumpkin jail in Richmond, Virginia. The thing that I love about this book is it forced me to examine these parts of our American history that I hadn't heard of before. I am glad I did, and glad that others can be made aware of this as well because it serves a big purpose in our collective. To never let what happened back then happen any more or anywhere on our planet.

I couldn't put this book down from the moment I started it up. It was an epic journey into a world I will, THANK GOD, never have to have first hand knowledge of... It's gritty and dark but ultimately it is a story of resilience in the face of adversity. I truly believe this woman was an angel come to earth to help the others that were in the jail at that time. I would recommend this book to anyone. HIGHLY.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This is a book I will not forget! When Pheby was taken to Devil's Half Acre and had to get other slaves ready for the auction block so she could survive I could feel her struggle. This was such a great story of love, hope, survival and also the cruelty that existed back in Pheby's time. I was shocked to read this was based on history that actually happened. Pheby Delores Brown was a true survivor in this story. I did not want to put this book down and would love to read more books by this author.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers of this book for my copy for an honest review. 5 out of 5 stars!!!

Wow. This will be apart of one of the best books I've read this year. The story was a page turner, and I did not want it to end. I loved the writing style of the author, despite the difficult subject matter. A highly recommended retelling of a hard time in history. This story makes me want to research my own family tree even more. A very well researched and well written tale of fiction that is history based. It was thought provoking and emotional. I am hoping one day to visit Virginia and the historical place where the author got the idea for the story. I felt really bad for the main character, as well as her children.

This was a very interesting book. I was appalled by the treatment of the slaves, the uncertainty of the slaves' lives and future, and the entire situation with the prison. I LOVED the ending and getting to know what happened to the main characters. The authors' note were wonderful. If you read this book, be sure to keep reading for those two sections.

Trigger warning: slavery, human trafficking, racism, violence, murder of children, rape, death

Pheby Delores Brown's early life is much better than most of the slaves on the Virginia plantation. As the daughter of the master, she is taught to read and write (which at the time is illegal for slaves) and is never whipped at the master's request. Her status as a mulatto means she is often called "yellow" because of her fairer skin.

Pheby lives with her mother, Ruth, in the loom shed where they work on sewing and mending. At Ruth's urging, the master has found a school in Massachusetts for Pheby to attend when she is granted her freedom on her 18th birthday.

Unfortunate circumstances lead Pheby to leave the comfort of the plantation, which means she loses the master's promise of freedom papers. She goes to a slave jail, where the jailer takes a shining to her and keeps her for his own.

Pheby's new job is to prepare the fancy women for sale. These women are lighter-skinned and are in high demand for sexual slavery, and Pheby dresses the women in nicer clothes and applies makeup to drive up their price.

The novel is hard to read at times, as the treatment of the slaves is appalling. Pheby's determination despite her many misfortunes is heroic. She protects her children at all costs, even though they tether her to a life as a slave.

Recommended for readers of Southern historical fiction and those interested in the pre-Civil War South.

Based on the infamous Lumpkin jail, Sadeqa Johnson borrows from history to write this piercing novel. Instead of the freedom she has anticipated her entire life, Pheby Brown winds up living at the Devil’s Half Acre, a notorious slave jail in Richmond, as the owner’s mistress. This story follows her as she navigates life at the jail, making difficult but necessary decisions for her and her children’s survival. While this is a slave narrative and includes the gory treatment of slaves in the nineteenth century, this story also reinforces their humanity. Johnson balances these two aspects perfectly in her writing. The story is written from Pheby’s point of view and so gives insight into the lives of the enslaved apart from their obligations to their masters. I couldn’t help but rooting for black love, feeling joy reading about these early weekend cookouts and a sense of pride that the slaves’ knowledge of herbalism healed in a way western medicine at that time could not. Although I felt like this book lagged a little toward the end, this book is compelling and I was hooked from the beginning. Would absolutely recommend.

The Yellow Wife
by: Sadeqa Johnson

Published: out now

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

When your legacy precedes you and your life is not your own.

What I liked:

Historical perspective
The writing
The tone. It was sad

What I disliked:
The conclusion. I felt it was too swift of an outcome.

For
⭐️ When you want to luxuriate in great writing and heartbreaking prose
⭐️ When you aren’t feeling grateful for all that you have and are able to do
⭐️ Fans of Historical Fiction

Thanks to Netgalley for this advanced copy!

This books is equal parts incredible and hard to read at the same time. Pheby's story is devastating, but a necessary part of the United State's dark history. It's important to understand the horror of what happened during slavery. We owe it to the men and women who endured these horrors to preserve their memory.
This book will be required reading for US historical fiction readers.

