Douglass' Women : A Novel

by Jewell Parker Rhodes

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The best-selling author of Voodoo Dreams (F0036) focuses on two women who loved the great abolitionist Frederick Douglass. Anna, a free woman of color, was his rescuer, his loving wife and mother to his children. Ottilie Assing, a white German woman, became his intellectual soul mate and mistress. At times, they all lived under the same roof.

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4 reviews
This novel blindsided me with its brilliance. Douglass' Women falls into the "I wish I'd written this" category, which in my selfish little world is the highest honor I can give a work of fiction. Three fascinating, complex, flawed, real-life individuals are brought to life unforgettably.

I could also write an essay about the cover, from how it marginalizes the characters of color to how the dress is the wrong century. But the cover isn't the author's fault. I will definitely be seeking out more titles by Jewel Parker Rhodes.
If you enjoy hating characters, this may be the book for you.
The story of Anna Douglass, the wife of Frederick Douglass, the abolitionsit and the story of one of his mistresses, Ottilie Assing.
I liked Anna. I disliked Ottilie, and I despised Douglass. He was portrayed as a self-centered (insert bad word), that was hungry for attention and made speeches to spread the word of what happens to slaves. It became more about him, than the cause.

If this was the goal of the author she did a phenominal job and I need to change the rating.
This was an amazing book and a fascinating fictional account of the women behind Frederick Douglass. The character development was excellent and it was easy to imagine it was all true. It was also hard to take sides as each of the three main characters, Douglass, his mistress and his wife, were so easy to understand. I loved how she wrote from each persons perspective, changing her voice as it happened.
½
Nepārprotami feministisks romāns, kas apzinīgi atklāj afroamerikāņu ikonas tumšo un ne pārāk pievilcīgo pusi. Tiesa, kā jau šādos gadījumos nereti mēdz būt, gribētos, lai tiktu dots vārds arī pašam antivaronim - lai nu paskaidro, kāpēc rīkojas tik nesmuki

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23+ Works 6,937 Members
Jewell Parker Rhodes is an award-winning author. Her books include Voodoo Dreams, Magic City, Douglass' Women, Season, Moon, Hurricane, and the children's book, Ninth Ward. She is also the author of the writing guides Free Within Ourselves: Fiction Lessons for Black Authors and The African American Guide to Writing and Publishing Nonfiction. Her show more work has been published in Germany, Italy, Canada, Turkey, and the United Kingdom and reproduced in audio and for NPR's "Selected Shorts." Rhodes honors include: the American Book Award, the National Endowment of the Arts Award in Fiction, the Black Caucus of the American Library Award for Literary Excellence, the PEN Oakland/Josephine Miles Award for Outstanding Writing, and two Arizona Book Awards. Rhodes is the Virginia G. Piper Chair in Creative Writing and Artistic Director of Piper Global Engagement at Arizona State University. (Bowker Author Biography) Jewell Parker Rhodes is a professor of creative writing and American literature at Arizona State University. She lives in Scottsdale, Arizona. show less

Awards and Honors

Common Knowledge

Important events
American Civil War

Classifications

Genres
Fiction and Literature, General Fiction, Historical Fiction
DDC/MDS
813.54Literature & rhetoricAmerican literature in EnglishAmerican fiction in English1900-19991945-1999
LCC
PS3568 .H63 .D68Language and LiteratureAmerican literatureAmerican literatureIndividual authors1961-
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Statistics

Members
156
Popularity
209,258
Reviews
4
Rating
(3.94)
Languages
English
Media
Paper, Audiobook, Ebook
ISBNs
7
ASINs
4