Rating: 
Summary: An unpublished masterpiece?
Review: As background for this slave's narrative, we are introduced to John Hill Wheeler, writer, who had published HISTORICAL SKETCHES OF NORTH CAROLINA, 1584-1851), who served as assistant secretary to the U. S. President Franklin Pierce (always one of my favorites) in 1854. There is a good photograph of Wheeler and a painting of his wife, Ellen, with her two sons by Thomas Sully who made the youngest look like a sleeping angel.
There is also a photo depiction of the abduction of his slave, Jane Johnson with her family, off the Steamer Washington on July 18, 1855, in Philadelphia "by force" by a gang of Negroes led by an abolotionist. Since he was unable to locate and reclaim his servants, Jane was subsequently replaced by Hannah -- who escaped in the Spring of 1857. He must have been a hard taskmaster.
One interesting thing (for me) was a mention of John Brown's (of Harper's Ferry, West VA fame) hanging in Charleston, VA. It was observed that he died as he lived, "game." He certainly was no coward.
I found too much redundancy in the introduction by Henry L. Gates, Jr., and the narrative itself. Absorbed in finding and preserving black culture in written form, he spends a lot of effort propounding on his conclusions, instead of the facts. Like a local writer involved in uncovering ancient history, he uses too many "that's" proving he is not scholary. To me, it shows a definite lack of education and too much emphasis on self promotion, so that whatever is printed will be thought or taken as the truth, the whole truth and nothing else.
As with all autobiographical material it is hard to tell what is fact and where the fiction begins. An old acquaintance now deceased who had been in the Merchant Marines in his younger years and received much enjoyment in bewildering strangers with his detailed stories, told me how he manufactured "truth." Add a few relevant facts which can be substantiated and names of real people and presto! it's history -- not fiction.
As with science, the individual authors are expounding on their own theories, not facts per se. It's the same in any field and any "case" history. Mr. Gates wanted to prove this narrative was authentic; therefore, he spent more effort with his "proof" than the slave's account itself.
Something that old can never be proven beyond a doubt. Now Clifford Irving's bogus biography of Howard Hughes was ill-timed. Had he waited until after the person's demise, there would always be doubt and nothing to prove he was a liar.
I don't believe a slave would know some of the words used by this writer. By including family background and descriptions of events, it is taken as the authentic tale of a real Hannah Crafts. He did too much surmising "what if's" to have run down the actual writer to New Jersey -- to have been the runaway slave from North Carolina.
I found the marked out words and phrases to be distracting (also detracting). It would have helped to have the edited parts left out; the 21 chapters would have sufficed without so much explanation and additions (in brackets). Instead of making this clearer, it befuddles the story itself.
I'm not a user of the word "that" which is grossly overused in newspapers today. About ten years ago, I typed the lengthy "memoir" of my ex-husband, a college English professor, and edited at intervals throughout. Of course, he proof-read every page before having the entirety copied and bound to distribute to members of his family. Sometimes, he agreed to my "clarifications"; at others, he'd say, "but we didn't talk that way." Growing up in a tiny hamlet between Shelbyville and Chapel Hill (where he'd been born) in Middle TN, and being about fifteen years my senior, he'd experienced things and feelings totally opposite to what I had in Knox County (East TN). My reasons to "edit" were for the benefit of those who'd be reading his memories, not to change events -- and he finally agreed with me.
Perhaps I should have left things exactly the way he expressed them, no matter how grammatically incorrect they were, as now that is what I am wishing Mr. Gates had done with this manuscript. The things he marked through seemed inconsistent vocabulary for such a young, uneducated woman confined in "the peculiar institution", and I'd have preferred not to have to think about them.
The textual annotations did not add to the story and were a bit too detailed. You can analyze a situation "to death." Some things are better left to the reader's imagaination.
This story is as old as the hills. Didn't he see the similarities between characters of this narrative and those in SHOW BOAT? Sad but true. Life is not always easy for those without power or money.
Rating: 
Summary: A Beautiful Learning Experience
Review: I couldn't have been more moved or impressed with a work of literature than I was with "The Bondwoman's Narrative" by Hannah Crafts and Henry Louis Gates Jr (Editor). Sadly, this is a part of history and literature that I am not that familiar with so I was eager to read this and expand my horizons and knowledge base. WOW! I was taken back in time to a world that I can hardly imagine. As a 27 year old white woman living in 2002 I can't even begin to truly understand what it meant to be a black slave in the South. It is a completely different world and existence that I will never comprehend. The mere fact that she was a self-educated woman who survived to reach freedom should be enough to make this a wonderful work but, it's so much more. It's the human condition and spirit that takes the reader on an adventure with Ms. Crafts. I was charmed.I found the Introduction by Mr. Gates particularly informative and was entranced by his ease and clear explanations. It is truly amazing how he found this unknown jewel. I am so glad that he did, because it provided me with knowledge that I desperately needed. Thank you!
Rating:
Summary: Its amazing...
Review: I didn't think there was anything I didn't know about slavery in America but I was wrong. As an African American, there was times I had to put the book down because of simmering anger over the harsh institution of slavery. Hannah says on more than one occasion she seen no worth in slaves marrying only to be sold away from each other or to promote slavery by having more children produced from the marriage. Never before had I put the two together in thought, marriage and slavery. I finished the book and consider it good reading and excellent research notes.
Rating: 
Summary: Two Books In One
Review: I purchased this book to read about Gates journey to find the first novel written by an Afican American female. In addition to Gates adventure, the actual romance novel written by Hannah Crafts is found in its entirety. I felt I received two books in one!
