I pulled this book for the Classics Club spin, and I’m very happy to have done so. Because of the state of my reading right now, I was hoping for a short one, and this book is only 144 pages (albeit of very small type). It’s one of the few short works left on my Classics Club list.
The autobiography was written in the 1850s about events earlier than that and published in 1861. Although by then Jacobs was free, she wrote it under the pseudonym of Linda Brent, probably to protect others.
Linda had a fairly cheerful childhood, because she was owned by a kind woman who had promised to set her grandmother free. However, on the woman’s death, her slaves were seized as assets because she owed money, and Linda and her brother William ended up in the home of Dr. Flint, a relative. Linda’s grandmother was not freed and was also owed $300 by her mistress but never got it.
Jacobs recounts many instances of brutality on the part of slave owners, but her own troubles began when she reached puberty and Dr. Flint began relentlessly pressing her, trying to get her to have sex. Essentially out of desperation, she succumbed to another white man who she liked better and had two children by him. He, Mr. Sands, tried to buy her and her children several times, but Dr. Flint refused to sell them.
Eventually, Jacobs tried to escape, and the events of her escape, which took years, are the most harrowing in the book. Even after she escaped, she was in danger of being snatched back because of the Fugitive Slave Act, and Dr. Flint didn’t stop trying to find her until he died.
I thought this book was interesting, although at times it had very religious overtones, applied to events that she thought would make her look bad. But, after all, part of her purpose was to educate people against slavery, and she didn’t want her audience to turn against her. Frankly, she does little to deserve that (mostly, she feels she sinned by sleeping with Mr. Sands), but I can see why in that time she would worry about it.
For some reason, although I had sympathy for Linda’s really horrible troubles, I didn’t get as involved with this book as I might have expected. I’m not sure why.
What? Me Read? 
Instead of the one I got, I read (listened) to this one, maybe it kind of counts?
I also found it fascinating and it was so hard to hear all that she and many others went through!
Lots of people listen to their books. I think it’s fine.
Oh, I see what you mean. You read this one instead of your spin book. Well, you could just say that when the spin page comes up on Sunday.
Why didn’t you connect that much? Maybe because the times and worldviews are very removed from us? I see what you mean about the religious undertones. I am still glad I chose to read it.
Well, I said I didn’t know. I just didn’t. Nothing I could put my finger on except the religious stuff.
Yeah you did say, sorry! It’s not always clear why we don’t connect with some books.
There is an introduction by a friend who says she helped clean up the book a bit. I’m wondering if she helped clean it up too much. But I didn’t say that because I didn’t know if it was true. She says she just did minor editing.
Lol, I will! Yeah I remember the friend saying that about editing. I kind of get what you say, I feel the same. I just value it a lot because I can be wrong but there’s not many books from that time and POV. I am glad I listened to it.
No, you’re right. There are hardly any.
The religious stuff would probably put me off a bit too, although I see what you mean about why she might have felt it was necessary at that time. But it’s good that these stories were told and survive.
Yes. I believe that Uncle Tom’s Cabin is more harrowing, although I haven’t read it since high school. I don’t know how Stowe researched it, possibly by talking to escaped slaves or relatives of slaves.
This sounds a tough read, I agree with FF, that it’s good these stories survive
I wouldn’t say it was tough. It’s hard to describe.
Such depressing subject matter must have also been tough to read. Imagine being forced into slavery AND then also being forced into having sex (rape!)
I read the Brothers Karamazov for my SPIN book. Wow. What an amazing book, so well written.
I’m still having a hard time figuring out why I didn’t get into this book more. I just felt detached from it, and I often read books from the 19th century that involve me more. I didn’t really find it depressing as much as interesting. She didn’t actually get raped, but then again, she was basically forced to pick another man to have sex with to fend off her master’s intentions, which is pretty close. I was actually surprised that her master just didn’t rape her if he wanted her so much. He didn’t seem to have any other morals.
Brothers is fascinating, isn’t it? Years ago, I remember riding in the car with my brother and his girlfriend and him asking me to read (was it Ivan’s?) long speech.
My link, if you care to read my review: https://headfullofbooks.blogspot.com/2025/04/classic-review-brothers-karamazov.html
Thanks!
I don’t read a lot of autobiographies anymore as I feel that most writers are unable to detach from their own perspective/agenda enough to write an accurate account or the book devolves into a dull timeline of ‘I did this…then I did that…and then he said….and I did this…’
It’s a little odd, because I usually love memoirs and a good biography can be a thing of joy.
This isn’t that kind of thing. I have a problem with memoirs and autobiographies because sometimes they are just self-enhancing, but sometimes there is a really good one.