William L. Andrews

A difficult and harrowing but important sample of American literature, not only in terms of its significance to our nation's history, but also in inspiring compassion and humanity as this very long, shameful chapter in our nation's past continues to have reverberations today. When compared with the political climate over 150 years later, one can't help but note that the hypocrisy of professing piety and being a "good Christian," while simultaneously ignoring -- and worse, contributing to -- show more the suffering of fellow humans is apparently eternal. This sentence, when Mary Prince is first introduced to Christianity, broke my heart: "When I found out that I was a great sinner, I was very sorely grieved, and very much frightened." Any number of these narratives would make a riveting feature film or documentary. I was especially awed by Harriet Jacobs' incredible story. show less

Ten separate narratives spanning 1770-1860 in which the enslaved argue for their humanity to an eventually sympathetic nation. Wm and Ellen Craft's 'Running a Thousand Miles for Freedom' with them disguised as a sickly master (Ellen) and his slave across steam boats and trains from Georgia to Philadelphia stands out. Harriet Jacob's 'Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl' is remarkably well written. The set ends with Jacob Green telling his disturbing story, letting us know these were show more complicated humans making the best of their situations as they could. show less

One's first reaction is how could someone brought up under slave conditions have grown up to be one of the most eloquent speakers and influential political leaders in American history. The more one looks into his background the more one is aware of the "opportunities" Douglass had that helped him grow out of his initial disadvantages, e.g. help learning how to read. But perhaps the most compelling factor is simply that he was an extremely talented individual. While the Narrative is the show more highlight, the secondary pieces including Douglass's other writings, reviews and analyses, and modern literary criticism also provide important insights, making the Norton edition an important addition to the library. show less

This collection includes four narratives, the most famous of which is Mary Rowlandson's. Other narratives include those of Madam Knight, Elizabeth Ashbridge, and Elizabeth House Trist. All of the narratives are complete (with the exception of a few spots where diary entries were smeared/damaged beyond recognition) and unabridged with careful footnotes, and each narrative also has an extensive introduction that gives in depth context to the life and history of each woman, as well as the show more perceived value of the text. For anyone interested in these narratives who doesn't have a heavy background in either American history or geography, I'd say these introductions are invaluable and worth reading before delving into the respective narratives.

Writing and subject-wise, each narrative in some way addresses movement and transgressions across classes, though this happens the least in Knight's work, where she only addresses the subject in regard to marriage. More common are themes of difference, race and sex perception, and religion. While these aren't works I'm likely to come back to, they were worth looking into as a peak into an earlier time and as a individualized history lesson. If you're interested in women of early America or in Women's narratives, I'd suggest these. Otherwise, they probably wouldn't be of interest (or hold attention). As a collection though, and as historical documentation, this work is well put together with an eye toward contextualizing and making relevant each text in the contexts of women's narratives, American history, and travel writing. show less