"Running from Bondage" is a fantastic collection of stories of enslaved women who fled for their lives during the colonial era. I read an e-ARC version of this book, and I would be very interested to see the final copy. The few sketches and pictures that were included in this biography were fantastic, but I think to see the final product would pack a more significant punch to these strong women's tales. In general, I tend to prefer books that do a deep-dive on a single subject rather than a collection of smaller stories, but for some of the women discussed in this book, there simply wasn't going to be enough information to constitute an entire book. That didn't mean this wasn't a deeply enlightening read. I felt honored to be learning of these women and their struggles to survive during colonial America. I would love to know more about them.

Here is my rating breakdown:
Structure/formatting: 4/5
Thoroughness of research: 5/5
Storytelling: 4/5
Enjoyment: 4/5
Prior knowledge needed: 5/5 (meaning you can go into this book without any prior knowledge of the subject and still understand what is being discussed)

I’m very glad to see a book on slavery’s accounts and experiences!
I found this book to be very interesting and informative. Most books of this type cover men and their stories, maybe a slight mention of women but this is fully women and their importance in history. All should read this.


I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

I am thrilled, as a woman, to have new books being published about women in history. For such a long time, it seemed all history was just that - HIS story. The importance of women shaping American (and other countries’) history has been viewed as negligible for so many centuries, but is now beginning to receive space on the bookshelf, as it should. I enjoyed adding this book to my collection of books focused on African-American women and their significance to the shaping of America.

If anyone asks why books like this need to be written, it's because this isn't being taught in schools.
With so much emphasis about the Civil War and slavery, the discussion of people in bondage during the Revolutionary War, although mentioned, is mostly glossed over in most textbooks.
Thank goodness Karen Cook Bell presented us an amazing book about the slave resistance of the mid to late 1700's, before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.
Presented honestly and at times, sickening to see what humans do to each other, Bell not only covers the ways Black women successfully escaped and attempted to escape, but also how Black women pushed the abolitionist movement and helped create change.
It's a part of history some would call "uncomfortable" but if anyone is "comfortable" with the idea of people in bondage at anytime in history, they need to do some major soul searching.
I will recommend this book to as many people will listen and I hope Ms. Bell continues to write about subjects that get us all talking.

*I received an advanced reader copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

this was a really interesting read, I appreciated the author collecting this together. It was a respectable reading and was really well done.

Loved the book, it’s an excellent historical read. It was very in-depth about Black women & their resistance to slavery. I would recommend it to anyone, especially history lovers.

Running from Bondage: Enslaved Women and Their Remarkable Fight for Freedom in Revolutionary America by Karen Cook Bell is a timely historical nonfiction. At a time when there is increased discussion regarding the experience of black people in the Founding era and a desire for new perspectives, Running from Bondage provides a detailed analysis of the lives of slaves in particular and runaway slave women specifically.

The key to any historical nonfiction is the ability to piece together a narrative based on research from various sources. Unfortunately for Bell, during the Founding era there were few records that adequately documented the lives of slaves making it virtually impossible to piece together more than a few isolated bits of information about any one particular slave. Bell is up front about this from the beginning, noting that most of the information regarding the women profiled in the book comes from newspaper advertisements with rewards for assistance capturing runaway slaves. It is clear early on that she has difficulty connecting those advertisements to additional sources of information that might flush out the story of the featured slave.

In order to make up for the lack of information about specific runaway slaves, Running from Bondage educates the reader on the broader experience of slaves in the Colonies. This includes pointing out the different experiences of slaves based on whether they are from the North versus South and their occupations, gender, and even skin tone. This information is extremely interesting, but makes the book reads more like a research paper than the typical nonfiction regarding the Revolutionary Era. That being said, given the current political interests of the nation, Running from Bondage will contribute greatly to the effort to tell the story of the American Revolution from the black female perspective.

Absolutely phenomenal. Karen Cook Bell really sheds light on a topic that hasn't received a lot of attention in the history world. Books about slavery tend to lean towards the 1800s, but there aren't anywhere near as many about slavery in the 18th century. Even more scarce than that is books about slavery in the 18th century that are about WOMEN. Easy to read, poignant, and authentic, Running from Bondage is a must read for people interested in American history. I'm a public historian at an 18th century house museum (state historic site) with a background in interpreting slavery, and I would love to see this book offered in our gift shop.

This book provides an amazing insight into the lives and escapes of women in slavery. It’s emotional, but also factual and informative. It handles the dark subject matter well, from an analytical point of view without getting emotionally involved or opinionated on any content within the book. It helps imagine just how people back then felt as if slaves were property and nothing else.

I’m very glad to see a book on slavery’s accounts and experiences! These stories are important, and this novel helps bring attention to the personal accounts of women who were slaves. Each chapter focuses on different story, and are well written and compelling. The technical stuff can go on for a while, but it doesn’t much distract from the interesting stories.

I want to sincerely thank Netgalley, and the publisher for giving me the chance to review this ARC!