I love a good poet's biography. Phillis Wheatley is such an interesting figure in American Letters--one of our first published poets, one of high esteem, but also, such important conversations surrounding her writing aligning the Western style and perspective. What would have happened if Wheatley were not so tied to language in this way?

A really excellent of Phillis Wheatley. The author expertly weaves together evidence of Wheatley’s life and the possible perspectives and opinions that can be drawn out of her poems. I come to this book unfamiliar with Wheatley but as a trained classicist. The author reveals a few gaps in knowledge of classics or historiography of classics and the narrator mispronounces a few words that made me cringe. However overall I feel I learned a lot and I am recommending this book to friends.

The narrator? *chef's kiss*
The story? WOW! I wasn't aware of Phillis Wheatley before reading this. Very grateful to have had the opprotunity to read this.

I read about Phillis Wheatley in a college class and this jumped out at me. The history was interesting but I feel like it was less about Phillis Wheatley in places than the history happening around her. To be fair, there's not much other writing to really discuss her and her life directly, with education/slavery laws as they were at the time but it was more putting Wheatley in historical context than about her herself. Still a great read, just an adjustment of expectation.

#arc
#netgalley
#theodesseyofphilliswheatley

Wheatley is such an important figure about whom much has been written, but this felt like a fresh take. I loved how the author approached her, placing her in both literary and historical context.

I'm not sure that my rating is fair, because the biggest obstacle to recommending this book is that I don't think it's promoted for what it really is: a very scholarly analysis of the poems of Phillis Wheatley. I was expecting and hoping to be able to read some of her poetry, but I thought there would be a more complete overview of her life. I don't think this was a silly assumption as even the Book Blurb states " In this new biography the historian David Waldstreicher offers the fullest account to date of Wheatley's life and works..." Biographical information is provided, but the nuggets of details about her life are scattered throughout a much more in depth examination of her writings. The information that is provided is clinical in its tone, quite dispassionate, which is also suited to a collegiate text.