Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl

<p>The true story of an individual's struggle for self-identity self-preservation and freedom <i>Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl</i> remains among the few extant slave narratives written by a woman. This autobiographical account chronicles the remarkable odyssey of Harriet Jacobs (1813-1897) whose dauntless spirit and faith carried her from a life of servitude and degradation in North Carolina to liberty and reunion with her children in the North.<br>Written and published in 1861 after Jacobs' harrowing escape from a vile and predatory master the memoir delivers a powerful and unflinching portrayal of the abuses and hypocrisy of the master-slave relationship. Jacobs writes frankly of the horrors she suffered as a slave her eventual escape after several unsuccessful attempts and her seven years in self-imposed exile hiding in a coffin-like garret attached to her grandmother's porch.<br>A rare firsthand account of a courageous woman's determination and endurance this inspirational story also represents a valuable historical record of the continuing battle for freedom and the preservation of family.