Rating:
Summary: A GREAT SLAVE NARRATIVE
Review: In THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE Hannah Crafts eloquently details the experiences of a light skinned female slave in the South in the decades preceding the Civil War. Discovered in the form as an unpublished manuscript by Henry Louis Gates, Jr. it is believed that this is the first slave narrative written by an African-American woman from only her perspective. Gates provides thorough scientific and literary evidence in both the forward and appendix proving its authenticity. I give Gates the benefit of the doubt that this manuscript is authentic as I am not an expert to judge otherwise. Regardless, THE BONDWOMAN'S NARRATIVE is a thoroughly enjoyable book that kept me reading far beyond my original intentions. I especially enjoyed the sections describing her accounts of running away from her master and mistress to freedom. Also admirable are her depictions of the evil slave speculator Mr. Trappe. What a hateful man he was to totally disregard the well being of slave for the sheer enjoyment of monetary profit. Hannah has the ability to make these characters come alive and does a good job at representing this painful time in American history. I applaud Gates for publishing the manuscript therefore enabling others to enjoy and sympathize with the life journey of Hannah. Enjoy!
Rating:
Summary: A LANDMARK MEMOIR
Review: It is one thing to read about the injustices of slavery from a historical or even an observer's point of view. It is quite something else to learn of the daily life of a slave in the indentured person's own voice. Such is the case with "The Bondwoman's Narrative" penned by a female slave in the 1850s. According to the editor this manuscript has existed for 140 years, and is quite probably the "earliest known novel by a female African-American slave and the earliest known novel by a black woman anywhere." Also according to Mr. Gates a slave escaped from a North Carolina plantation in 1857 and was able to reach New Jersey. It is his contention that she is the author of this book. Whether one wishes to question the authenticity of his identification or not is quite immaterial considering the compelling material within "The Bondwoman's Narrative." The relationship between ladies' maids and their mistresses is revealed in sharp detail, as are the offensive overtures by a relentless master. The slave and narrator is presented not as a human being but as chattel, valued only for what she might bring on the block. Ms. Craft has ably evoked pictures of the old South as well as the horrific conditions imposed by bondage. It is a miracle that these people could even hope for freedom. It is a wonder that this manuscript was brought to light at last. - Gail Cooke
Rating:
Summary: A TREASURE REVEALED!
Review: The Bondwoman's Narrative, by Hannah Crafts, a fugitive slave, escaped from North Carolina was a unpublished, cloth manuscript that a Harvard professor of African American studies, Henry Louis Gates, came across in an auction. He wondered if this manuscript could be for real? Could it really be written by a fugitive slave? Could it possibly be the first novel known to have been written by a black woman in America? Could it be the first novel to be written by a fugitive slave? Mr. Gates made it his mission to find out the truth about this mysterious manuscript. Throughout his many hours and months of research, which are chronicled in the opening chapters of the book, Mr. Gates has come to the conclusion that, YES, this manuscript is most likely genuine and the first novel written by a black female slave. It was such a joy and wonder to be able to read this manuscript unedited. This novel is pure in the author's thoughts and feelings, thus a very accurate look into the life of a slave. What a treasure Mr. Gates has found!
Rating:
Summary: What a discovery !
Review: This book is the autobiographical story of Hannah Crafts, a slave who, with her female owner, fled from her plantation in North Carolina. What is amazing is that this book is apparently the first novel written by an African-American female and was only recently dicovered.It took me a while to get used to the author's narrative style but it was well worth the effort. The introduction by Henry Louis Gates Jr. is also excellent and helps to better understand the historical context of this important book. Highly recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Fantastic--Don't skip the introduction!!!
Review: This book is worth buying to read about Gates' research efforts alone! You will be moved along the rollercoaster ride of snowballing excitement as Gates moves from first reading about the handwritten narrative in an auction catalog to authenticating the narrative to publshing the it as this book. Gates devotes the sixty page-plus introduction to his research and the appendices include the narrative's authentication report, the catalog of Hannah's owner's library(containing books from which Hannah borrowed plot elements), and testimony from another female slave that escaped Hannah's owner as well (Hannah mentions her in the narrative). While some might feel the novel may seem un-original because of Hannah's "borrowing" from literature of her time, I found the book a pleasure to read. Historian/bibliographer Dorothy Porter Wesley (the narrative came from her library) concluded early on that the narrative was by a black woman because the black characters were treated as people first of all AND that some time would pass in the story before it was evident that a character was black at all. Long used to novels (from Uncle Tom's Cabin to Gone with the Wind) where authors, usually white, took immense pains to point out the literal blackness and lowliness of negroes, Hannah's assumed humanity and ordinariness of her black characters is refreshingly different. Though some punctuation has been added to aid reading (major changes are bracketed to let you know where), Gates left in Hannah's mispellings, strikeouts and other revisions to keep the narrative as close to the handwritten manuscript as possbile. Overall, this book's an engrossing read from start to finish and I'm now looking for some of Gates' other literary finds to read.
Rating:
Summary: You have to enjoy this style of writing
Review: This book may have great value as a historical document, however, I evaluate it from the 'fun to read' point of view. I did not find it a greatly enjoyable read. It is written in the old novel style- "Perils of Pauline" comes to mind. Neither did I find that I learned much about it was like to live like a slave during that time. I am now reading a historical novel in which there are a few pages describing a slave market in the USA during the Revolution; which gave me a much clearer picture than Bondwoman's Narrative did. The description of how the field hands lived left me wishing to read more about that, and in fact, I felt I did not even get a good picture of how the house servants lived. There was quite a bit of philosophizing during the entire book so the author came across as an intellectual. In this respect, her comments about the death of a fellow runaway slave towards the end of the novel were very interesting to me.
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