An absolutely incredible story, one that I will be thinking about for a long time. I did not know that this was based on true events and real people, and I'm eager to learn more about the stories behind this book. This book was at turns devastating and beautiful, and every time I thought I had something figured out, I was surprised. This is not an easy book to read, but it is such a rich and layered story of a woman who will do anything to protect her children. We don't often come across stories of mixed-race enslaved people that focus on how they are able to pass, and the conflict that comes with having to navigate the worlds of the "big house" and the community of enslaved people on the property. This is one of the most complex and multi-faceted stories about an enslaved person I have read in some time. Content warnings: slavery, violence, sexual violence, racism, racial slurs, blood, vomit, excrement

My thanks to Simon & Schuster and NetGalley for an advance reader's copy.

Pheby Delores Brown was born into slavery in Virginia in the 1850's. She was promised freedom when she turned 18. While her plantation owner was away, his wife - who never liked her - sold her to a slave trader. She is brought to Richmond and during a slave auction is "chosen" by jail keeper Rubin Lapier. She becomes the mistress of the jail and even has the jailer's children. Pheby does everything she has to do to protect herself and her children. So much of this story is just heartbreaking and author Sadeqa Johnson does an amazing job showing what life was like for slaves at this time. It's just so hard to imagine how a person could treat another person as nothing but a piece of property. I highly recommend this book!

I have spent the last day and a half totally absorbed in Sadeqa Johnson’s Yellow Wife. I have cried, been down right angry, and very sad about the life of Phoeby Delores Brown. The story covers the time period of 1850-1874. Phoeby is a mulatto. Her father was a plantation owner and her mother a slave who had some authority as a medicine woman. Her father promised to free Phoebe when she turned eighteen. Unfortunately, he died and his wife sold Phoeby. This story covers Phoeby’s life at Devil’s Half Acre in Richmond where she is the “mulatto wife” of Rubin Lapier who Phoeby called the Jailer.

This book was difficult to read, and I had to put it down several times. Phoebe is a strong character who takes care of others, raises children, and constantly has to deal with Rubin’s orders. When you finish, make sure you read the author’s comments about how and why she wrote this story. I know this story is going to stick with me for a long time. My thanks to Simon and Schuster and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

Captivating! Well executed historical fiction set in Pre-Civil War era. This novel pulled me in from page 1. Heart wrenching and wonderfully written. Engaging and multidimensional characters. This is a must read story for 2021.

This is a wonderful book. Just wonderful. I thoroughly enjoyed reading. There was never a tawdry moment of boredom or wanting it to be done, I was invested and wanted to know what happened I had to stop myself from skipping ahead. It is written well. Minor and I do mean minor complaints. I wish the book had made more clear that time was passing and what year we were in. When it came to the 1867 letter I had to go back and look and try to piece together time. The only mention of another date is a chapter titled Christmas 1850 and to my memory the last we heard of true time was Monroe being 6 years ago. I admit I still don’t know what year the climax happened and then it was just like boom we’re after emancipation. Because of this I wanted to know but had no clue when the climax happened. I’m roughly guessing 1856 or 57 is when Monroe was 6? Anyway small detail but I would have liked to know bc it seemed like we were in the thick of enslavement (meaning well before the war) and then boom were 2 years past emancipation. 2nd and final minor complaint I would have loved to know what happened after the climax, all we got was one sentence in a letter from 10-15 years after it happened that Pheby took ill. But as cruel as the jailer was like how could we get nothing about the aftermath except that one sentence. I was deeply disappointed. Anyway great read and definitely worth it. I was sad it ended and I haven’t felt like that for a book in quite some time. And thank you to NetGalley for the early read it only took me so long as I was trying to savor..I told you I didn’t want it to end 🤣

This is a heart-wrenching and gripping book. Set in the pre-Civil War era, Pheby is anticipating her freedom when she is sent off to be sold and ends up at a jail for enslaved people. I was captivated by Pheby’s story and could not put the book down. Her story is one of courage and hope. The book gives insight not a grim time in our history and is one that will stay with you long after reading it.

A well-written and well-researched historical fiction. The characters were not only believable but also very human. You understood why and how the main character reached her decisions. You could feel what they were feeling. Will recommend this to anyone who asks.

Pheby Delores Brown was born on a plantation in Virginia; her father is the master of the plantation and her mother is a slave. She was very sheltered as a child, between her mother, her aunt Sally and her father, Master Jacob. Pheby's life unfortunately does a 180 when Sally passes and Missus Daphne takes over. Missus despises Pheby due to her lineage and when word gets around that slave (and Pheby's lover) Essex Henry has escaped, Pheby gets blamed for it and gets sent to Lapier Jail, also know as Devil's Half Acre, where she can be punished and sold as a fancy girl. But Pheby's beauty works to her advantage and Marse from Lapier Jail selects her and sends her to the house where she will soon become the Lady of the House. Pheby accepts her fate but hopes that one day Essex an her will be reunited. Especially since she found out that she is carrying his child!

I absolutely loved this book, and I enjoyed reading this new perspective for me on slavery and how black women could be treated. I had never heard of yellow wives before, but I can only imagine how difficult it would have been for these women to navigate through life and social situations and how to raise their mixed-race children. I command Ms. Brown for the dedication to her five children, her love for Essex and her staff, and how she fought tooth and nails to keep them all safe. A commendable character! The end of the book killed me; it was the perfect ending. I wish I could elaborate but I don't want to spoil it for anyone. Love, love, love this book!

Thank you Net Galley and Simon Schuster for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Yellow Wife by Sadeqa Johnson is a riveting historical fiction book which features Pheby Delores Brown, a mulatto who is enslaved on a plantation and then in a jail in Virginia in the pre-Civil War era. It is well researched and brings you into the life of Pheby as she is forced to make choice after choice to survive. She had been educated illegally and this was both her saving grace and her greatest secret.

The character of Pheby is based on Mary Lumpkin. She was a black woman and the wife to the white owner of Lumpkin’s Jail in Richmond. Mary had a heart that forced her to survive, adapt, and hope. When given the opportunity she changed the destiny of that actual half acre of a jail that saw the suffering of more than 300,000 slaves from 1844 to 1865. She also was a true heroine and a selfless mother.

As you can imagine, Johnson does not hesitate to share the horrific details of the life of those who were the unfortunate inhabitants of the Devil’s Half Acre or the plantation Pheby lived on previously. This causes the reader to gain an even greater admiration for their will to survive. Pheby was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to give those around her a chance at their freedom. These characters will become real to you, too. You will learn much, but more importantly be inspired by her strength. Despite many challenges Pheby found ways to defy the societal bounds to enact meaningful change. The strength that her mother Rose instilled in her blessed her and her posterity. She knew her worth and true nature from the start of her life, an unusual circumstance in that time period for a slave.

If I could give a higher rating than five stars I would, I anticipate Yellow Wife will be in my top 10 of 2021. The tragic and triumphant novel will change you for the better after reading it.

I was provided a free advance reader copy from Simon & Schuster in exchange for my honest review from Net Galley. The opinions shared in this review are my own.

In Sadeqa Johnson’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘞𝘪𝘧𝘦, Pheby Delores Brown is often imprisoned with the debilitating thoughts of choosing between freedom and love in this pre-Civil War novel set in Virginia. Inspired by the true story of enslaved, mixed-raced woman Mary Lumpkin and the “Bully-Trader” jailer Robert Lumpkin, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘞𝘪𝘧𝘦 reimagines Pheby’s story when she is unexpectedly sold into the Lanier prison and what becomes of her life as the “yellow wife” of the jailer. The jail, known as the Devil’s Half-Acre, is a place of abhorrence and thrives on human suffering by “breaking” slaves in the mid 1800s.

Born on Christmas Day and the granddaughter of a Cameroon queen, Pheby Delores Brown, is a privileged mulatto woman and often shielded with her mother’s protection learns that promises are not always kept. Pheby’s mother often emphasized to her young daughter, “You a slave in name, but never in your mind, chile.” Pheby always imagined and felt her lot more than that above a slave. Her mother insisted she maintain an image of dignity, grace, and confidence that nobody could strip away from her—not even the ills of slavery. Her mother never taught her how to be a slave, because she could be a lady instead. Her composure and identity never rested on being anybody’s property but her own person—it helped her sense of selfhood throughout the novel. Her mother’s ability to transplant that notion in her daughter’s mind is the key to her survival upon the hell she enters at Devil’s Half-Acre. All in all, Pheby is smart, talented, beautiful, skillful, and resourceful; thus, she is deemed a “prized yellow wife” to Rubin Lanier once he sees her.

Johnson tells a heartbreaking story about motherhood, love, and sacrifice. Slavery demands that we make hard choices while love demands another. The roles of women in this novel are even more complicated once they become mothers. Johnson’s portrayal of family separation is agonizing to the reader, but explains the sheer pain the heart feels as it is stretched, broken, and twisted to lose your children in auction or separation. In my reading, I see some parallels to Harriet Jacobs’ slave narrative 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘚𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘎𝘪𝘳𝘭. Johnson creates a character that learns very quickly what it means to grow from a young girl to a woman that makes tough choices that save her life and direct her future and her freedom.

While I enjoyed the research, interest, and attention surrounding Johnson’s plot and characters in 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘠𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰𝘸 𝘞𝘪𝘧𝘦 and I how much I anticipated an advanced copy of the release, I just was not blown away by the novel itself. It was no real “spark” or “action” for me. I wanted a stronger, emotional connection with the characters—something more meaningful—and I didn’t really find that in Pheby, but I wanted to. She is fashioned to be a strong character, but she’s actively passive about her own future. Furthermore, the ending falls short on many levels. I wanted this to be a 5-star review, but I can’t always promise that.